New Build Property in Ma'alot-Tarshiha: Developments & Areas 2026

Ma'alot-Tarshiha is a twin city in the Upper Galilee, born in 1963 from the merger of Tarshiha, an ancient Arab locality, and Ma'alot, a development town founded in 1957. Granted city status in 1996, it has 23,042 residents according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS, 2024) and sits about 600 metres above sea level, some twenty kilometres east of Nahariya. Its two poles, its wooded hills, its proximity to the Tefen industrial zone and its new development Upper Ma'alot make it a distinctive address in northern Israel.

Panoramic view of Ma'alot-Tarshiha

Population: 23,042

Why invest in Ma'alot-Tarshiha

Ma'alot-Tarshiha is one of the most distinctive cities in northern Israel: two histories, two architectures and two communities brought together in a single municipality. Tarshiha is an ancient locality, with roots going back to the Crusades and the Ottoman era, with its old town, its Church of St George and its Sheikh Abd Allah Pasha Mosque. Ma'alot, founded in 1957 as a development town, grew on the neighbouring hills and received, in the 1990s, a large aliyah from the former Soviet Union. The two localities merged in 1963, and the whole was granted city status in 1996. The population of 23,042 (CBS, 2024) is 77.4% Jewish and others and 22.6% Arab.

Buying in Ma'alot-Tarshiha means choosing between two atmospheres, sometimes on the same day. In Ma'alot, there are quiet residential neighbourhoods, houses with gardens, recent buildings and views over the hills of the Upper Galilee. In Tarshiha, there are ancient lanes, stone houses, local shops and a preserved village life. This duality is an asset for the buyer: you can find a family apartment, a detached house or, in new builds, a home in the Upper Ma'alot development, the IsraelStart catalogue project in the city, presented on its dedicated page. Prices, however, are shown nowhere on this page: no reliable and recent public source supports a price per square metre, a yield or a growth figure for Ma'alot-Tarshiha, and the figures previously shown on the site — a price per square metre, a yield and a change — were unsourced. They have been removed. The recommended approach is to compare recent properties by type and by pole, Ma'alot or Tarshiha, then to frame financing with the city budget simulator.

Daily life is shaped by altitude and nature. At about 600 metres, the city enjoys cooler air than the coast in summer and more marked winters, with Upper Galilee forests and trails within reach. Roads 89 to Nahariya and 85 to Acre link the city to the coast and the main northern routes. Local employment is structured by the nearby Tefen industrial zone, home notably to the Iscar plant, founded by Stef Wertheimer, one of the great names of Israeli industry. This proximity makes Ma'alot-Tarshiha a city where you can live and work without commuting daily to the country's metropolitan centres.

In terms of services, the city has schools, kindergartens, local shops and municipal facilities, including the Ma'alot yeshiva, a well-known educational institution in the religious world. For families, the school offering and neighbourhood life are concrete arguments, and the presence of a Russian-speaking community from the 1990s aliyah gives the city a particular dimension for buyers from the former Soviet Union, who find a familiar language and reference points there.

For a diaspora buyer or an oleh, Ma'alot-Tarshiha offers a different gateway from the big cities: an Upper Galilee setting, prices to be checked property by property for lack of a public benchmark, and full guidance. IsraelStart's personalised search helps target an apartment or a house, resale or new — notably the Upper Ma'alot development —, compare the city's two poles and organise viewings without travelling for every property. For taxation, notably the purchase tax (Mas Rechisha), whose brackets change and are debated among specialists, the legal guide and the taxes and fees simulator give the up-to-date framework, with no fixed figure frozen into this page.

  • Two atmospheres for a single purchase: A modern apartment in Ma'alot or a stone house in Tarshiha: the city offers two ways of living in the Upper Galilee. It is a rare diversity in Israel, letting every buyer find their setting without changing city.
  • Living and working in the north: With the Tefen zone close by and roads to the coast, Ma'alot-Tarshiha lets you combine life in the Upper Galilee with professional activity in northern industry, without daily commutes to the centre of the country.
  • A well-established Russian-speaking community: The 1990s aliyah left a large, well-established Russian-speaking community. For a buyer from the former Soviet Union, that is a concrete reference point: familiar language, shops and community life from day one.
  • The Upper Galilee as a garden: Forests, trails, fresh air and views over the hills: Ma'alot-Tarshiha offers an Upper Galilee way of life some twenty kilometres from the coast, with Nahariya and its beaches as a weekend escape.

