Communities / draft for approval, not indexed
Living in Zichron Yaakov
A hilltop town above the coast where Nefesh B'Nefesh counts thousands of olim, with no station of its own.
- 24,200
- residents, end of 2024
- 43 min
- fastest train to Tel Aviv
- ₪2,698,500
- median sold price, all homes
- ₪5,650
- median rent a month
Zichron Yaakov from the air, January 2023. Photo by Davidi Vardi, PikiWiki Israel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5
Zichron Yaakov, in short
Suits
Religious Zionist, Modern Orthodox and Masorti English-speaking families who want a small town with an established Anglo presence, and households where one partner commutes to Haifa or Tel Aviv.
Not for
Buyers looking for a low entry price, investors buying for rental yield, anyone who wants to walk to a train, or buyers counting on a large supply of new homes.
A 4-room home sold for a median ₪2,884,100 over the last year, new and older homes together. Train to Tel Aviv: 43 min fastest on a weekday. Train to Jerusalem: no direct train.
The numbers that decide it
8 of 10
Socio-economic cluster
Rank 214 of 255 authorities, 1 is lowest. CBS, 2021.
1.4%
Population growth in 2023
24,200 residents at the end of 2024. CBS.
₪2,698,500
Median sold price, all homes
Last 12 months, +3.8% on the year. nadlan.gov.il.
₪5,650
Median rent a month
Recorded rents, -8.9% on the year. nadlan.gov.il.
2.5%
Gross rental yield
As nadlan.gov.il computes it, before arnona, upkeep, vacancy and tax.
76
Homes started in 2023
114 completed the same year. CBS city profile.
What do these numbers mean for your budget?
Message us on WhatsAppThe English-speaking community
Zichron Yaakov is a town of 24,200 residents (CBS, end of 2024) at the southern end of the Carmel range, 35 km south of Haifa, overlooking the Mediterranean. It was founded in 1882; its council was founded in 1950. Nefesh B'Nefesh describes a large English-speaking population and thousands of its olim, without a number. The council's English site says about ten percent of residents are families who immigrated within the last 15 years, mostly from North America, South Africa, England, Australia and France; that page carries no date.
Nefesh B'Nefesh calls Moed mostly an Anglo Dati Leumi synagogue. Moed's own site says it was founded by a group of native Israelis and new immigrants and does not call itself Anglo. The council's page of Jewish study programmes in English lists Moed as Modern Orthodox and open to all, with programmes usually in Hebrew but often in English, among them a weekly Parshat HaShavua class in English. The same page lists Kehillat Ve'Ahavta, a Masorti congregation, with a Beit Midrash in English.
The council's social services department has an olim project director, a liaison to English-speaking olim and a native English-speaking social worker, and Nefesh B'Nefesh lists the same three as Anglo oleh coordinators. The Ministry of Aliyah lists one coordinator for the town, who speaks English. The KEF Club holds events at least twice a month for English speakers aged 55 and over, free to join, and ESRA's Five Towns branch runs an English second-hand book shop and English tutoring.
310
olim from the US
69
from the UK
695
olim in total
Settling in Zichron Yaakov, 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 (12 sources)
- nbn.org.il/life-in-israel/community-and-housing/community-guide/zichron-yaakov-3, Last updated 18 Nov 2025
- zy1882.co.il/RichText/GeneralPage.aspx?nodeId=1170, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- moed.org.il/our-story, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zikhron_Ya%27akov, accessed 2026-10-14
- ohr.edu/2941, undated (author died 2012, so the text predates 2013), accessed 2026-10-14
- zy1882.co.il/RichText/GeneralPage.aspx?nodeId=1178, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- zy1882.co.il/Branches/?nodeId=1167, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- zy1882.co.il/RichText/GeneralPage.aspx?nodeId=1155, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- data.gov.il/api/3/action/datastore_search?resource_id=d735ad06-8bde-41aa-8350-a15a36bac18f, published 2024-03-12, fetched 2026-10-14
- en.globes.co.il/en/article-1001303588, 15 Oct 2019
- 30900.com/en/property/5732582-en, undated, accessed 2026-10-14
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binyamina_railway_station, accessed 2026-10-14
Zichron Yaakov
The Ohel Ya'akov Synagogue in the Moshava, December 2024. Photo by Omer Toledano, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where people live
The Moshava
Nefesh B'Nefesh says Dati Leumi olim tend to live in the Moshava, the historic centre, because it is closest to the main synagogue, Ohel Ya'akov, and to Moed.
