Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu maintain top positions in Storia 2025 Index of best cities

Cluj-Napoca and Sibiu maintained their top positions in the Storia Index in 2025, registering the highest overall scores, according to a statement from the real estate platform.

The Storia Index integrates both objective information, obtained from sources such as Google Traffic, Google Places, Airly, and Storia, and the subjective opinions of over 110,000 residents from the areas included on the platform. The subjective indicators evaluated are safety, cleanliness, access to parking and public transport, bike lanes, noise levels, running water, sanitation and gas service, sewer system, heating service, level of satisfaction, as well as the overall cost of living.

The analysis is part of the “Storia Summary,” available at rezumat.storia.ro, an annual report that provides a detailed view of the real estate market in Romania.

In 2025, Cluj-Napoca remained the highest-ranked city based on objective data, with a total score of 44.5 (vs. 42.7 in 2024), followed by Brașov (41.4), Constanța (39.6), Sibiu (39.3), and Craiova (38.7).

Among the cities that were in the top last year but are no longer ranked this year are Târgu Mureș, Deva, and Călărași.

Sibiu remains the city most appreciated by its residents and records the highest subjective score, obtained based on residents’ opinions evaluating the 13 criteria, reaching a score of 76.9 out of 100. Brașov ranked second, with a score of 74.2, followed by Oradea, with 73.3. The next cities in the top are Râmnicu Vâlcea (73.1) and Cluj-Napoca (72.1).

Sibiu also stood out by having three neighborhoods in the top: Valea Aurie was the most appreciated neighborhood by residents, with a score of 84.1, followed by Ștrand (83.8) and Sub Arini (83.6). Fourth and fifth places were taken by the Orizont neighborhood in Buzău (82.4) and Universității in Craiova (82.2).

In terms of safety, Brașov remains the city where residents reported feeling the most protected (82.1). Among neighborhoods, Andrei Mureșanu in Cluj-Napoca (93.2) stood out as the most appreciated in this regard. Regarding cleanliness, Râmnicu Vâlcea (75.1) led the city ranking, while at the neighborhood level, Trei Stejari in Sibiu (85.9) received the best evaluations.

Regarding top neighborhoods, as last year, Primăverii (Bucharest) occupied the first position with a score of 66.4, followed by Aviatorilor (Bucharest) with 65.1, 13 Septembrie (Bucharest) with 58.5, Gruia in Cluj-Napoca (57.3), and the Old Town in Cluj-Napoca, with a score of 57.

“The criteria that recorded the highest scores concern essential aspects such as access to running water, gas, and sewage services, safety, and public transport. In contrast, bike lanes and noise levels are among the criteria with lower evaluations, indicating a lower degree of satisfaction among residents,” said Monica Dudău, Head of Marketing Real Estate Europe, OLX Group.