Key advantages

  • One city, two histories: Tarshiha, an ancient locality of the Crusades and the Ottoman era, and Ma'alot, a development town founded in 1957: merged in 1963, granted city status in 1996, they form a single municipality where two architectures, two rhythms and two communities live together. That is the signature of Ma'alot-Tarshiha.
  • At 600 metres, the air of the Upper Galilee: Set about 600 metres above sea level, the city enjoys cooler air than the coast in summer and Upper Galilee forests within reach. Wooded hills, trails and distant views are part of everyday life.
  • A new development in the catalogue: Upper Ma'alot: Upper Ma'alot is the new IsraelStart catalogue development in Ma'alot-Tarshiha. Its dedicated page presents the project, its property types and availability: it is the gateway to new builds in the city, to be compared with resale supply in both poles.
  • Tefen jobs within reach: The nearby Tefen industrial zone structures local employment, notably with the Iscar plant, founded by Stef Wertheimer. Living in Ma'alot-Tarshiha means being able to work in one of the great industrial hubs of the north without leaving the Upper Galilee.

Infrastructure & Transport

  • Roads 89 to Nahariya and 85 to Acre: Roads 89 and 85 link Ma'alot-Tarshiha to Nahariya, some twenty kilometres away, and to Acre. These are the two axes connecting the city to the coast and the main northern routes, by car and by bus.
  • Local shops and services: The city has local shops, supermarkets, banks and municipal services in both poles. For more specialised purchases, residents turn to Nahariya and the region's shopping centres.
  • Schools and the Ma'alot yeshiva: Ma'alot-Tarshiha has schools, kindergartens and youth facilities in both poles, as well as the Ma'alot yeshiva, a well-known educational institution. Families can educate their children locally, from kindergarten to high school.
  • Nature and trails of the Upper Galilee: Forests, hiking trails and viewpoints: the Upper Galilee surrounds the city and offers nature outings all year round, on foot or by bike, without driving to reach a green space.

Investment profile

  • A two-pole market, to be compared property by property: Ma'alot and Tarshiha are not the same market: property types, building age, atmosphere and demand differ from one pole to the other. The wise investor compares both, visits in person and checks the condition of the property and real rental demand, without relying on an average figure that would blend the two poles.
  • New and resale: Upper Ma'alot and personalised search: New builds are present with the Upper Ma'alot development, presented on its dedicated page, and resale dominates in both poles. IsraelStart's personalised search compares both segments, targets existing properties and alerts you as soon as a new project appears in the city or nearby, such as in Nahariya or Karmiel.
  • Tax: simulate before you buy: Purchase tax (Mas Rechisha) and related costs vary with the buyer's profile, the property price and residency status. Brackets change and are debated among specialists: before signing, simulate your exact case with IsraelStart's taxes and fees simulator and have it validated by a tax lawyer.

Neighborhoods of Ma'alot-Tarshiha

  • Ma'alot — town centre

  • Tarshiha — old town

  • Ma'alot residential neighbourhoods

  • Tefen zone surroundings

  • Northern Ma'alot

New build or resale in Ma'alot-Tarshiha

In Ma'alot-Tarshiha, you can compare the new developments listed in our catalogue or entrust us with the search for an existing property. The choice depends on your timeline, overall budget and target neighbourhood.

For resale, we define a brief with you — neighbourhood, number of rooms, mamad, lift, parking, outdoor space — then consult several sources and present an explained selection, with trade-offs and points to confirm.

Search in Ma'alot-Tarshiha Buying resale property: the guide

Frequently asked questions about Ma'alot-Tarshiha

What is the difference between Ma'alot and Tarshiha?

Ma'alot and Tarshiha are the two poles of the same city, merged in 1963. Tarshiha is an ancient Arab locality, with its old town, its Church of St George and its Sheikh Abd Allah Pasha Mosque. Ma'alot, founded in 1957 as a development town, is the modern residential pole. The whole became a city in 1996 and has 23,042 residents (CBS, 2024).

Are there new developments in Ma'alot-Tarshiha?

Yes: Upper Ma'alot is the new IsraelStart catalogue development in the city, with a dedicated page presenting the project and its availability. Resale supply remains significant in both poles, and personalised search compares new and resale, property by property.

What are prices in Ma'alot-Tarshiha?

No reliable and recent price per square metre is published for Ma'alot-Tarshiha: the figures previously shown on the site were unsourced and have been removed. The recommended approach is to compare recent properties by type and by pole, then to frame financing with the city budget simulator.

Where is Ma'alot-Tarshiha?

Ma'alot-Tarshiha is in the Upper Galilee, about 600 metres above sea level, some twenty kilometres east of Nahariya. It has 23,042 residents (CBS, 2024) and its coordinates are 33.01667° N, 35.27083° E.

How do I buy in Ma'alot-Tarshiha from abroad?

Start with a personalised search request to IsraelStart: budget, property type, Ma'alot or Tarshiha, new or resale. Advisors shortlist properties, organise viewings, check documents and guide the buyer through to signing. The city budget simulator and the diaspora buying guide help prepare financing and paperwork.

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