Lokeren has 41,690 inhabitants across 68.3 km². The average age is 40, and 66% of residents own their home. The average per-capita income is €18,804 net per year. The population is 93% Belgian, 1.4% Moroccan, 1.2% Turkish, 1% Polish, 0.8% Dutch, 0.5% Bulgarian, 0.4% Romanian and 1.7% from other countries. Women make up 50.7% of residents. The average household has 1.2 cars.
There are 23 houses for sale in Lokeren, with an average asking price of €451,059. Current prices range from €209,900 to €1,099,000. Houses account for 77.5% of the municipality’s dwellings, while apartment buildings account for 22.5%. Across the building stock, 28.5% are detached houses, farms or castles, 24.6% are terraced houses, 21.8% are semi-detached houses, 21.7% are buildings and apartment blocks, 2.2% are commercial houses and 1.2% are other building types. Buildings date on average from 1959, and the average home has about 5.5 rooms.
For road connections, the A14/E17, linking Antwerpen, Sint-Niklaas, Gent and Kortrijk towards Lille, is a 3-minute drive from the centre. The A11/E34 towards Antwerpen and Zelzate is 16 minutes away. The N47 and N70 also pass through Lokeren. Bus services include De Lijn lines 270, 49, 54, 78 and 82, among 15 lines with a stop in the municipality. The nearest stations to the centre are Lokeren, Zele, Sinaai, Beervelde and Belsele. Blue-bike has 1 station, and there are 3 Cambio stations. Lokeren also has 5 electric-vehicle charging stations.
Families have access to 16 nurseries, 17 nursery schools, 17 primary schools and 20 secondary schools. Named examples include Het Fruitboompje and De Speelsmurfjes for childcare, Stedelijke Basisschool - Eksaarde and Vrije Basisschool - Dol-Fijn for nursery school, and Go! Bs De Tovertuin and Vrije Basisschool - Oudenbos for primary school. Supermarkets include 3 Match/Smatch, 2 Aldi, 2 Delhaize, 1 Albert Heijn, 1 Louis Delhaize, 1 SPAR, 1 Lidl, 1 Carrefour and 1 Colruyt. Antwerp International Airport (Deurne) is 29 minutes away by car or 64 minutes by public transport.