Communities / draft for approval, not indexed
Living in Efrat and Gush Etzion
A religious Zionist town south of Jerusalem, beyond the 1949 line. Most of its olim from 2014 to 2023 were American.
- 12,115
- residents, end of 2024
- 30 min
- fastest train to Tel Aviv
- 791 of 1,012
- olim from the US, 2014 to 2023
Efrat, in short
Suits
Religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox families who want a large English-speaking community, many English-speaking classmates for their children, and Jerusalem within reach by road.
Not for
Secular or Chareidi families looking for schools in their own stream, anyone who needs a train station in town, or buyers who want published sale prices to compare.
A 4-room home sold for a median unknown over the last year, new and older homes together. Train to Tel Aviv: 30 min fastest on a weekday. Train to Jerusalem: the city's own station.
The numbers that decide it
7 of 10
Socio-economic cluster
Rank 172 of 255 authorities, 1 is lowest. CBS, 2021.
1.1%
Population growth in 2023
12,115 residents at the end of 2024. CBS.
unknown
Median sold price, all homes
Last 12 months, change unknown. nadlan.gov.il.
₪4,600
Median rent a month
Recorded rents, -8.0% on the year. nadlan.gov.il.
unknown
Gross rental yield
As nadlan.gov.il computes it, before arnona, upkeep, vacancy and tax.
2
Homes started in 2023
5 completed the same year. CBS city profile.
What do these numbers mean for your budget?
Message us on WhatsAppThe English-speaking community
Efrat is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, beyond the 1949 line, with 12,115 residents at the end of 2024 by the CBS count. Nefesh B'Nefesh describes a large English-speaking population and a "relatively homogenous Oleh community of Modern Orthodox and Orthodox". In the 2022 census, 36.6% of residents were born in the Americas. Of the 1,012 olim who settled in Efrat from 2014 to 2023, 791 came from the US and 26 from the UK.
Chabad of Efrat English Division describes itself as a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds to experience Chassidic Judaism, and lists a Shacharis minyan on its own calendar. Zayit Ra'anan, a shul in the Zayit neighbourhood with a Hebrew and English site, describes its community as mostly young couples and families, mixing new olim from all over the world with veteran residents. A real estate writer counted more than twenty Orthodox shuls in 2011 (updated 2019), mostly Ashkenazi, with English speakers giving shiurim; we found no current list that marks which ones pray in English.
Nefesh B'Nefesh lists an Anglo oleh coordinator and a project coordinator for English-speaking olim at the local council. The public library holds 93,296 books including English titles, and was one of nine libraries with more than 10,000 English books in a 2012 AACI survey.
791
olim from the US
26
from the UK
1,012
olim in total
Settling in Efrat, 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 (20 sources)
- zayitraanan.com, undated (5787 membership drive), accessed 2026-10-14 (Playwright)
- efrat.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Shuls, undated, accessed 2026-10-14 (Playwright)
- myisraelhome.com/post/efrat-an-oasis-for-olim, 21 Sep 2011, updated 11 Jun 2019
- nbn.org.il/life-in-israel/community-and-housing/community-guide/gush-etzion, updated 4 May 2026
- nbn.org.il/life-in-israel/community-and-housing/community-guide/efrat, updated 22 Jan 2026
- nbn.org.il/life-in-israel/education/child-and-teen/finding-schools-for-your-children-an-introduction, updated 6 Oct 2026
- efrat.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Elementary_Schools, undated, accessed 2026-10-14 (Playwright)
- jpost.com/israel-news/article-748222, 1 Jul 2023
- haretzion.org/prospective-students, accessed 2026-10-14
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alon_Shvut, accessed 2026-10-14
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeshivat_Har_Etzion, accessed 2026-10-14
- data.gov.il/api/3/action/datastore_search?resource_id=52ddda08-3205-40ee-bc37-bf203a1cf0b2, dataset updated 2026-10-04
- efrat.muni.il/en, link only
- efrat.muni.il/en/%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%91, undated, accessed 2026-10-14 (Playwright)
- efrat.library.org.il/en, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neve_Daniel, accessed 2026-10-14
- jpost.com/opinion/article-885681, 8 Feb 2026
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tekoa,_Gush_Etzion, accessed 2026-10-14
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_Ayin, accessed 2026-10-14
- englishinisrael.com/libraries.html, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
Where people live
Efrat's seven neighbourhoods
Gefen, Te'ena, Rimon, Dekel, Dagan, Tamar and Zayit, each named for one of the seven species. Nefesh B'Nefesh lists all seven as popular with olim.
