Communities / draft for approval, not indexed
Living in Ashdod
A coastal port city with direct trains to Tel Aviv, an English speakers' club since 1983 and no English-language shul.
- 228,562
- residents, end of 2024
- 31 min
- fastest train to Tel Aviv
- ₪1,835,300
- median sold price, all homes
- ₪4,500
- median rent a month
Ashdod's coast and dunes from the air, December 2012. Photo by Amos Meron, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Ashdod, in short
Suits
English speakers comfortable living and praying in Hebrew who want the sea, a direct train to Tel Aviv and a weekly English-speaking social circle.
Not for
Families who want an English-speaking shul, English-language schooling or a large Anglo community, and anyone commuting daily to Jerusalem by train.
A 4-room home sold for a median ₪1,998,400 over the last year, new and older homes together. Train to Tel Aviv: 31 min fastest on a weekday. Train to Jerusalem: no direct train.
The numbers that decide it
5 of 10
Socio-economic cluster
Rank 107 of 255 authorities, 1 is lowest. CBS, 2021.
0.1%
Population growth in 2023
228,562 residents at the end of 2024. CBS.
₪1,835,300
Median sold price, all homes
Last 12 months, -0.8% on the year. nadlan.gov.il.
₪4,500
Median rent a month
Recorded rents, 0.0% on the year. nadlan.gov.il.
2.9%
Gross rental yield
As nadlan.gov.il computes it, before arnona, upkeep, vacancy and tax.
2,746
Homes started in 2023
812 completed the same year. CBS city profile.
What do these numbers mean for your budget?
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Ashdod City Hall, where the English Speakers Club meets on Fridays, October 2023. Photo by מקף־עברי, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
The English-speaking community
Ashdod had 228,562 residents at the end of 2024 (CBS). Nefesh B'Nefesh has a community guide for the city but gives no size for its English-speaking community, and we found no count. Of the 14,642 olim who settled here from 2014 to 2023, 203 came from the US and 49 from the UK, against 10,683 from the former Soviet Union and 2,578 from France (Ministry of Aliyah). In the 2022 census 2.6% of residents were born in the Americas, North and South together.
The English Speakers Club of Ashdod, founded in 1983, brings together immigrants from English-speaking countries and other English speakers in the city. Its members meet every Friday except holidays from noon to two at Bleecker Bakery in the City Hall building, and it sends a newsletter every two months; its site carries a September 2026 edition and posts from August 2026. It gives no membership figure.
We found no English-speaking shul, and no Masorti or Reform congregation, in Ashdod. The municipality's own brochure, hosted by Nefesh B'Nefesh in July 2026, promises English-language guidance from its absorption department and names an Anglo coordinator; Nefesh B'Nefesh lists the same coordinator. The Ministry of Aliyah lists three coordinators for Ashdod, two speaking Russian and one French. Nefesh B'Nefesh lists two volunteer contacts in the city. We found no AACI branch.
203
olim from the US
49
from the UK
14,642
olim in total
Settling in Ashdod, 2014 to 2023. Canada, South Africa and Australia are not counted separately, and the figures stop before most of the recent growth.
