Kfar Saba Fights Demographic Decline Amid Housing Rebound
Kfar Saba struggles with demographic decline and housing shortages, losing its status as a major Israeli city despite a recent surge in housing construction starts.
Kfar Saba has found itself back in the headlines following a corruption scandal, coming almost exactly a year after another unusual milestone: for the first time in a decade, the Central Bureau of Statistics dropped the city from its standard housing price index of large Israeli municipalities. The list traditionally includes cities with populations of 100,000 or more.
Having peaked at 101,830 residents in 2020, Kfar Saba's population experienced a consecutive decline, dropping to 99,410 in 2024 and 98,927 in 2025. While the city still maintains a positive natural growth rate, births have failed to offset a persistent wave of internal migration losses, as residents moved to other urban centers due to a severe housing shortage.
Construction Slowdown and Housing Deficit
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Kfar Saba added only 6,219 apartments since 2012, lagging significantly behind smaller developing towns and major neighboring cities. Housing starts plummeted to just 241 units in 2024, leaving prospective residents with virtually nowhere to buy or rent within the municipal boundaries.
"People may have wanted to live in Kfar Saba, but simply had nowhere to go."
A Dramatic Rebound in Housing Starts
A sharp reversal occurred in 2025, with housing starts surging to 785 units—more than triple the previous year's figure. Partial data for 2026 indicates that this momentum is continuing, driven by a 538% jump in housing starts to 983 units between July 2025 and June 2026.
However, construction starts do not equate to immediate occupancy. Years typically pass between breaking ground and the arrival of new tenants, meaning the city faces a long road to reclaiming its former demographic standing.
