The fact that the region is perceived as attractive is a significant advantage for newly established industrial companies looking for skilled employees. Perhaps it has something to do with size; Kristiansand is the smallest of the country's five largest cities. It has the big city's rich cultural and experience offerings and the small town's short distances to services, nature and outdoor areas. And while other big cities experience price pressure and a shortage of housing, Kristiansand has a wide range of housing at reasonable prices.

Many have discovered these qualities. The Kristiansand region has had a stable growth of newcomers in recent years, and has a young population that leaves its mark on the small city. Not surprisingly, in 2018, Kristiansand was named Norway's most attractive city by the Ministry of Local Government and Modernization.

School and kindergarten
Kristiansand has good kindergarten coverage and a varied offer in terms of size, academic content and geographical spread. The kindergartens in Kristiansand are among the best in the country, according to the Directorate of Education and Training's parent survey. It shows that parents in Kristiansand are most satisfied with their kindergarten, compared with the other large municipalities. There is also good school coverage and a well-established international school in the municipality. The international school is free of charge and an attractive supplement for international workers with school-age children.

Nature and open air
Kristiansand consists of a compact city center surrounded by the coast and idyllic outdoor areas. Baneheia and Bymarka are located north of Kvadraturen and offer bathing water, beautiful hiking trails and ski slopes in winter. Moving south in Kvadraturen, towards the sea, you will find Odderøya, with a café, galleries, war history and several idyllic bathing spots. The archipelago, with its clean-cut rocks and quiet coves, is never far away.

Art and culture
The engine of the region's cultural life is Kilden Theater and Concert Hall. The award-winning institution is one of the Nordic region's most exciting environments for professional performing arts and music. In 2019, 176,000 audience members experienced 848 concerts, performances and events here. Kilden Theater and Concert Hall is home to the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Kilden Theater and Kilden Opera, among others. With the establishment of the much-publicized Kunstsilo Kristiansand, the city and the Sørlandet Art Museum will become the permanent home of the Tangen Collection, the world's largest collection of Nordic modernist art.

Kristiansand invests in culture and offers a rich festival life throughout the year. Every summer tens of thousands of young people come to Kristiansand for Palmesus, Scandinavia's biggest and
and best beach party.

Attractions
Kristiansand is Captain Sabeltann's kingdom. He is located in Kristiansand Dyrepark which is one of the country's most visited tourist attractions. If you live in Kristiansand, you are only a short bus ride away from a park where, besides pirates, you can see animals from all over the world, participate in activities and visit a water park. A large water park can also be found in the center of Kristiansand. Aquarama has large indoor and outdoor pools and offers many activities and spa facilities right next to Bystranda.

The climbing park Høyt og Lavt Kristiansand is a ten-minute walk from Kristiansand city center in scenic surroundings. With its many trails and ziplines, it is exciting for both young and old. In Vennesla, just outside Kristiansand, you can ride on Norway's first museum railway, the Setesdalsbanen, and experience over 100-year-old steam locomotives in action.

Sørlandsparken is an attraction in itself, with 450 companies and businesses. It is also home to Sørlandssenteret, Scandinavia's largest shopping center by area, with 147 shops and
a floor area of 172,000 square meters. 

Good framework conditions for establishing oneself are often crucial when people are considering whether to move to a new region and new job. Thanks to an expansive housing policy, the Kristiansand region can offer a unique selection of homes and residential plots in central areas. The price level is the lowest among the country's major cities.

The housing market in the Kristiansand region is characterized by predictability and moderate price growth. There is a good balance between price and demand in the market. An important reason for this is that the construction of new homes has kept pace with population growth. In Kristiansand alone, more than 10 000 new homes have been built in the last 10 years. More than half of them are apartments located close to the city. Construction activity in the Kristiansand region is expected to remain at a high level in the years to come. Around 17 000 new dwellings are regulated or under regulation. This is more than the estimated need for new housing in the coming years, based on current forecasts for population growth.

Affordability
The good supply of housing means that the Kristiansand region has avoided the sharp price increases experienced by other city regions. Today, the average home in the municipality costs NOK 2.9 million. By comparison, the price in Oslo is around NOK 5.4 million and NOK 3.6 million in Bergen and Trondheim. In Stavanger, the average price is around NOK 3.7 million (EMF April 2020).

Plenty of space
With its 110,000 inhabitants, Kristiansand is well equipped to welcome newcomers who want a career in a new battery factory. The entire living and working region of which Kristiansand is a part is home to almost 200,000 inhabitants and has plenty of room for everyone who would like to move to the region. The options are many; you can live near the sea, close to the city center or in rural surroundings.

Where there is room to live, there is room for the heart.
Welcome to Kristiansand!