Livability Report
FukuokaLivability Score
Fukuoka·Pop. 1,662,793
Fukuoka City faces the Genkai Sea and Hakata Bay to the north, spreading over a half-moon-shaped plain enclosed on three sides by hills and mountains. Hakata Bay is an inner bay sheltered by the Itoshima Peninsula and Uminonakamichi. In ancient times a diplomatic facility called Korokan stood here, and in the medieval period the hub of trade moved to Hakata. Early in the Edo period Kuroda Nagamasa built a castle and castle town just west of Hakata, so the samurai town of Fukuoka and the merchant town of Hakata stood on either side of the Naka River. When the city was founded in 1889, the name Fukuoka won by a single vote, and the name Hakata survives as a station name. The 2025 Population Census counted 1,662,793 residents.
Published 2026-03-07 · Article updated 2026-10-27 · Data updated 2026-10-20
Where in Japan
Overall Score
33.0
36.7
58.0
63.6
63.2* These scores are based on statistical analysis of public data and do not represent a definitive assessment of any area. Actual livability varies depending on individual values and lifestyle.
5-axis scores
Safety33.0Cost36.7Convenience58.0Welfare63.6Economy63.2Basic Information
Population
1,662,793
Prefecture
Fukuoka
Q&A with Kai
Alex, Yuki, and Kai discuss what it's really like to live here.
How Fukuoka and Hakata came to be
Yuki
Why does the city have two names, Fukuoka and Hakata?
Alex
How was a single name for the city decided?
Yuki
Was there anything here before the castle town?
Kai
Early in the Edo period Kuroda Nagamasa built a castle and castle town just west of Hakata, a thriving commercial town. The name Fukuoka came from Bizen Fukuoka, tied to his ancestors. Administrative Fukuoka and commercial Hakata faced each other across the Naka River as one Kuroda domain. Fukuoka Castle, begun in 1601, housed the Kuroda for 264 years.
Reading a big city's crime figures
Alex
How should I read the crime figures?
Yuki
Is there any background to why the figure comes out high?
Alex
How can I use this when choosing where to live?
Kai
Based on the Fukuoka Prefectural Police table of reported offenses by municipality for 2025 (final figures), reported penal code offenses were 9.43 per 1,000 residents, with 15,675 cases. For reported offenses, that is higher than the median of Japan's major municipalities, and a lower rate is better for daily life, so it is worth noting. The safety score is 33.0.
Tenjin's rebuilding and homes on the edge of the city
Alex
How much do rent and land cost?
Yuki
What is happening in the city center right now?
Alex
Is there any way to keep housing costs down within the city?
Kai
In the 2026 land price survey, average residential land is 258,143 yen per square meter, higher than the median of Japan's major municipalities. The 2023 Housing and Land Survey puts average monthly rent at 56,975 yen, also higher. Land is a simple average of survey sites, rent the average of rented housing; lower is better; the cost score is 36.7.
Life with the subway, buses and food stalls
Alex
Can I live here without a car?
Yuki
What about areas with no rail service?
Alex
How is the shopping and dining environment?
Kai
In the 2020 Population Census, 30.6% of commuters used rail or bus, higher than the median of Japan's major municipalities. The subway has three lines, Kuko, Hakozaki and Nanakuma; the Nanakuma Line reached Hakata from Tenjin-Minami in March 2023. The Kuko Line runs through to JR Chikuhi Line at Meinohama and meets the Shinkansen and JR Kagoshima Line at Hakata.
Plenty of clinics and the child-rearing desks
Alex
Are hospitals and clinics easy to find?
Yuki
What support is there for families with children?
Alex
Are schools close by?
Kai
In the 2023 Survey of Medical Institutions, hospitals and general clinics number 10.87 per 10,000 residents, higher than the median of Japan's major municipalities: 115 hospitals and 1,693 clinics. Counts per population say nothing about specialties or access. The prefecture's list of regional medical support hospitals includes Fukuoka Children's Hospital, Fukuoka Red Cross Hospital and Saiseikai Fukuoka General Hospital.
Startup initiatives and the net in-migration figure
Yuki
What is the city like as a place to work?
Alex
Is the population growing?
Kai
In the 2025 survey of municipal tax assessment, taxable income per taxpayer is 3,999,208 yen, higher than the median of Japan's major municipalities. In May 2014 the city was selected as a National Strategic Special Zone for Global Startups and Job Creation and is building a startup city.