Neve Daniel
An all Orthodox yishuv where "the strong Anglo presence is felt", according to Nefesh B'Nefesh. The head of the OU's department for Anglo olim engagement named it among the places English-speaking olim have gravitated to for decades (Jerusalem Post, February 2026). 2,418 residents at the end of 2024 (CBS); 104 of its 154 olim from 2014 to 2023 came from the US (Ministry of Aliyah).
Elazar
Began in 1975 as a cooperative moshav set up by North American olim, and has grown from about 25 families to over 350, according to Nefesh B'Nefesh. 2,598 residents at the end of 2024 (CBS); 33 of its 50 olim from 2014 to 2023 came from the US (Ministry of Aliyah).
Alon Shvut
Founded in 1970 around Yeshivat Har Etzion, whose overseas program draws English-speaking students; Wikipedia says many of its students have made their homes in the town. 3,141 residents at the end of 2024 (CBS); 81 of its 158 olim from 2014 to 2023 came from the US (Ministry of Aliyah).
Tekoa
A mixed religious and secular yishuv on the edge of the Judean Desert. Nefesh B'Nefesh says English speakers have settled there for years and that a new road reaches Har Choma in Jerusalem within 10 minutes. 4,834 residents at the end of 2024 (CBS); 42 of its 131 olim from 2014 to 2023 came from the US (Ministry of Aliyah).
Bat Ayin
A rural yishuv the OU describes as having a strong Chassidic influence; Wikipedia counted about 200 families in 2013, mostly religious Zionist and Chardal. 2,034 residents at the end of 2024 (CBS); 27 of its 48 olim from 2014 to 2023 came from the US (Ministry of Aliyah).
Source: OU Israel · accessed 14 Oct 2026
67.7%
of households own their home
27.7%
rent
22
median age
3.8
people per household
36.6%
born in the Americas
64.4%
work outside the city
Schools
7 active schools in Efrat, by stream
7 State religious
English-speaking pupils
Nefesh B'Nefesh names Efrat (Gush Etzion) among the five places with the most English-speaking olim students, with Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem, Modi'in and Ra'anana.
One stream
Nefesh B'Nefesh lists state-religious schools only, and no state secular or Chareidi school. The Ministry of Education's list has 7 schools in Efrat, all state-religious. The Jerusalem Post reported in 2023 on Alumim, a school in Dagan that takes religious and secular families.
Olim support in the Gush
The Gush Etzion Regional Council places Bnot Sherut in some elementary schools to help olim pupils, and runs weekly conversational Hebrew classes, according to Nefesh B'Nefesh.
Getting around
Direct trains from ירושלים/יצחק נבון station, 14.2 km in a straight line from the city's centre point, on one weekday of the current timetable.
To Tel Aviv HaHagana
30min
fastest; median 31 min, 38 direct trains a weekday
To Tel Aviv Savidor
35min
fastest; median 41 min, 43 direct trains a weekday
To Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon
Here
this is the station
No train in town
Efrat has no railway station. The nearest is Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon, 14.2 km in a straight line from the town's centre point, whose fastest weekday train reaches Tel Aviv HaHagana in 30 minutes (Ministry of Transport, 14 Oct 2026). The figures in the train board are Navon's, not Efrat's.
The Tunnels Road
Highway 60 runs from southern Jerusalem to Gush Etzion through the Tunnels Road. A second bridge and tunnel, giving two lanes each way, was completed in 2024, and widening south to the Gush Etzion junction was still under way at last report.
Source: Wikipedia · accessed 14 Oct 2026
Buses and hospitals
Buses run to Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Beitar Illit, Be'er Sheva and the Gush yishuvim. There is no hospital in Efrat; Nefesh B'Nefesh points to Hadassah, Shaare Zedek and Herzog in Jerusalem, and every kupat cholim is represented in town.
The Tunnels Road near Gilo, Jerusalem, May 2022: Highway 60 between southern Jerusalem and Gush Etzion. Photo by Shabatashtiot, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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
nadlan.gov.il has no sale summary for Efrat.
Rented, median a month
- 3 rooms₪3,875
0.0% on the year
- 4 rooms₪5,250
0.0% on the year
What else is being built
2
homes started in 2023
5 completed. CBS.
