Communities / draft for approval, not indexed
Living in Be'er Sheva
The Negev's largest city, with a Chabad English minyan, an AACI branch and homes priced well below the national median.
- 223,587
- residents, end of 2024
- 68 min
- fastest train to Tel Aviv
- ₪1,091,200
- median sold price, all homes
- ~220,000
- residents, according to Nefesh B'Nefesh
Be'er Sheva River Park. jnf.org
Be'er Sheva, in short
Suits
English speakers at ease in Hebrew who want a home well below the national median price, with a Chabad English minyan, the AACI southern branch and a direct train to Tel Aviv.
Not for
Families who want a named English-speaking Orthodox shul outside Chabad, schools with English-speaking classmates, a Tel Aviv commute under an hour, or a direct train to Jerusalem.
A 4-room home sold for a median ₪1,203,200 over the last year, new and older homes together. Train to Tel Aviv: 68 min fastest on a weekday. Train to Jerusalem: no direct train.
The numbers that decide it
5 of 10
Socio-economic cluster
Rank 117 of 255 authorities, 1 is lowest. CBS, 2021.
-0.1%
Population growth in 2023
223,587 residents at the end of 2024. CBS.
₪1,091,200
Median sold price, all homes
Last 12 months, -3.5% on the year. nadlan.gov.il.
₪2,800
Median rent a month
Recorded rents, +0.9% on the year. nadlan.gov.il.
3.1%
Gross rental yield
As nadlan.gov.il computes it, before arnona, upkeep, vacancy and tax.
930
Homes started in 2023
756 completed the same year. CBS city profile.
What do these numbers mean for your budget?
Message us on WhatsAppThe English-speaking community
Nefesh B'Nefesh puts Be'er Sheva's population at about 220,000 and describes a multi-generational community of English-speaking olim in a Hebrew-speaking environment, so expect daily life to run mainly in Hebrew. We found no published count of English speakers in the city.
The Ohr Chabad directory says Chabad for English Speakers currently holds Shabbat minyanim inside the Rinat Yerushalayim shul at HaGilboa 1, a Sephardi shul in Shechuna Hey, and lists Chai Tots, a Montessori bilingual nursery, in the same community. Kehillot B'Yachad, a directory of Masorti and Reform congregations, lists Eshel Avraham on Sderot Yerushalayim as the only Masorti congregation in the city, founded in 1976, with more than 200 families, most of them secular; it is not an English-speaking shul. A 2013 Times of Israel blog wrote of two Ashkenazi Anglo-friendly shuls in Shechuna Hey and Tet without naming them, and we could not name them either.
The AACI Southern Branch is based at the Yud-Aleph community centre, 11 Mordechai Namir Street, where AACI also runs an English reading library, which held over 8,000 books in 2019 according to a local blog. Nefesh B'Nefesh lists Be'er Sheva's Anglo oleh coordinator as coming soon, and none of the Ministry of Aliyah's coordinators for the city lists English.
389
olim from the US
18
from the UK
10,094
olim in total
Settling in Be'er Sheva, 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 (16 sources)
- chabadb7.org/shul, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- ohrchabad.com/making-aliyah/directory, undated (copyright 2026), accessed 2026-10-14
- he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%94_%D7%94'_(%D7%91%D7%90%D7%A8_%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%A2, accessed 2026-10-14
- anash.org/new-shluchim-to-beer-shevas-english-speaking-community, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- totallyjewishtravel.com/Synagogues-TE20828-beit_shmuel-shul-beer_sheva_israel-Minyan.html, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- kbyonline.org/synagogues/eshel-avraham-congregation, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- nbn.org.il/masorti-kehillot, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- blogs.timesofisrael.com/leaving-beit-shemesh-you-are-wanted-and-needed-in-the-negev, 2013-11-05
- nbn.org.il/aliyah-inspiration/nbn-blogger-network/go-beyond-south-blog/making-aliyah-to-beer-sheva, undated, after Dec 2012
- nbn.org.il/life-in-israel/community-and-housing/community-guide/beer-sheva, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- nbn.org.il/community-guide/municipal-klita-coordinators, updated 2026-07-07
- data.gov.il/api/3/action/datastore_search?resource_id=52ddda08-3205-40ee-bc37-bf203a1cf0b2, fetched 2026-10-14
- aacisouth.wixsite.com/aaci-southern-branch/information, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- easyaliyah.com/blog/beersheva-anglo-communities, dated "January 5", year not shown
- nbn.org.il/aliyah-inspiration/nbn-blogger-network/go-beyond-south-blog/top-50-reasons-to-live-in-beer-sheva, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- beer-shevabiblicaloasismetropolis.com/2017/10/29/libraries-archives, 2017-10-29, updated with 2019 figure
Be'er Sheva
Ben-Gurion University, north of Route 25. visionsoftravel.org
Where people live
North of Route 25
Most olim live north of Route 25, where Ben-Gurion University, Soroka Hospital and the Gav Yam hi-tech park are, according to Nefesh B'Nefesh.
