How to Choose a Yerevan District to Live In: A Guide to All 12 Administrative Districts
Yerevan has 12 administrative districts, and they could hardly be more different, from the dense, metro-served centre to almost suburban Nubarashen. We walk through each one and explain how to pick yours before you start viewing flats.
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Twelve districts, twelve different cities
Yerevan is divided into 12 administrative districts (varchakan shrjan in Armenian). Each has its own administration, but for a buyer something else matters more: the districts differ sharply in density, the age of their buildings, transport, and how much new construction is going on. The most populous is Malatia-Sebastia, the least populous is Nork-Marash, and the largest by area is Erebuni.
| District | Residents (2022 census) | Area, km² | Flat sales, Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentron | 119,841 | 13.35 | 701 |
| Arabkir | 118,870 | 13.29 | 858 |
| Avan | 55,094 | 7.26 | 327 |
| Davtashen | 43,704 | 6.47 | 231 |
| Ajapnyak | 111,508 | 25.82 | 447 |
| Malatia-Sebastia | 140,784 | 25.16 | 578 |
| Shengavit | 140,525 | 40.6 | 361 |
| Erebuni | 124,957 | 47.49 | 81 |
| Nor Nork | 134,668 | 14.11 | 736 |
| Kanaker-Zeytun | 73,834 | 7.73 | 444 |
| Nork-Marash | 11,098 | 4.76 | 110 |
| Nubarashen | 11,794 | 17.24 | 8 |
Population figures come from the 2022 census (Statistical Committee of Armenia). Sales are Cadastre Committee data on purchases of flats in apartment buildings in Q2 2026. These are not prices but deal counts: they show where the market is most active.
Where the market is busiest
In Q2 2026, 4,882 flat sales were registered in Yerevan, 2,660 of them purchases from developers. Arabkir had the most, 17.6% of the city total, and Nubarashen the fewest, 0.2%. Nor Nork and Kentron follow Arabkir.
Lots of deals usually means lots of choice, both resale and new-build. Few deals is not a verdict on a district; it simply means a flat there may take longer to find, and private houses may outnumber apartment blocks.
Each district in brief
- Kentron — the historic and business centre: four metro stations, the Cascade, English Park, Circular Park. Easy without a car, but noisy and expensive.
- Arabkir — right next to the centre, Barekamutyun metro station, Komitas Avenue, lots of new buildings and the most flat sales in the city.
- Avan — around 250 metres higher than the centre, the Botanical Garden, the ancient Katoghike Tsiranavor church, quiet neighbourhoods.
- Davtashen — a compact residential district across the Davtashen Bridge: four blocks and greenery along the Hrazdan gorge.
- Ajapnyak — a large district in the west: Norashen, Nazarbekyan, Silikyan, Tumanyan Park. No metro yet; a new station is only planned.
- Malatia-Sebastia — the most populous district: Isakov Avenue leads to Zvartnots Airport, and it has the Malatia market and a large shopping mall.
- Shengavit — four metro stations, Yerevan Lake, and a mix of apartment blocks and private houses.
- Erebuni — the largest by area: Erebuni Fortress, the railway station and Sasuntsi Davit metro station, many private houses.
- Nor Nork — Soviet-era housing estates on the eastern hill, Gai Avenue, Nansen and Vaspurakan parks; second in the city for flat sales.
- Kanaker-Zeytun — Victory Park and the Mother Armenia monument, views over the city, several universities.
- Nork-Marash — the least populous district: private houses, the TV tower, a medical centre.
- Nubarashen — separated from the rest of the city, almost a suburb: private houses and plots, but far from the centre.
Five questions before you choose
- How long is the commute to work, school and kindergarten at rush hour?
- Do you need a metro station nearby, or do you drive?
- Which matters more: a new build with parking or an older building in an established neighbourhood?
- Are you ready for hills and slopes? In Yerevan they are no small thing.
- What is your budget? It will rule out some districts straight away.
How to size up a district from home
In tuk-tuk search you can filter flats by district and view them on the map: you immediately see where most listings are and which buildings are close to the metro and parks. Listings with the “Verified” badge come with a Cadastre extract, so they are a good place to start. The next step of this guide is searching for and viewing a flat.
Key points
- Yerevan has 12 districts, and they differ not only in price but in transport, density and building type.
- Only four districts have the metro: Kentron, Arabkir, Erebuni and Shengavit.
- According to Cadastre data for Q2 2026, the most flat sales were in Arabkir, Nor Nork and Kentron.
- Choose the district first and the flat second, and check the district in person on a weekday.