Source: Ministry of Aliyah, 2014 to 2023
Where this section comes from (23 sources)
- data.gov.il/api/3/action/datastore_search?resource_id=2055063b-93e8-4d6a-b2c5-c253d18c0cf6&q=70&limit=5000, fetched 2026-10-14; accessed 2026-10-14
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashdod, fetched 2026-10-14; accessed 2026-10-14
- nbn.org.il/life-in-israel/community-and-housing/community-guide/ashdod, metadata 5 Aug 2026
- esca.org.il/about-esca, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- esca.org.il, Sep 2026 edition; accessed 2026-10-14
- nbn.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Aliyah-to-Ashdod.pdf, metadata 5 Aug 2026; PDF 28 Jul 2026
- data.gov.il/api/3/action/datastore_search?resource_id=52ddda08-3205-40ee-bc37-bf203a1cf0b2, fetched 2026-10-14
- cbs.gov.il/he/publications/doclib/2019/ishuvim/bycode2024.xlsx, CBS as of 2024-12-31; others accessed 2026-10-14
- data.gov.il/api/3/action/datastore_search?resource_id=9a9e085f-3bc8-41df-b15f-be0daaf99e30&q=70&limit=5000, census 2022
- easyaliyah.com/blog/ashdod-anglo-communities, blog undated; dataset 2014 to 2023
- data.gov.il/api/3/action/datastore_search?resource_id=d735ad06-8bde-41aa-8350-a15a36bac18f&q=70&limit=5000, blog undated; dataset 2014 to 2023
- jpost.com/aliyah/article-908049, 9 Sep 2026
- esca.org.il/moving-to-ashdod, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- oref.org.il/districts/districts_heb.json, fetched / accessed 2026-10-14
- klikatnadlan.co.il/buildingstartsdelay2025, updated 20 Mar 2026; 17 Sep 2026; CBS 2023
- maariv.co.il/economy/realestate/article-1368400, updated 20 Mar 2026; 17 Sep 2026; CBS 2023
- cbs.gov.il/he/publications/DocLib/2026/local_authorities23/%D7%90%D7%A9%D7%93%D7%95%D7%93.pdf, updated 20 Mar 2026; 17 Sep 2026; CBS 2023
- apps.land.gov.il/MichrazimSite, fetched 2026-10-14
- data.gov.il/api/3/action/datastore_search?resource_id=7c8255d0-49ef-49db-8904-4cf917586031&q=70&limit=5000, 14 May 2023
- ynet.co.il/economy/article/skbkeksd11l, 20 Feb 2026; summary 20 Aug 2026
- nadlan.gov.il/?view=settlement&id=70&page=deals, 20 Feb 2026; summary 20 Aug 2026
- cbs.gov.il/he/publications/Madad/DocLib/2026/price08a/a4_9_h.pdf, Q2 2026
- gtfs.mot.gov.il/gtfsfiles/israel-public-transportation.zip, fetched 2026-10-14; accessed 2026-10-14; PDF 28 Jul 2026
Ashdod
The Marina from the air, December 2012. Photo by Amos Meron, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Where people live
The Marina
Nefesh B'Nefesh says its olim under 40 live throughout the city, and names the Marina and Rova Yud Zayin as popular.
South of Sderot Yerushalayim
Nefesh B'Nefesh says its olim aged 40 and over live mostly in the neighbourhoods south of Sderot Yerushalayim. Its two volunteer contacts for Ashdod are both in Rova Tet Vav, each listed as an Orthodox family with children.
How the city is laid out
The English Speakers Club explains that Ashdod is divided into numbered quarters, known locally as Rova.
Land offered for new homes
The Israel Land Authority has 3 live tenders in Ashdod for 974 homes: 490/2025, 427 homes in apartment buildings, bids close 26 Oct 2026; 311/2024, 313 homes in apartment buildings, bids close 28 Dec 2026; 137/2026, 234 homes for rent, bids close 7 Dec 2026 (14 Oct 2026).
Source: Israel Land Authority
Who lives here
In the 2022 census the most common household described itself as secular, and the median age was 33. Wikipedia says over 30% of the population is Haredi and calls the city generally secular. The CBS puts the city in socio-economic cluster 5 of 10 (2021). About seven in ten of the decade's olim came from the former Soviet Union.
64.2%
of households own their home
29.5%
rent
33
median age
3.0
people per household
2.6%
born in the Americas
33.6%
work outside the city
Schools
119 active schools in Ashdod, by stream
39 State
18 State religious
62 Haredi
Schools
The Ministry of Education lists 119 active schools in Ashdod: 39 state, 18 state-religious and 62 Charedi. The list has no language field.
Source: Ministry of Education
Ulpan
Nefesh B'Nefesh lists two ulpan locations: Beit Canada on Shavei Zion Street and the Center for Adult Education on HaAtzmaut Street.
English-language schooling
We found no school or gan in Ashdod that teaches in English, and no source on English support inside the city's schools.
Source: Ministry of Education
Getting around
Direct trains from אשדוד עד הלום- מטרופול station, 2.8 km in a straight line from the city's centre point, on one weekday of the current timetable.
To Tel Aviv HaHagana
31min
fastest; median 42 min, 66 direct trains a weekday
To Tel Aviv Savidor
39min
fastest; median 50 min, 66 direct trains a weekday
To Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon
None
no direct train, a change is needed
One station, to Tel Aviv
Ashdod Ad Halom has 66 direct weekday trains to Tel Aviv HaHagana and none to Jerusalem (Ministry of Transport, 14 Oct 2026). The municipality's brochure speaks of two stations; the timetable has one in Ashdod, near Ad Halom Junction.