Shechuna Hey and Shechuna Tet
Most religiously observant English speakers live in Shechuna Hey or Tet, an NBN blogger wrote after moving to the city in late 2012. The Chabad English minyan meets in Hey, at the Rinat Yerushalayim shul.
Source: NBN blog · after Dec 2012
Neve Ze'ev and parts of Darom
Also named by Nefesh B'Nefesh as places where olim live.
57.6%
of households own their home
36.7%
rent
34
median age
2.6
people per household
3.4%
born in the Americas
26.3%
work outside the city
Schools
79 active schools in Be'er Sheva, by stream
54 State
10 Haredi
15 State religious
English-speaking pupils
Be'er Sheva is not among the five places Nefesh B'Nefesh names as having the most English-speaking olim students. The only school we found with English support is the Chai Tots bilingual nursery in the Chabad English community, so ask schools directly about olim hours.
Hebrew for adults
Nefesh B'Nefesh lists three ulpanim in the city: Ulpan Altshul, Ulpan Haruv in Shechuna Gimmel and Ulpan Ye'elim.
Getting around
Direct trains from באר שבע מרכז station, 1.8 km in a straight line from the city's centre point, on one weekday of the current timetable.
To Tel Aviv HaHagana
68min
fastest; median 93 min, 57 direct trains a weekday
To Tel Aviv Savidor
78min
fastest; median 101 min, 57 direct trains a weekday
To Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon
None
no direct train, a change is needed
Two stations, Tel Aviv only
Be'er Sheva North is the faster of the city's two stations: on a weekday its fastest direct train reaches Tel Aviv HaHagana in 61 minutes, against 68 from Be'er Sheva Center, with 57 direct trains from each. Neither has a direct train to Jerusalem.
Hospitals
Soroka Medical Center and Assuta Be'er Sheva are in the city, with Terem and Briuta urgent care, according to Nefesh B'Nefesh.
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₪784,100
-1.9% on the year
- 4 rooms₪1,203,200
-0.8% on the year
- 5 rooms₪1,766,500
-2.2% on the year
Latest quarter (to Mar 2026): ₪1,153,400 here against ₪2,058,800 nationally.
Rented, median a month
- 3 rooms₪2,600
0.0% on the year
- 4 rooms₪3,600
+3.6% on the year
- 5 rooms₪5,150
+1.0% on the year
The CBS rent survey, a different series, puts average free-market rent at ₪3,183 a month (Q2 2026) for Be'er Sheva.
What else is being built
930
homes started in 2023
756 completed. CBS.
309
state land tenders since 2000
37 opened since 2023. Israel Land Authority.
107
Dira BeHanacha lotteries
Latest 27 Jan 2025: 13 homes, 16,482 applicants.
Land offered to developers right now (2)
A tender is land, not homes: anything built on it is years away.
Running costs and safety
Arnona, average billed
₪49.0
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
60seconds
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
An hour or more to Tel Aviv
The fastest weekday train from Be'er Sheva North to Tel Aviv HaHagana takes 61 minutes and the median 86 (Ministry of Transport, 14 Oct 2026).
Source: Ministry of Transport GTFS
No direct train to Jerusalem
The timetable has no direct train from either Be'er Sheva station to Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon (Ministry of Transport, 14 Oct 2026).