A city where the two population counts nearly match
Yuki
What is the residency rate?
Alex
After moving, are there ways to connect with the community?
Kai
It is a supplementary indicator dividing the census population by the resident register population, not used in the five axis scores. The 2025 census population is 1,662,793 and the resident register population on January 1, 2026 is 1,620,853, a residency rate of 102.59%. The census count slightly exceeds the register count, but the two counts differ in scope and timing.
Who this city suits
Families with children
The city has a child medical expense subsidy, each ward has a child and family center for consultations, and there are 275 elementary, junior high and high schools. The point to watch is housing cost: average rent for rented housing is 56,975 yen a month, a higher level, so check rent by ward together with the walk to school.
Young singles
There are three subway lines and the downtown loop BRT, 30.6% of commuters use rail or bus, and restaurants number 5.62 per 1,000 residents. The point to watch is the crime figure: reported penal code offenses are 9.43 per 1,000 residents, a higher level, so walk your route home at night before deciding.
Seniors
Hospitals and general clinics number 10.87 per 10,000 residents, and the regional medical support hospital list includes Fukuoka Children's Hospital, Fukuoka Red Cross Hospital and Saiseikai Fukuoka General Hospital. The point to watch is transport gaps: areas roughly 1 km or more from a bus stop or station are covered by city subsidies, so check where a home sits.
Remote workers
The city is a special zone for global startups and job creation, taxable income per taxpayer is 3,999,208 yen, and the 2025 net in-migration rate is 0.49%. The point to watch is land: the average residential land price is 258,143 yen per square meter, a higher level, so cast a wide net for housing, including the vacant-house subsidy in urbanization control areas.
Disaster risk and hazard maps
Fukuoka City publishes a Flood Hazard Map, a Storm Surge Hazard Map, a Tsunami Hazard Map and ward-by-ward Shaking Susceptibility Maps. The flood map uses flood inundation assumption maps showing the extent and depth of inundation from maximum-assumed rainfall, and was remade in March 2025 to reflect maps drawn up by the prefecture for class B rivers and by the city's Road and Sewerage Bureau for locally designated rivers. The storm surge map shows the extent, depth and duration of inundation from a maximum-assumed storm surge, based on assumption maps the prefecture published in March 2018. The tsunami map assumes a maximum-class tsunami, using inundation assumptions the prefecture published in February 2016. The shaking maps are for checking the seismic intensity from an earthquake on the southeastern Kego fault zone and the earthquake resistance of your building; the city expects far more buildings to collapse in that earthquake than in the 2005 Fukuoka-ken Seiho-oki earthquake. Around Hakata Station and Tenjin there are large underground malls, and the city has designated water-level notification sewers and published inland inundation assumption maps for maximum-assumed rainfall. Check down to your exact street address on the city's official maps and the Geospatial Information Authority's overlay hazard map.
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Detailed Data
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Crime Rate (per 1,000) | 9.43 | 2025 |
| Avg. Land Price (¥/m²) | 258,143 | 2026 |
| Avg. Rent (¥) | 56,975 | 2023 |
| Public Transit Usage (%) | 30.6 | 2020 |
| Retail Establishments | 11,485 | 2021 |
| Retail Establishments (per 1,000) | 6.91 | 2021 |
| Restaurant Establishments | 9,338 | 2021 |
| Restaurant Establishments (per 1,000) | 5.62 | 2021 |
| Residency Rate (%, census ÷ resident register) | 102.6 | 2025 |
| Medical Facilities (per 10,000, hospitals + clinics) | 10.87 | 2023 |
| Hospitals | 115 | 2023 |
| Hospitals (per 10,000) | 0.69 | 2023 |
| Clinics | 1,693 | 2023 |
| Clinics (per 10,000) | 10.18 | 2023 |
| Schools (elementary + junior high + high) | 275 | 2024 |
| Schools (per 1,000) | 0.165 | 2024 |
| Schools (per habitable km²) | 1.181 | 2024 |
| Taxable Income per Capita (¥) | 3,999,208 | 2025 |
| Net Migration | 8,175 | 2025 |
| Net Migration Rate (%) | 0.49 | 2025 |
| Total Population | 1,662,793 | 2025 |
| crime_count | 15,675 | 2025 |
