Aalter has 28,906 inhabitants across 119.9 km², and the average age is 43. Residents are mainly homeowners: 79% own their home. Average annual net income per person is €20,388, and households have an average of 1.3 cars. The recorded nationalities are 96.4% Belgian, 0.8% Polish, 0.7% Romanian, 0.6% Dutch, 0.1% Portuguese, 0.1% Slovak, 0.1% German and 1.2% other. The housing stock averages about 6 rooms, and buildings date on average from around 1959. Its building types are 54.5% open-type houses, farms and castles, 19.8% semi-detached houses, 13.6% buildings and apartment blocks, 8.5% terraced houses, 2.3% commercial houses and 1.4% other types.
There are 17 houses for sale in Aalter. The average asking price is €570,405, with current listings ranging from €97,500 to €1,800,000. The municipality’s building mix includes detached and semi-detached homes as well as terraced houses, alongside apartment buildings and other property types. From central Aalter, the A10/E40 towards Brussels, Aalst, Ghent, Bruges and Ostend is 3 minutes away by car; access to the A17/E403 towards Bruges, Kortrijk and Tournai takes 17 minutes. The main roads in the municipality include the N37, N44, N337, N368 and N409.
Public transport includes 9 bus lines with stops in Aalter. Listed De Lijn services include line 185, Belbus Aalter–Maldegem–Knesselare; line 63, Eisden–Maasmechelen–Lanaken–Maastricht; line 65, Stokkem–Meeswijk–Maasmechelen–Boorsem–Uikhoven; line 77, Deinze–Ghent–Lochristi–Beervelde; and line 87, Deinze–Aalter–Maldegem. The nearest stations to the town centre are Aalter, Maria-Aalter, Bellem, Beernem and Hansbeke. The municipality has 10 nurseries, 9 nursery schools, 11 primary schools and 6 secondary schools. Examples include De Bereboom nursery, Vrije Basisschool – Tabor Sint-Maria-Aalter and Emmaüsinstituut@2.
For everyday shopping, Aalter has 3 SPAR stores, 2 Carrefour stores, and 1 each of OKay, Match / Smatch, Aldi, Colruyt and Delhaize. Blue-bike has 1 station in the municipality, and there are 2 electric-car charging stations; shared cars are not offered. Wevelgem Airport can be reached in 36 minutes by car or 66 minutes by public transport. These local connections, services and housing options sit within a municipality where detached homes, farms and castles form the largest recorded building category.