Bamisparimעברית

Moshav · Merhavim Regional Council · Southern District · founded 1954

Kelahim by the numbers

Kelahim has 647 residents (CBS estimate, December 2024). Compared with the 930 other small towns, it is younger than 77% of them, with more car-free households than 84% of them and has bigger families than 75% of them.

Population
647
37% children under 18
Average monthly salary
₪15,455
About the national average
Socio-economic cluster
7 of 10
1 lowest, 10 highest

How does Kelahim compare with other towns?

Kelahim Another of the 931 towns with under 2,000 residents

Show

Can you live without a car?

22%More car-free households than 84% of towns
Households without a car, 2022
LowHigh

Young or old?

8%Younger than 77% of towns
Residents aged 65+, 2022
LowHigh

Big families?

3.4Bigger families than 75% of towns
People per household, average, 2022
LowHigh

Do people rent or own?

22%Like most (slightly below)
Households renting, 2022
LowHigh
2 more comparisons

How much do people earn?

₪11,390Like most (slightly above)
Median monthly wage per employee, 2022
LowHigh

How educated?

31%Like most (slightly below)
Residents with an academic degree, 2022
LowHigh

Sources: age: CBS 2022; education, renting, cars and household size: the 2022 census, the only source at town level. Compared with the 931 towns with under 2,000 residents.

Kelahim in national rankings

    What is the average salary in Kelahim?

    ₪15,455 a month for the average employee, close to the national average; socio-economic cluster 7 of 10; a 7% income tax credit

    Wages 2025

    Show
    ₪15,455average monthly salary (Merhavim Regional Council)

    2% above the national average.

    The council
    ₪15,455
    Israel
    ₪15,140
    23.7%earn up to minimum wageIsrael: 26.6%
    1.9%earn 4x the average or moreIsrael: 2.6%
    ₪12,855self-employed monthly incomeIsrael: ₪11,928
    Tax benefit town 2026
    Residents of Kelahim get an income tax credit of
    7%
    on income up to ₪146,640 a year. Worth up to about ₪855 a month.
    Socio-economic cluster
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10
    1 · lowesthighest · 10

    Ranked 568 of 996 communities in regional councils (1 is the lowest).

    Wages: National Insurance Institute, 2025, average for Merhavim Regional Council. Tax benefit: Israel Tax Authority list of eligible towns for 2026. Cluster: CBS socio-economic index 2021, the latest (published in 2024).

    Schools and kindergartens in Kelahim

    0 schools, 2 kindergartens and 1 daycare centre

    Show
    0Schools
    2Kindergartens
    1Daycare centres

    Source: Ministry of Education, list of active institutions

    Who lives in Kelahim?

    37% are under 18 (more than the national share); the largest health fund is Clalit

    As of October 2026

    Show

    These figures are for Merhavim Regional Council as a whole.

    Age groups

    Council
    37%
    53%
    10%
    Israel
    32%
    55%
    13%

    Under 18Working age (18–65)65+

    Health funds (kupot holim)

    Council
    66%
    28%
    Israel
    50%
    28%
    14%

    ClalitMaccabiMeuhedetLeumit

    21.8%self-employed among the insuredIsrael: 16.9%
    0.8%get unemployment benefitIsrael: 1%
    0.4%get pension income supplementIsrael: 2%
    0.1%get income supportIsrael: 0.4%
    3.1%get disability benefitIsrael: 3.8%
    2.8%get long-term care benefitIsrael: 4.1%

    Source: National Insurance Institute, statistics by town (ages as of October 2026). Benefit rates are shares of all residents.

    How does Kelahim vote?

    Largest list: Likud (23%). Turnout 77%

    Election for the 26th Knesset

    Show

    In the 2026 election, Kelahim voted The Democrats more than the country as a whole (‎+10 points) and Joint List less (‎-9).

    Turnout
    Here, 202677%
    Israel, 202678%
    Here, 202278%

    In 2022 the largest list here was Likud (29%).

    Likud
    22.8%
    Yashar
    22.2%
    The Democrats
    15.9%
    Otzma Yehudit
    13.8%
    Together (Beyachad)
    8.7%
    Shas
    4.5%

    Kelahim All Israel

    Source: Central Elections Committee, 26th Knesset election (2026), via the Kaplan Open Source mirror (official results by locality). Compared with the 25th Knesset (2022)

    How much is arnona (property tax) in Kelahim?

    About ₪303 a month for a 90 m² apartment, about the same as most local authorities

    Audited accounts 2024

    Show

    A 90 m² apartment in Merhavim Regional Council pays about ₪303 a month in arnona on average (₪3,636 a year).

    Residential arnona, average per m² a year₪40.4
    Median authority: ₪41.5
    Spending per resident a year₪13,164
    Median authority: ₪8,818
    Arnona collected of the amount billed89.7%
    Median authority: 90%
    Own revenue as a share of all revenue39%
    Median authority: 45.9%

    Of every shekel the authority spends, 50 agorot go to education and 11 agorot to welfare.

    Source: Ministry of the Interior, audited financial reports of local authorities for 2024, Merhavim Regional Council. Actual arnona depends on the zone and type of property.

    Towns like Kelahim, and nearby

    Most similar: Tarum, Kfar Haruv, Givat Nili

    Show

    Similar in wages, education, age, renting, car ownership, household size and population mix.

    Tarum919 residents · wage ₪11,630Kfar Haruv544 residents · wage ₪11,500Givat Nili631 residents · wage ₪10,530Nir Akiva728 residents · wage ₪12,490

    Closest on the map

    Kelahim: common questions

    Show

    What is the population of Kelahim?

    Kelahim has 647 residents, according to the CBS estimate for December 2024.

    How many schools are there in Kelahim?

    Kelahim has 0 schools, 2 kindergartens and 1 daycare centres, according to the Ministry of Education.

    What is the average salary in Kelahim?

    The average monthly wage per employee in Merhavim Regional Council is ₪15,455, against ₪15,140 nationwide (National Insurance, 2025).

    Is there a tax benefit for living in Kelahim?

    Yes. In 2026, residents of Kelahim get an income tax credit of 7% on personal-exertion income of up to ₪146,640 a year.

    Which district is Kelahim in?

    Kelahim is in the Southern District, in the Merhavim Regional Council, Be'er Sheva subdistrict.

    Data sources

    CBS locality code: 414