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Sanse, a bull-running, business-park suburb north of Madrid, next to Alcobendas, close to the airport and well off.
San Sebastián de los Reyes, known as Sanse, is a suburb in the north of Madrid's region, joined to Alcobendas in a continuous built-up area. It was a farming village and market town on the road north, and it is now a big, well-off town with business parks, large shopping centres, a public hospital and a Metro line into the city.
It has two faces. The old centre keeps a village feel and a bull-running tradition, while the new districts to the north and east are large, wide-streeted and full of families. Business parks, logistics and offices employ many residents, and Madrid-Barajas airport lies close to the south-east.
The city has 96,992 residents (2025). It suits families and professionals who work in the north of Madrid or at the airport and want a well-equipped suburb with fast links, and it suits those who want a historic or lively centre far less.
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
San Sebastián de los Reyes stands out for prosperity, safety and digital. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €804 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from San Sebastián de los Reyes’s figures. They are inferences, not official statistics: each says what it rests on.
You will meet English speakers, mostly in the centre and at international employers. Shops, landlords and schools expect Spanish. Contracts, the town hall and most doctors work in Spanish.
Summer nights stay warm, so sleep depends on a cooled bedroom. Check for air-conditioning before you sign.
Frosty nights are common. Many older Spanish flats are poorly insulated: ask about heating and the winter energy bill.
Almost every home can get gigabit fibre, so working from home is not a gamble on the flat you pick.
Terraces and family restaurants in the old centre, chain restaurants in the malls and Madrid's choice a Metro ride away.
Practical and busy by day, with commuters leaving early and the old centre waking at the weekend.
Bars and terraces in the old centre, shopping and cinemas in the malls and Madrid for anything late.
The old centre has the church and the squares, Dehesa Vieja is a newer and larger district and villa urbanisations lie on the edges.
Spanish, with English in the business parks and international firms.
The late-summer fiestas with the bull runs through the streets are the town's signature, with concerts and fairs alongside.
Parks, cycle lanes and sports centres in the town, with the Sierra de Guadarrama a drive away.
The old centre of Sanse is small, with the parish church, a main square and a web of streets with bars and terraces. For most of the year it is quiet, but during the fiestas of the Cristo de los Remedios, in late summer, the streets are fenced and the bull runs start, and the whole town and thousands of visitors turn out.
Everything else is newer. The wide boulevards and large residential blocks of the new districts have playgrounds, sports centres and big shopping and leisure centres with cinemas and chain restaurants. Many families live in urbanisations with shared pools and green areas, and neighbours know each other through the school gate.
Offices, multinational headquarters and logistics warehouses fill the business parks, and a large part of the population works there. The town is practical rather than pretty, and most people appreciate it for its services and links rather than its beauty.
Sanse sits on the old road from Madrid to Burgos, and it was a market town for the farms on the plain for centuries. Its character changed in the late twentieth century, when the north of Madrid became the favoured corridor for business parks, and companies and workers moved out along the motorway. Alcobendas, next door, took the headquarters, and Sanse took the industrial and logistics estates and a large share of the housing.
The result is a prosperous suburb. Prosperity comes out strong, and household income per person is €19,901 a year (2024). Housing is not cheap, and it has become more expensive quickly. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €804 a month (2024), and buying costs €4,041 per square metre (Q2 2026). House prices rose 18.5% over the last year (Q2 2026). Housing comes out average.
Safety comes out above average, with property theft the main concern: thefts are recorded at 1,749 per 100k people (2025), and vehicle thefts at 167 per 100k people (2025). The town has 2.8 per 1,000 people hospital beds (2025), a number that reflects a public hospital for the north of Madrid. Digital infrastructure comes out above average, with fibre reaching 100% of homes (2025), and connectivity average, helped by an airport only 9 km away (2026).
Figures for San Sebastián de los Reyes itself, not its region. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses San Sebastián de los Reyes data only and compares it with similar cities. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Prosperity is strong: in the top 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000.
Household income per person: 19,901 € a year per person — better than 92% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Strong: 92 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Household income per personSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2024 | 19,901 € a year per person | better than 92% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Safety is above average compared with similar cities.
Not ranked: too little comparable evidence yet.
Burglaries: 60.8 per 100k people — better than 91% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Above average: 66 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2025 | 0.00 per 100k people | better than 78% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| RobberiesSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2025 | 73.2 per 100k people | better than 58% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| BurglariesSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2025 | 60.8 per 100k people | better than 91% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| TheftsSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2025 | 1,749 per 100k people | better than 20% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Vehicle theftsSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2025 | 167 per 100k people | better than 6% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Digital is above average: better than most Spanish cities above 50,000.
Homes with fibre to the door: 99.5% — better than 78% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Above average: 63 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Homes that can get gigabit internetSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2025 | 99.2% | better than 72% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Homes with fibre to the doorSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2025 | 99.5% | better than 78% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| 5G coverageSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2025 | 100.0% | better than 34% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Connectivity is around the middle: better than most major European cities.
Distance to the main airport: 9.40 km — better than 59% of major European cities
Average: 60 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Distance to the main airportSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2026-10-21 | 9.40 km | better than 59% of major European cities |
Housing is around the middle: behind most Spanish cities above 50,000.
Rents, change in a year: 2.50% — better than 95% of Spanish cities above 50,000
Average: 46 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Rent per m²San Sebastián de los Reyes · 2024 | 11.5 €/m² a month | better than 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rents, change in a yearSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2024 | 2.50% | better than 95% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Buying price per m²San Sebastián de los Reyes · 2026-Q2 | 4,041 €/m² | better than 10% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| Rent growth a year, over 3 yearsSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2024 | 3.64% | better than 87% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
| House prices, change in a yearSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2026-Q2 | 18.5% | better than 21% of Spanish cities above 50,000 |
Climate is around the middle: behind most major European cities.