Distance
Wikipedia puts the city on the coast 32 km south of Tel Aviv.
Source: Wikipedia · accessed 14 Oct 2026
Work
Wikipedia calls Ashdod's port the largest in Israel, handling 60% of the country's imported goods. In the 2022 census 33.6% of employed residents worked outside the city.
Ashdod Ad Halom, the city's railway station, September 2023. Photo by מקף־עברי, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
What homes sold and rented for
Recorded deals from the Tax Authority, last 12 months. They mix new apartments and older homes, so they are neither the new-build price nor the resale price.
Sold, median price
- 3 rooms₪1,603,300
-0.7% on the year
- 4 rooms₪1,998,400
-4.9% on the year
- 5 rooms₪3,245,200
+8.4% on the year
Latest quarter (to Mar 2026): ₪2,030,100 here against ₪2,058,800 nationally.
Rented, median a month
- 3 rooms₪4,000
-1.2% on the year
- 4 rooms₪5,400
0.0% on the year
- 5 rooms₪6,700
-2.9% on the year
The CBS rent survey, a different series, puts average free-market rent at ₪4,455 a month (Q2 2026) for Ashdod.
What else is being built
2,746
homes started in 2023
812 completed. CBS.
66
state land tenders since 2000
13 opened since 2023. Israel Land Authority.
12
Dira BeHanacha lotteries
Latest 14 May 2023: 75 homes, 8,955 applicants.
Land offered to developers right now (5)
A tender is land, not homes: anything built on it is years away.
Running costs and safety
Arnona, average billed
₪46.8
per square metre a year, 2023. The city’s total residential billing over billed area, not your street’s tariff.
Source: CBS city profile, 2023
Bank of Israel rate
3.25%
The base for mortgage pricing, not a mortgage rate.
Source: Bank of Israel, 13 Oct 2026
Siren warning time
45seconds
to reach a protected space. New buildings must have one: usually a safe room in the apartment (mamad), in some a shared one per floor (mamak). Ask which.
Source: Home Front Command, 14 Oct 2026
The downsides
No English-speaking shul
We found no shul with English services or an Anglo congregation, and no Masorti or Reform congregation. The municipality's brochure mentions local synagogues without naming one.
Few olim from English-speaking countries
Of 14,642 olim from 2014 to 2023, 252 came from the US and UK together, against 10,683 from the former Soviet Union and 2,578 from France. The ministry's figures do not count Canada, South Africa or Australia separately.
English help: sources disagree
Nefesh B'Nefesh and the municipality name an Anglo coordinator at the municipality, but the Ministry of Aliyah's list for Ashdod has only Russian and French speakers, and the municipality's English absorption page linked from Nefesh B'Nefesh returned a 404 error when we checked on 14 October 2026.
No train to Jerusalem
There is no direct train from Ashdod Ad Halom to Jerusalem (Ministry of Transport, 14 Oct 2026).
Source: Ministry of Transport GTFS
Few state-religious schools
18 of the city's 119 schools are state-religious, against 62 Charedi and 39 state schools (Ministry of Education).
Source: Ministry of Education
Who should pick Ashdod, and who should not
Pick it if you are
- English speakers who want a weekly English-speaking social circle and are happy to live and pray in Hebrew.
- Families who want the beach and a direct train to Tel Aviv, in Rova Yud Zayin, the Marina or the quarters south of Sderot Yerushalayim.
- Buyers looking at a large coastal city where the latest quarterly median sale was just below the national figure.
Look elsewhere if you are
- Families who want an English-speaking shul or a large Anglo community.
- Anyone commuting daily to Jerusalem by train.
- Families who need English-language schooling.
Questions about Ashdod
Is Ashdod good for English speakers?
It has an English Speakers Club that has met since 1983 and still meets weekly, a Nefesh B'Nefesh community guide, and an Anglo coordinator named by the municipality. But we found no English-speaking shul, and the Ministry of Aliyah counts 203 olim from the US and 49 from the UK among the 14,642 who settled here from 2014 to 2023.
Is there an English-speaking shul in Ashdod?
We found none, and no Masorti or Reform congregation either. The municipality's brochure mentions local synagogues without naming any.