| crime_count_pref | 38,577 | 2025 |
| crime_rate_pref_per_1000 | 8 | 2025 |
| habitable_area_km2 | 233 | 2024 |
| resident_registry_population | 1,620,853 | 2026 |
Data sources
| Indicator | Source | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 2025 Population CensusStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2025 | |
| Crime Rate (per 1,000) | Reported penal code offenses by municipalityFukuoka Prefectural Police | 2025 | Counted where offenses occur; per 1,000 uses the 2025 census population |
| Avg. Land Price (¥/m²) | Official land prices (National Land Numerical Information L01)Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | 2026 | Residential sites only; simple average of sites |
| Avg. Rent (¥) | 2023 Housing and Land SurveyStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2023 | Monthly rent of rented housing; next survey in 2028 |
| Public Transit Usage (%) | 2020 Population Census (means of commuting)Statistics Bureau of Japan | 2020 | To be updated when the 2025 census commuting tables are published |
| Retail Establishments (per 1,000) | 2021 Economic Census for Business ActivityMIC and METI | 2021 | Next survey in 2026 |
| Restaurant Establishments (per 1,000) | 2021 Economic Census for Business ActivityMIC and METI | 2021 | Next survey in 2026 |
| Medical Facilities (per 10,000, hospitals + clinics) | Survey of Medical Institutions (System of Social and Demographic Statistics)Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | 2023 | Hospitals and clinics combined |
| Schools (per habitable km²) | School Basic Survey and habitable area (System of Social and Demographic Statistics)MEXT and Statistics Bureau of Japan | 2024 | Elementary, junior high and high schools per habitable km² |
| Taxable Income per Capita (¥) | Survey on municipal tax assessmentMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2025 | Taxable income per taxpayer |
| Net Migration Rate (%) | Report on Internal MigrationStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2025 | |
| Residency Rate (%, census ÷ resident register) | Census population ÷ resident register populationMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2025 | Resident register population as of January 1, 2026 |
Sources (33)
- Fukuoka Prefectural Police, reported penal code offenses by municipality (2025, final)
- Fukuoka City, city history column (Fukuoka and Hakata)
- Fukuoka City, Chapter 1: Characteristics of Fukuoka's historical culture
- Fukuoka City, Flood Hazard Map
- Fukuoka City, Storm Surge Hazard Map
- Fukuoka City, Tsunami Hazard Map
- Fukuoka City, Shaking Susceptibility Map pamphlets by ward
- Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau, Outline of the subway business
- Fukuoka City, Child medical expense subsidy
- Fukuoka City, Vacant house utilization subsidy (settlement in urbanization control areas)
- Fukuoka City, About the Fukuoka City Food Stall Ordinance
- Fukuoka Prefecture, List of regional medical support hospitals (as of April 1, 2023)
- Fukuoka Prefecture, Flood inundation assumption maps for prefecture-managed rivers
- Fukuoka City, Inland inundation assumption areas and water-level notification sewers
- Fukuoka City, Tenjin Big Bang
- Fukuoka City, Child and Family Centers
- Fukuoka City, Initiatives in areas with poor public transport
- Fukuoka City, History and folklore: the gold seal of the King of Na
- Fukuoka City Museum, Permanent exhibition
- Fukuoka City, Special Zone for Global Startups and Job Creation
- Fukuoka City, Yanagibashi Rengo Market
- Fukuoka City, Downtown loop BRT
- Fukuoka City newsletter, July 1, 2026 issue: Hakata Gion Yamakasa
- Fukuoka City, Securing community transport
- 2025 Population Census, basic population tabulation (e-Stat 0004065881)
- Official land prices (National Land Numerical Information L01, MLIT)
- 2023 Housing and Land Survey (e-Stat 0004021452)
- 2020 Population Census, means of commuting (e-Stat 0003454513)
- 2021 Economic Census for Business Activity (e-Stat 0004005684)
- Survey of Medical Institutions (System of Social and Demographic Statistics, e-Stat 0000020209)
- School Basic Survey and habitable area (System of Social and Demographic Statistics, e-Stat 0000020205)
- Survey on municipal tax assessment (MIC)
- Report on Internal Migration (e-Stat 0003419945)
Data years: mainly 2025 (2020–2026 by indicator)
Published 2026-03-07 · Article updated 2026-10-27 · Data updated 2026-10-20