Remez
Older Dati Leumi olim, average age 60 by Nefesh B'Nefesh's description, often live in or near Remez for the same reason.
Hashmura, Halomot, Neve Habaron
Other olim live throughout the town, and Nefesh B'Nefesh names these three neighbourhoods as especially popular.
Chareidi English speakers
Nefesh B'Nefesh says Chareidi English-speaking olim live mostly near or on Derech Sarah, Hazon Ish and Ramat Tzvi.
Who lives here
Wikipedia says most residents would define themselves as secular, with a sizable religious community, and in the 2022 census the most common household described itself as secular. Nefesh B'Nefesh notes that some neighbourhoods are homogenous.
Source: Wikipedia · accessed 14 Oct 2026
66.0%
of households own their home
26.9%
rent
35
median age
3.0
people per household
9.0%
born in the Americas
57.6%
work outside the city
Schools
15 active schools in Zichron Yaakov, by stream
8 State
4 State religious
3 Haredi
Schools
Nefesh B'Nefesh links maps of the town's state, state-religious and Chareidi schools but names none as taking many English-speaking pupils, and we found no source that does. Ask the council's absorption department and the schools themselves.
Hebrew for adults
The council points olim to the intensive ulpan in Hadera, sponsored by what was then the Ministry of Absorption for olim up to ten years in the country, and lists a paid ulpan at Kehillat Ve'Ahavta and a free weekly Hebrew group at the Zamarin community centre.
Getting around
Direct trains from בנימינה station, 6.2 km in a straight line from the city's centre point, on one weekday of the current timetable.
To Tel Aviv HaHagana
43min
fastest; median 53 min, 72 direct trains a weekday
To Tel Aviv Savidor
32min
fastest; median 41 min, 77 direct trains a weekday
To Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon
None
no direct train, a change is needed
No train in town
Zichron Yaakov has no railway station of its own. The nearest is Binyamina, 6.2 km in a straight line from the town's centre point, whose fastest weekday train reaches Tel Aviv Savidor in 32 minutes (Ministry of Transport, 14 Oct 2026). Wikipedia's page on the station lists Kavim bus 70 between Zichron Yaakov and Hadera among the lines that call there. The train figures on this page are Binyamina's, not the town's.
Source: Wikipedia · accessed 14 Oct 2026
By bus and car
Wikipedia says the town is the terminus of several bus lines, including the Nateev Express 978 to Ramat Gan. The council describes Zichron as a bedroom community for hi-tech centres and universities near Haifa and Tel Aviv.
Source: Wikipedia · accessed 14 Oct 2026
Health care
Nefesh B'Nefesh says Clalit, Meuchedet and Maccabi all have branches in town, and names Hillel Yaffe in Hadera and Rambam in Haifa as the nearest hospitals.
Binyamina station, the nearest to Zichron Yaakov and the station the train minutes on this page are from, July 2015. Photo by Geogast, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
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
- 3 rooms₪1,570,800
change unknown
- 4 rooms₪2,884,100
+6.9% on the year
- 5 rooms₪3,586,600
+12.4% on the year
Latest quarter (to Mar 2026): ₪2,698,500 here against ₪2,058,800 nationally.
Rented, median a month
- 3 rooms₪4,650
-4.1% on the year
- 4 rooms₪5,650
+0.9% on the year
- 5 rooms₪7,400
+3.5% on the year
The CBS rent survey, a different series, puts average free-market rent at ₪3,719 a month (Q2 2026) for the Haifa District as a whole; Zichron Yaakov has no row of its own.
What else is being built
76
homes started in 2023
114 completed. CBS.
34
state land tenders since 2000
3 opened since 2023. Israel Land Authority.
4
Dira BeHanacha lotteries
Latest 30 May 2021: 25 homes, 5,211 applicants.
Running costs and safety
Arnona, average billed
₪50.6
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
Prices above the national median
In the quarter ending Mar 2026 the median sold home in Zichron Yaakov went for ₪2,698,500, against ₪2,058,800 nationally. A 4-room home's median over the last 12 months was ₪2,884,100.
Source: nadlan.gov.il
Low rental yield
nadlan.gov.il computes a gross rental yield of 2.5% for Zichron Yaakov, before arnona, maintenance, vacancy and tax.
Source: nadlan.gov.il
A drive or a bus to the train
The nearest station is Binyamina, 6.2 km away in a straight line, so every train trip starts with a drive or a bus. The timetable has no direct train from Binyamina to Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon (Ministry of Transport, 14 Oct 2026).