Where do English speakers live in Ashdod?
Nefesh B'Nefesh says its olim aged 40 and over live mostly south of Sderot Yerushalayim, while younger olim live throughout the city, with Rova Yud Zayin and the Marina popular. Its two volunteer contacts are in Rova Tet Vav.
What is the English Speakers Club of Ashdod?
A club founded in 1983 that brings together immigrants from English-speaking countries and other English speakers in Ashdod. It meets on Fridays from noon to two at Bleecker Bakery in the City Hall building, sends a newsletter every two months, and has no formal membership requirements.
How much does a home cost in Ashdod?
The median recorded sale over the last 12 months was ₪1,835,300, new and older homes together, and ₪1,998,400 for 4 rooms, 4.9% lower than the year before (nadlan.gov.il, 20 Aug 2026). In the quarter ending Mar 2026 the median was ₪2,030,100, against ₪2,058,800 nationally.
Source: nadlan.gov.il
How much is rent in Ashdod?
The median recorded rent over the last 12 months was ₪5,400 a month for 4 rooms and ₪4,500 across all homes (nadlan.gov.il, 20 Aug 2026). nadlan.gov.il computes a gross rental yield of 2.9%, before arnona, maintenance, vacancy and tax.
Source: nadlan.gov.il
How long is the train from Ashdod to Tel Aviv?
From Ashdod Ad Halom the fastest weekday direct train takes 31 minutes to Tel Aviv HaHagana (median 42) and 39 minutes to Savidor, with 66 direct trains that day, per the Ministry of Transport timetable fetched 14 Oct 2026. There is no direct train to Jerusalem.
Source: Ministry of Transport GTFS
Is anything being built in Ashdod?
The CBS counted 2,746 homes started in Ashdod in 2023. Klikat Nadlan, from CBS data, reports 2,379 starts in 2025, up 13.1% on 2024; Maariv, also from CBS, reported a 54% fall for the twelve months to June 2026. The two windows overlap and we could not reconcile them. The last Dira BeHanacha lottery in Ashdod was on 14 May 2023: 75 homes, 8,955 applicants.
Is there a hospital in Ashdod?
Yes. Wikipedia says Assuta Ashdod Medical Center, the city's only general hospital, opened in 2017. Nefesh B'Nefesh says all the health funds (kupot cholim) are represented in the city.
Source: Wikipedia · accessed 14 Oct 2026
Is Ashdod beyond the Green Line?
No. Ashdod is inside the 1949 armistice line, in the Southern District on the Mediterranean coast. The modern city was established in 1956.
Source: Wikipedia · accessed 14 Oct 2026
How long do you have to reach a shelter in Ashdod?
45 seconds from the siren, according to the Home Front Command.
Source: Home Front Command · 14 Oct 2026
Thinking about Ashdod?
Send us your budget and the size you need. We reply with what is on offer, new-build and resale kept apart.
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Sources and method
- CBS Localities File 2024, 31 Dec 2024
- CBS Census 2022, data.gov.il, 31 Dec 2022
- Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, olim by receiving locality (new-olim-by-cities), data.gov.il, 2014 to 2023
- Ministry of Education institutions (mosdot_edu), data.gov.il, 14 Oct 2026
- Ministry of Construction and Housing, Dira BeHanacha lotteries (mechir-lamishtaken), data.gov.il, 14 May 2023
- Home Front Command alert areas (districts_heb.json), 14 Oct 2026
- Bank of Israel interest rate (SDMX BR), 13 Oct 2026
- CBS, Local Authorities in Israel 2023, authority profile (publication 1987), 31 Dec 2023; 2023; 2022; Jun 2024; 2021
- CBS, Characterization and Classification of Geographical Units by Socio-Economic Level, 2021, table 2, 2021
- CBS Price Statistics Monthly, table 4.9, average free-market rent, Q2 2026
- Ministry of Transport GTFS, Israel Railways (agency 2), 14 Oct 2026
- nadlan.gov.il (Tax Authority deal records), site's own summary, 20 Aug 2026
- Israel Land Authority tenders (michrazim), 14 Oct 2026
Official figures fetched 14 Oct 2026. Each date is the period the source covers, or for live lists (schools, tenders, timetable, warning times) the day we fetched it. Page written 14 Oct 2026.