26
state land tenders since 2000
6 opened since 2023. Israel Land Authority.
2
Dira BeHanacha lotteries
Latest 11 Nov 2024: 25 homes, 2,789 applicants.
Land offered to developers right now (4)
A tender is land, not homes: anything built on it is years away.
Running costs and safety
Arnona, average billed
₪49.5
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
90seconds
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 published sale price
nadlan.gov.il records too few Efrat sales to publish a median price for the last 12 months, by room count or overall, so there is no official figure to check an asking price against. Ask for the recorded deals on the street itself.
Little new building lately
The CBS counted 2 housing starts and 5 completions in Efrat in 2023.
One school stream
All 7 schools on the Ministry of Education's list for Efrat are state-religious. Secular and Chareidi families would look outside the town.
Car or bus first
Every train trip starts with the 14.2 km (straight line) to Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon station.
Source: Ministry of Transport GTFS
Rent fell on the year
The median recorded rent over the last 12 months was ₪4,600 a month, down 8% on the year before, while the 3 and 4-room medians were unchanged (nadlan.gov.il, 20 Aug 2026).
Source: nadlan.gov.il
Who should pick Efrat, and who should not
Pick it if you are
- Modern Orthodox and religious Zionist families.
- Parents who want many English-speaking classmates.
- Households working in Jerusalem who drive or take the bus.
- Anyone looking at a smaller yishuv nearby, such as Neve Daniel or Elazar.
Look elsewhere if you are
- Secular or Chareidi families who want schools in their own stream in town.
- Anyone who needs a train station within walking distance.
- Buyers who need an official median price before they make an offer.
- Anyone who would not live beyond the 1949 line.
Questions about Efrat
Is Efrat good for English speakers?
Nefesh B'Nefesh describes a large English-speaking population and thousands of its olim, and names Efrat among the five places with the most English-speaking olim students. 791 of the 1,012 olim who settled there from 2014 to 2023 came from the US.
What share of Efrat speaks English?
There is no official figure. A real estate writer put English speakers at 35% of residents in 2011 (updated 2019). The 2022 census counted 36.6% of residents born in the Americas.
Is there an English-speaking shul in Efrat?
Chabad of Efrat English Division lists a Shacharis minyan on its own site. Zayit Ra'anan in the Zayit neighbourhood runs a Hebrew and English site and describes a mix of new olim and veteran families. We found no current list marking which of Efrat's other shuls pray in English.
Is Efrat beyond the Green Line?
Yes. Efrat and the Gush Etzion yishuvim on this page are Israeli settlements in the West Bank, beyond the 1949 line. Efrat is its own local council, separate from the Gush Etzion Regional Council.
Source: Wikipedia · accessed 14 Oct 2026
How much does an apartment cost in Efrat?
nadlan.gov.il has too few recorded Efrat sales to publish a median. The latest Dira BeHanacha lottery, in 11 Nov 2024, offered 25 homes in Givat HaTamar at ₪11,200 a square metre and drew 2,789 applicants (Ministry of Construction and Housing).
Source: Dira BeHanacha · 11 Nov 2024
How much is rent in Efrat?
The median recorded rent over the last 12 months was ₪4,600 a month for all homes and ₪5,250 for 4 rooms (nadlan.gov.il, 20 Aug 2026).
Source: nadlan.gov.il
How do you get from Efrat to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv?
By road: buses run to Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, and Highway 60 reaches southern Jerusalem through the Tunnels Road. Efrat has no station; from Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon the fastest weekday train to Tel Aviv HaHagana takes 30 minutes.
Are there English books and libraries in Efrat?
The public library, founded in 1983, holds 93,296 books including English, French and some Spanish titles, by its own count.
How long do you have to reach a shelter in Efrat?
90 seconds from the siren, according to the Home Front Command.
Source: Home Front Command · 14 Oct 2026
Thinking about Efrat?
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 Efrat
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, 11 Nov 2024
- 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; date unknown; 2022; Jun 2024; 2021
- CBS, Characterization and Classification of Geographical Units by Socio-Economic Level, 2021, table 2, 2021
- CBS Price Statistics table 4.9, date unknown
- Ministry of Transport GTFS, Israel Railways (agency 2), 14 Oct 2026
- nadlan.gov.il (Tax Authority deal records), site's own summary, date unknown; 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. 3 field(s) failed to load and are shown as unknown. Page written 14 Oct 2026.