Erfde is growing: country life is attracting more and more families!

Erfde is growing: country life is attracting more and more families!

There is an encouraging development in the small community of Erfde in the Schleswig-Flensburg district: at the end of 2024, 2,243 people were already living here, which means an increase of over 100 residents in just two years. This growth is remarkable because the 2,000 population mark was already exceeded in 2022 after Erfde had struggled with stagnating numbers for a long time. Mayor Thomas Klömmer (CDU) sees the strategic location between the cities of Heide, Husum, Schleswig and Rendsburg as an attractive attraction for new residents.

The attractiveness of rural communities is increasing again, as the Schleswig-Holstein Community Association notes. It turns out that many communities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants are also experiencing growth. Around 924,000 people lived in these smaller towns at the end of 2024, an increase of around 4,000 since the end of 2022. Thorsten Karstens, deputy managing director of the municipal council, recently explained that the previous rural exodus had been overcome and the trends were reversing. In fact, around half of the approximately 1,000 small towns in Schleswig-Holstein recorded an increase in population, which is a good sign for the future.

Quality of life and infrastructure

Erfde has a lot to offer: In addition to basic needs such as doctors, a daycare center and a primary and community school, the community is also popular because it has a good infrastructure. High-speed Internet, especially fiber optic connections, are now standard in many communities and enable flexible working conditions, for example in the home office. This is drawing more and more families from urban to rural life, where rental and purchase prices are much cheaper.

In further developments, Erfde plans to build an additional supermarket and a new residential area - steps that are intended to meet the need for affordable housing. Despite the state's high spending, it is estimated that there is a lack of more than 100,000 affordable apartments in Schleswig-Holstein. An alliance of ministries, associations and clubs is already looking for ways to solve this housing problem.

The trend towards rural life

The general population development in Schleswig-Holstein is positive. More and more people are choosing to live in rural areas, which also applies to larger cities. Families are drawn to the countryside, and the municipality of Erfde is no exception. With its growing range of services and a pleasant quality of life, Erfde has exactly what many are looking for.

In summary, these developments in Erfde are part of a larger trend that shows that rural areas in Schleswig-Holstein are becoming increasingly attractive through a combination of better quality of life, lower costs of living and a positive future perspective. Meanwhile, the community council appeals to the federal and state governments to continue to support small communities so that this positive trend continues in the future.

It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming years, but Erfde is definitely on a promising path.