Voluntari is a town in Ilfov County on Bucharest's north-eastern boundary. It had 30,016 residents in 2002 and 42,944 in 2011 (INS).
According to INS, Voluntari's housing stock rose from 24,149 homes at the end of 2021 to 28,270 at the end of 2025.
The 2025–2026 school network lists four state schools in Voluntari, all working two shifts a day, and more than 30 fee-paying units.
Voluntari: the short answer
Voluntari is a town (oraș) in Ilfov County, directly on Bucharest's north-eastern boundary. According to the 2021 census of the National Institute of Statistics (INS), it has 47,366 residents, which makes it one of the largest localities around the capital. The residential part of Pipera, with its villas, gated communities and many private schools, belongs to Voluntari, not to Bucharest.
The town is growing fast. According to INS, 4,934 new homes were completed in Voluntari between 2021 and 2025, and the housing stock rose from 24,149 to 28,270 homes. At the same time, its state schools work in two shifts, the town has no public hospital, and traffic towards Bucharest is heavy at peak hours.
In plain words: Voluntari suits families whose daily life is already in Pipera or north-east Bucharest, provided they check the street, the school and the rush-hour route before they check the house.
Our Pipera guide explains the difference between office Pipera, inside Bucharest, and residential Pipera, in Voluntari. This guide looks at the whole town.
Voluntari in numbers
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Town (oraș), Ilfov County | INS |
| Residents, 2002 census | 30,016 | INS |
| Residents, 2011 census | 42,944 | INS |
| Residents, 2021 census | 47,366 | INS |
| Homes, end of 2021 | 24,149 | INS, TEMPO LOC101B |
| Homes, end of 2025 | 28,270 | INS, TEMPO LOC101B |
| New homes completed, 2021–2025 | 4,934 | INS, TEMPO LOC104B |
| State schools and high schools in the 2025–2026 network | 4, all in two shifts | Ministry of Education, school network |
Two things stand out. The population grew by about 10% between 2011 and 2021, much less than in the smaller communes further north. But construction did not slow down: in 2023 alone, 1,341 homes were completed in Voluntari, and 862 in 2025.
Two sides of one town
On a map, Voluntari looks like one place. On the ground, it feels like two.
The older side lies around Bulevardul Voluntari and Strada Dunării. This is where the town's state schools, its technological high school and its public transport company are based.
The Pipera side stretches along Bulevardul Pipera and the streets around it, next to Bucharest's Sector 2 and the office parks. Most of the fee-paying kindergartens and schools in the official register sit on these streets, together with gated communities and villas. Here the older business parks known as Pipera North are also in Voluntari. According to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox, they have the highest office vacancy in the Bucharest market. Our article on north Bucharest's business districts has the detail.
Why it matters: two homes in Voluntari can differ a lot in their schools, their bus line and their drive to work, even if both are "in Pipera" on the listing.
Schools: what the official register shows
The national school network for 2025–2026, published by the Ministry of Education on data.gov.ro, lists 45 units in Voluntari. Most are fee-paying.
| Type | State-funded | Fee-paying |
|---|---|---|
| Crèches | 1 (plus 2 sites) | 0 |
| Kindergartens | 2 (plus 1 site) | 17 (plus 1 play group) |
| Primary and middle schools | 3 | 11 |
| High schools | 1 (technological) | 6 |
The figures above count legal entities and, in brackets, extra sites that belong to them. Two practical points follow:
Two homes in Voluntari can differ a lot in their schools, their bus line and their drive to work, even if both are "in Pipera" on the listing.
- Every state school in Voluntari works in two shifts a day, according to the same register. For working parents, a timetable that starts early in the morning or ends late in the afternoon is a real factor.
- The large international schools are a separate world. Several of the best-known international schools operate in Voluntari but do not appear in the Ministry register above. Ask each school directly about places, fees and accreditation.
For nurseries and kindergartens across the north, see kindergartens and schools in north Bucharest.
Getting around: buses, metro and roads
Buses. Local and regional lines are run by Serviciul de Transport Voluntari (STV), a company founded by the Voluntari local council in 2002 that works under contract to the Bucharest-Ilfov transport association (TPBI). According to its website, it runs more than 200 buses. Lines 416, 449, 450 and 488 end at the Pipera metro station, and line 459 links the neighbouring commune of Tunari with Aurel Vlaicu metro station.
Metro. Voluntari has no metro station of its own. The nearest are Pipera and Aurel Vlaicu on line M2, just over the boundary in Bucharest. The M6 airport line, now under construction, runs further west, through Băneasa.
