House prices have risen sharply in several parts of Denmark beyond its largest cities. In Lejre, average prices have increased by 112 percent since 2013, while on Bornholm the rise has reached 109 percent. A DR analysis based on housing platform Boligsiden’s figures also identifies Billund, Rebild and Svendborg as municipalities with notable increases, for reasons that differ considerably from one place to another.
Copenhagen and several surrounding municipalities have recorded rises of more than 150 percent since 2013, the year Denmark’s housing market reached its post-financial-crisis low. But the changes extend well beyond the capital. Over the same period, house prices rose 78 percent in Aarhus and 70 percent in Odense.
Lejre and Bornholm attract different kinds of demand from Copenhagen
Lejre, west of Copenhagen, combines access to the capital with countryside and outdoor space. According to Statistics Denmark migration figures obtained by mortgage lender Nykredit for DR, 40 percent of people moving into the municipality between 2016 and 2026 came from the Capital Region, including one in five from Copenhagen Municipality itself. More than half of newcomers were aged between 20 and 39.
Local estate agent Kasper Sommer told DR that access to nature is increasingly influencing buyers’ choices, even when living farther from schools and other services means longer journeys. Lejre’s 112 percent rise exceeds those recorded in neighbouring Roskilde, Ringsted and Holbæk.
Bornholm, the Baltic Sea island, presents a different picture. Its 109 percent increase has been linked by local estate agent Kurt Mortensen to demand for second homes. Under the island’s flexible housing rules, known as flexbolig, eligible homes outside eight designated towns can receive permission to be used as holiday or part-time residences rather than permanent homes.
Mortensen told DR that buyers include former Bornholm residents and people from the Copenhagen area who have built up substantial property equity. The migration figures cited by DR separately show that about half of those moving to Bornholm came from the Capital Region, although those relocation figures do not measure second-home purchases.
Jobs in Billund and commuting in Rebild
In Billund, in central Jutland, the local employment market plays a more important role. Estate agent Lucas Tindbæk pointed to jobs at LEGO and demand from skilled workers, including international employees, as factors supporting property prices. He said the pressure is particularly apparent in Billund town, where the supply of homes is limited, rather than uniformly across the municipality.
Farther north, Rebild has registered a 65 percent increase since 2013, compared with 45 percent in neighbouring Aalborg. Local estate agent Marlene Langkilde attributed much of its appeal to commuting connections with Aalborg and Aarhus, as well as relatively competitive house prices and access to forests and the Rebild Bakker hills.
Svendborg appeals to younger households and families
On southern Funen, Svendborg has seen a 61 percent increase since 2013, placing it among the island’s strongest-performing municipalities outside Odense.
Local estate agent Martin Nøhr told DR that the coastal setting, active town centre and shorter everyday journeys appeal to households seeking an alternative to life in the capital. In the migration figures cited in the report, 14 percent of newcomers to Svendborg came from Copenhagen Municipality, while 60 percent were aged between 20 and 39.
Why house prices have risen beyond the big cities
These figures describe a long-term change, not an increase over the past year. More recent Boligsiden figures published in October 2026 show that average Danish house sale prices rose 6.9 percent nationally between January and September 2026, with substantial differences between municipalities.
As NordiskPost previously reported, high housing costs have encouraged some Copenhagen residents to move elsewhere. The five municipalities examined by DR show that this shift does not follow a single pattern. Proximity to jobs and major cities matters in some areas, while nature, coastal living and the possibility of owning a second home matter more in others.