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 84.2 days a year — better than 61% of major European cities
Average: 43 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)San Sebastián de los Reyes · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 84.2 days a year | better than 61% of major European cities |
| Days above 35 °CSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 32.6 days a year | better than 7% of major European cities |
| Nights above 20 °CSan Sebastián de los Reyes · 2015-01-01..2024-12-31 | 11.3 nights a year | better than 42% of major European cities |
What we cannot score for San Sebastián de los Reyes yet
Highs around 35° in July, lows around -0° in January. 84 pleasant days a year (dry, 18–28 °C).
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.9°C | -0.1°C | 40 mm |
| February | 12.2°C | 0.9°C | 32 mm |
| March | 14.9°C | 2.7°C | 57 mm |
| April | 18.2°C | 5.1°C | 59 mm |
| May | 23.6°C | 9.1°C | 33 mm |
| June | 29.2°C | 14.1°C | 28 mm |
| July | 34.7°C | 17.7°C | 10 mm |
| August | 33.9°C | 17.5°C | 19 mm |
| September | 27.1°C | 13.1°C | 41 mm |
| October | 21.7°C | 9.3°C | 70 mm |
| November | 14.5°C | 4.2°C | 49 mm |
| December | 11.4°C | 1.8°C | 43 mm |
Sanse has the continental climate of the Madrid plateau. Summers are hot and dry: days above the heat threshold number 33 a year (2015–2024), though nights cool better than on the coast, at 11 a year warm nights (2015–2024). Winters are cold and clear, with frost on 46 a year (2015–2024).
Rain is modest, with 480 mm a year a year (2015–2024). Pleasant days, mild and dry, number only 84 a year (2015–2024), most of them in spring and autumn. The Sierra de Guadarrama is a short drive away and gets snow in winter.
It is a year-round suburb for people with cooling for summer and heating for winter. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and August is hot and often empty because many families leave.
Lines start with Spain; switch the others on to compare.
18.5% in Q2 2026
€11.5 per m² a month in 2024
€4,041 per m² in Q2 2026
Facts about the people who live in San Sebastián de los Reyes. Shown as context only: none of this changes a score.
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Fit from the data, 0 to 100, against other Spanish cities. Open a group to see the figures behind it.
Comfortable villa urbanisations, private clinics and a short run to the airport, though the most exclusive addresses are next door in Alcobendas.
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
Business and logistics parks, the airport and the Madrid market are on the doorstep.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Adults with a university degree, Jobs, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality, Residents born abroad.
A solid choice: schools, sports centres, parks and a public hospital, with Madrid within reach. Space costs more than it used to.
Better nearby for families with children: Fuenlabrada (62), Aranjuez (60), Coslada (60)
Not measured yet: 15-year-olds' maths (PISA), Average commute (one way), Average dwelling size, Childcare availability, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Jobs, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pre-primary participation, Recorded crime.
Fibre almost everywhere and the airport a few minutes away, but a suburban setting with few places to work from.
Better nearby for remote workers: Coslada (62), Torrejón de Ardoz (58)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Fixed broadband penetration, Lifestyle, Residents born abroad.
Well served by a public hospital, with good transport and flat streets, though summers are hot and the setting is suburban.
Better nearby for retirees: Coslada (56), Fuenlabrada (56), Pinto (55)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Doctors, Environment, Healthcare, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
Not cheap: rents and buying prices are high for a suburb, and rising fast.
Better nearby for budget-conscious movers: Aranjuez (55), Valdemoro (54), Fuenlabrada (51)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Households spending >40% of income on housing, Jobs, Price level vs EU average, Unemployment.
Parks and cycle lanes in town and the Sierra de Guadarrama a drive away, but the town itself is built-up.
Better nearby for beach, mountains and the outdoors: Madrid (44), Aranjuez (38), Pinto (38)
Not measured yet: Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Strong-wind days.
A good base for a job in the northern business parks, with a Metro to Madrid, but rents are high and the social life is in the city.
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Jobs, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Lifestyle, Median age, Median gross salary, Residents born abroad, Transport, Unemployment, Youth unemployment (15–24).
Not a student town, with Madrid campuses a Metro ride away and rents that are high for a student budget.
Not measured yet: Adults with a university degree, Commute by public transport, Cost of Living, Cycle most, Education, Lifestyle, Median age, Price level vs EU average, Transport, Walk most, Youth unemployment (15–24).
Local festivals, a theatre and the bull-running tradition, with Madrid's museums and theatres a Metro ride away.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Adults with a university degree, Commute by public transport, Lifestyle, Median age, Residents born abroad, Transport, Walk most.
Taxes, residency and the wider economy are set nationally, so they are the same in San Sebastián de los Reyes as anywhere in Spain.
Compared with San Sebastián de los Reyes; each card says where it is better or worse for someone living there.
70 m²: €829 a month
Compare with San Sebastián de los Reyes70 m²: €713 a month
Compare with San Sebastián de los Reyes70 m²: €659 a month
Compare with San Sebastián de los Reyes70 m²: €553 a month
Compare with San Sebastián de los Reyes70 m²: €569 a month
Compare with San Sebastián de los Reyes70 m²: €885 a month
Compare with San Sebastián de los ReyesGuide written 2026-10-22. Figures are refreshed as new official data is published; the period beside each number says what it covers. “Our read” cards are our inferences from those figures. How we score
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