Works in 2026. Since 17 October 2026, STV lines 416, 450, 459 and 488 have been on a temporary diversion because of tram works on Bulevardul Dimitrie Pompeiu, on the Bucharest side of Pipera. Check the current route before you count on a line.
Roads. The main links into the city run through Pipera and Barbu Văcărescu, and both are congested at peak hours. The northern A0 ring motorway section between the DN1 and the DN2 is open and lets you go east or west around the city without crossing it.
What Voluntari does not have (yet)
- A public hospital. In March 2026, the Economic and Social Council (CES) gave a negative opinion on a bill to declare Voluntari a municipality, noting among other things that the town has no public hospital. Residents use hospitals in Bucharest.
- Municipality status. The bill (PL-x 151/2026) was in Parliament when the CES opinion was issued. We could not confirm its later status, so for now Voluntari remains a town.
- Clean winter air everywhere. According to the Ecopolis analysis of 2025 national monitoring data, the Voluntari station was among those with the highest fine particle values, and winter levels were roughly double those of summer. Our article on air quality in Bucharest and Ilfov explains how to read the data.
Voluntari and Balotești, side by side
Many buyers compare Voluntari with the communes north of the airport. Here are the facts from the same official sources.
| Voluntari | Balotești | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Town | Commune (3 villages) |
| Residents, 2021 | 47,366 | 11,210 |
| Change 2011–2021 | about +10% | about +35% |
| Homes, end of 2025 | 28,270 | 6,659 |
| New homes, 2021–2025 | 4,934 | 1,018 |
| State schools in the network | 4 | 2 (one of them a site) |
| Metro | M2 at the edge, in Bucharest | None; M6 will end at the airport |
Voluntari is denser and closer to the offices and schools of Pipera. Balotești, where we build Compass on the Lake, is smaller and quieter, with a longer drive into the city. Neither is "better": they answer different routines. Our Balotești guide covers the north side.
Before you buy in Voluntari: a checklist
- Confirm the local authority. Make sure the property is in Voluntari and not in Bucharest's Sector 2. The town sets its own property tax, planning rules and services.
- Read the land register extract. Check with ANCPI that the home and the land are registered and free of charges.
- Ask for the urbanism certificate (certificat de urbanism) of the plot next door. In a town that completes around 1,000 homes a year, an empty plot rarely stays empty.
- Check the street, not just the house. Is the access road paved and public? Are water, sewage and gas connected to the public networks?
- Drive the route at 8:00 and at 18:00. To work, to school, and to the metro.
- Check the school shift. If you count on a state school, ask which shift your child's class will be in.
- Hire an independent lawyer. The developer's lawyer represents the developer. Yours should check the title, the permit and the contract.
Frequently asked questions
Is Voluntari part of Bucharest?
No. Voluntari is a separate town in Ilfov County, with its own mayor, local council and taxes. It borders Bucharest's Sector 2, and part of the Pipera area belongs to it.
How many people live in Voluntari?
According to the INS 2021 census, 47,366 people. The town has grown from 30,016 in 2002 and 42,944 in 2011.
Is there a metro in Voluntari?
Not inside the town. The nearest stations are Pipera and Aurel Vlaicu on line M2, in Bucharest. Several STV bus lines from Voluntari end at Pipera metro station.
Are there state schools in Voluntari?
Yes. The 2025–2026 school network lists three state middle schools and one state technological high school, all working in two shifts. Most of the other 40-plus units in the town are fee-paying.
Is there a hospital in Voluntari?
There is no public hospital in Voluntari, as the Economic and Social Council noted in March 2026. Residents use hospitals in Bucharest, which is a short drive away outside peak hours.
The bottom line
Voluntari is not a quiet suburb and not a neighbourhood of Bucharest. It is a large, fast-growing town that sits where many families' schools and offices already are. For them, it can save hours every week. For people whose routine is elsewhere, the traffic, the busy state schools and the building sites around the corner weigh more.
If you are weighing Voluntari against the communes further north, book a half-hour call with me. We will go through your daily routes and the official figures together, even if you end up buying elsewhere.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: INS, 2021 census, resident population by locality (Table 1.22) · INS TEMPO Online, LOC101B and LOC104B: dwelling stock and completed dwellings by locality · Ministry of Education, school network 2025–2026 (data.gov.ro) · Serviciul de Transport Voluntari (STV) · Economic and Social Council, opinion on PL-x 151/2026, 18.03.2026 · City Population, Voluntari census series (INS data)
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Figures and rules are current as of 22 October 2026. Bus routes, school timetables and planning rules change; check them with the operator, the school and the town hall, and consult an independent lawyer before any transaction.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