Source: Ministry of Transport GTFS
Little new building
The CBS counts 76 homes started in Zichron Yaakov in 2023. The last Dira BeHanacha lottery here was on 30 May 2021: 25 homes and 5,211 applicants. In 2019 Globes reported that only 2,000 of the town's 8,000 acres are zoned for urban building, which allows for a relatively modest population increase of 1.5% a year. A master plan to take the town from 23,000 to 42,000 residents over 20 years had been deposited for objections; we found no record of its final approval.
Source: Globes · 15 Oct 2019
No count of English speakers
Nefesh B'Nefesh says thousands and the council says about ten percent are recent immigrant families, but neither gives a number or a date for it, and the shul Nefesh B'Nefesh calls mostly Anglo does not describe itself that way. The firm figure is the Ministry of Aliyah's: 310 olim from the US and 69 from the UK among the 695 who settled here from 2014 to 2023.
Who should pick Zichron Yaakov, and who should not
Pick it if you are
- Religious Zionist families who want to live near Moed and the Ohel Ya'akov synagogue.
- Families who want Torah study in English, Modern Orthodox or Masorti.
- Retirees who want an English-speaking social club in town.
- Households where one partner works near Haifa or Tel Aviv and drives or takes the train from Binyamina.
Look elsewhere if you are
- Buyers on a tight budget.
- Investors buying for rental income.
- Anyone who needs to walk to a train, or a direct train to Jerusalem.
- Buyers who want a wide choice of new-build homes.
Questions about Zichron Yaakov
Is Zichron Yaakov good for English speakers?
Nefesh B'Nefesh describes a large English-speaking population and thousands of its olim, and the council's olim services have English-speaking staff and sponsor a club for English-speaking seniors. The Ministry of Aliyah counts 310 olim from the US and 69 from the UK among the 695 who settled here from 2014 to 2023, the US being the largest single country.
Where do English speakers live in Zichron Yaakov?
Nefesh B'Nefesh says olim are spread across the town by how observant they are: Dati Leumi olim in the Moshava and, for older olim, Remez; Chareidi English speakers near Derech Sarah, Hazon Ish and Ramat Tzvi; and others throughout, with Hashmura, Halomot and Neve Habaron especially popular.
Is there an English-speaking shul in Zichron Yaakov?
No shul describes itself as English-speaking on its own site. Nefesh B'Nefesh calls Moed mostly an Anglo Dati Leumi synagogue, and the council lists Moed's weekly Parshat HaShavua class in English. Kehillat Ve'Ahavta, a Masorti congregation, runs a Beit Midrash in English, according to the same council page.
Is Zichron Yaakov religious?
Mostly not. Wikipedia says most residents would define themselves as secular, and in the 2022 census the most common household described itself as secular. There is a sizable religious community, including a Haredi yeshiva, a Chabad community and several Religious Zionist synagogues.
Source: Wikipedia · accessed 14 Oct 2026
How much does an apartment cost in Zichron Yaakov?
The median recorded sale of a 4-room home in Zichron Yaakov over the last 12 months was ₪2,884,100, new and older homes together (nadlan.gov.il, 20 Aug 2026).
Source: nadlan.gov.il
How much is rent in Zichron Yaakov?
The median recorded rent over the last 12 months was ₪5,650 a month for all homes and ₪5,650 for 4 rooms (nadlan.gov.il, 20 Aug 2026).
Source: nadlan.gov.il
How long is the train from Zichron Yaakov to Tel Aviv?
There is no station in town. From Binyamina, 6.2 km away, the fastest direct weekday train takes 32 minutes to Tel Aviv Savidor and 43 minutes to HaHagana (77 direct trains to Savidor that day), per the Ministry of Transport timetable fetched 14 Oct 2026. Add the trip to Binyamina. There is no direct train from Binyamina to Jerusalem.
Source: Ministry of Transport GTFS
Is there an olim coordinator in Zichron Yaakov who speaks English?
Yes. The Ministry of Aliyah lists one coordinator for the town, who speaks English, and the council's social services department has a liaison to English-speaking olim and a native English-speaking social worker.
How long do you have to reach a shelter in Zichron Yaakov?
90 seconds from the siren, according to the Home Front Command.
Source: Home Front Command · 14 Oct 2026
Thinking about Zichron Yaakov?
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 Zichron Yaakov
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, 30 May 2021
- 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 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. 1 field(s) failed to load and are shown as unknown. Page written 14 Oct 2026.