Costești (Vâlcea County): population and statistics
Costești has a population of 3,003 (2026) across 109.6 km², or 27.4 people per km². It ranks 1,585 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −7.2% between 2016 and 2026.
- 3,003 residents
- 109.6 km²
- 27 people/km²
Key points
Among the 89 localities in Vâlcea County, Costești ranks No. 33 by population.
Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants: 0.00 ‰ in Costești, compared with an average of 2.63 ‰ in Vâlcea County and 3.20 ‰ nationally.
Live births per 1,000 inhabitants: 3.3 ‰ in Costești, compared with an average of 5.1 ‰ in Vâlcea County and 6.7 ‰ nationally.
Costești: the most common activity among active businesses is Land transport and transport via pipelines (28 businesses).
Costești in numbers
Where is Costești?
Population of Costești over time
Costești had 3,235 residents in 2016 and 3,003 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,044 |
| 2022 | 3,015 |
| 2023 | 3,008 |
| 2024 | 3,017 |
| 2025 | 3,027 |
| 2026 | 3,003 |
Did you know?
- “Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 99% of localities.
- “Live births per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 95% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 15,352 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.3 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest locality is Bărbătești, 4.9 km away.
- The nearest more populous locality is Horezu (6,601 residents), 5.9 km away.
All indicators for Costești
Value for the locality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the locality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Costești | Vâlcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 15.0 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 1,821 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 22.3 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 523 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.3 ‰ | 5.1 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 3,004 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 14.0 ‰ | 12.3 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 1,295 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Costești | Vâlcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 14.32 km | 7.76 km | 7.67 km | ranked 404 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.67 ‰ | 1.52 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 1,976 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 1,663 | 203,394 | 10,177,161 | ranked 1,312 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 553.8 ‰ | 535.8 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 894 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 54.6 m² | 47.4 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 1,087 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.00 ‰ | 2.63 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 1,908 of 1,926 |
Economy
| Indicator | Costești | Vâlcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 27.3 ‰ | 38.4 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 1,758 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.00 ‰ | 2.63 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 1,660 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Costești | Vâlcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 171 ‰ | 222 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 499 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 0.8% | 1.9% | 2.3% | ranked 2,620 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Costești | Vâlcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 1.7 nights | 5.2 | 0.4 | ranked 233 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 947 ‰ | 1,688 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 236 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 21.0 ‰ | 50.8 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 461 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Costești | Vâlcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 41.0 m³ | 35.3 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 633 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.79 km | 4.30 km | 4.05 km | ranked 415 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Costești | Vâlcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.67 ‰ | 2.20 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 947 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.67 ‰ | 0.53 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 531 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.67 ‰ | 0.80 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 599 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Costești | Vâlcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 118 ‰ | 127 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 750 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.3 per 10,000 inh. | 3.4 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,683 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Costești
Active businesses in the business register with a recorded activity, by section and by activity (NACE Rev. 2). Only activities with at least 3 businesses are shown.
By industry section
- Wholesale and retail trade32 · 18.3%
- Transport and storage30 · 17.1%
- Manufacturing24 · 13.7%
- Administrative and support services21 · 12.0%
- Accommodation and food services16 · 9.1%
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing13 · 7.4%
- Construction13 · 7.4%
- Arts, entertainment and recreation9 · 5.1%
Most common activities
- Land transport and transport via pipelines28 · 16.0%
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)24 · 13.7%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)21 · 12.0%
- Warehousing and transport support activities14 · 8.0%
- Food and beverage service activities13 · 7.4%
- Specialised construction activities12 · 6.9%
- Forestry and logging11 · 6.3%
- Manufacture of wood and wood products (except furniture)11 · 6.3%
- Rental and leasing activities11 · 6.3%
- Accommodation10 · 5.7%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Costești?
Costești has 3,003 residents (2026), ranking 1,585 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Costești?
Costești covers 109.6 km², with a density of 27 people per km².
Is the population of Costești growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Costești went from 3,235 to 3,003, a change of −7.2%.
Where is Costești?
Costești is in Vâlcea County. Latitude 45.150, longitude 24.067.
Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Costești?
In Costești, “Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 0.00 ‰ (2025), ranking 1,908 of 1,926 localities; the national median is 1.30 ‰.
Live births per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Costești?
In Costești, “Live births per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 3.3 ‰ (2025), ranking 3,004 of 3,157 localities; the national median is 6.9 ‰.
Which localities border Costești?
The nearest to Costești are Bărbătești (4.9 km), Horezu (5.9 km), Pietrari (6.5 km), Tomșani (6.6 km), Măldărești (6.9 km).