Source: Ministry of Transport GTFS
English speakers are a small share of new arrivals
Of the 10,094 olim who settled in Be'er Sheva from 2014 to 2023, 6,259 came from the former Soviet Union and 1,906 from Ethiopia, against 389 from the US and 18 from the UK. Canada, South Africa and Australia are not counted separately.
No English-speaking coordinator
Nefesh B'Nefesh lists the city's Anglo oleh coordinator as coming soon (its municipal list was updated 7 July 2026), and the Ministry of Aliyah's coordinators for Be'er Sheva speak Russian, Spanish, Amharic and French, not English.
Prices slipped on the year
The median recorded sale over the last 12 months was ₪1,091,200, down 3.5% on the year before, new and older homes together (nadlan.gov.il, 20 Aug 2026).
Source: nadlan.gov.il
Who should pick Be'er Sheva, and who should not
Pick it if you are
- Buyers who want a home well below the national median price.
- Families comfortable with a Hebrew-first daily life.
- Families who want a Chabad English minyan and a bilingual nursery.
- Households working at Ben-Gurion University, Soroka or Gav Yam.
Look elsewhere if you are
- Anyone who commutes to Tel Aviv every day.
- Anyone who needs a direct train to Jerusalem.
- Families who want their children among many English-speaking classmates.
- Families who want a choice of named English-speaking Orthodox shuls.
Questions about Be'er Sheva
Is Be'er Sheva good for English speakers?
Nefesh B'Nefesh describes a multi-generational community of English-speaking olim in a Hebrew-speaking environment. There is a Chabad English minyan, an AACI branch with an English library, and no English-speaking coordinator yet. Most olim who settled in the city from 2014 to 2023 came from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia.
Where do English speakers live in Be'er Sheva?
Nefesh B'Nefesh says most olim live north of Route 25, near Ben-Gurion University, Soroka Hospital and Gav Yam, and also in Neve Ze'ev, Hey, Tet and parts of Darom. A blogger who moved to the city in 2012 wrote that most religiously observant English speakers live in Shechuna Hey or Tet.
Is there an English-speaking shul in Be'er Sheva?
Chabad for English Speakers holds Shabbat minyanim inside the Rinat Yerushalayim shul, HaGilboa 1, in Shechuna Hey, according to the Ohr Chabad directory. We found no other shul that names itself English-speaking; the city's Masorti congregation is Eshel Avraham.
Is there an AACI in Be'er Sheva?
Yes. The AACI Southern Branch is at Matnas Yud-Aleph, 11 Mordechai Namir Street, and AACI's English reading library is in the same community centre.
How much does an apartment cost in Be'er Sheva?
The median recorded sale of a 4-room home over the last 12 months was ₪1,203,200, new and older homes together. In the quarter ending Mar 2026 the median sale of any home was ₪1,153,400, against ₪2,058,800 nationally (nadlan.gov.il, 20 Aug 2026).
Source: nadlan.gov.il
How much is rent in Be'er Sheva?
The median recorded rent over the last 12 months was ₪2,800 a month for all homes and ₪3,600 for 4 rooms (nadlan.gov.il, 20 Aug 2026).
Source: nadlan.gov.il
How long is the train from Be'er Sheva to Tel Aviv?
On a weekday the fastest direct train from Be'er Sheva North takes 61 minutes to Tel Aviv HaHagana and 71 to Savidor, per the Ministry of Transport timetable fetched 14 Oct 2026. There is no direct train to Jerusalem.
Source: Ministry of Transport GTFS
Are there English classes or shiurim in Be'er Sheva?
An NBN blogger who moved to the city in 2012 wrote that there were virtually no shiurim in English; we found no newer source either way. The AACI branch offers counselling in English and runs the English library.
Source: NBN blog · after Dec 2012
How long do you have to reach a shelter in Be'er Sheva?
60 seconds from the siren, according to the Home Front Command.
Source: Home Front Command · 14 Oct 2026
Thinking about Be'er Sheva?
Send us your budget and the size you need. We reply with what is on offer, new-build and resale kept apart.
Get a price alert for Be'er Sheva
One email when the official numbers on this page update. Nothing else from this form.
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, 27 Jan 2025
- 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.