- The two main choices Hsinchu City (新竹市), especially East District (東區), and Zhubei City (竹北市) in Hsinchu County, across the Touqian River (頭前溪).
- Other realistic options Zhudong (竹東), Baoshan (寶山), Hukou (湖口), Xinfeng (新豐) and Xiangshan (香山), for particular jobs, budgets or lifestyles.
- What decides it Which park or office you work at, which school, whether you'll drive, and whether anyone at home needs to walk to daily life.
Short answer
Working in the main Science Park with a short commute as the priority: East District, around Guanpu, Jinshan or Guangfu. Family, newer tower living, HSR to Taipei: Zhubei, in the HSR district or near the county hall. Want an older, walkable centre with food on every street: North District and the old city. On a budget or working near Zhudong, Hukou or Xinfeng: look there first.
Most people moving here for work end up deciding between the same two places, and both are good answers for someone. The honest version is this: Zhubei is easy, newer and built for cars and families; Hsinchu City is older, closer to the park and the universities, and has more street life. The rest of this page is how to work out which one is yours.
Step 1: pin down where you're actually going every day
"The Science Park" is not one place. The main Hsinchu Science Park straddles East District of Hsinchu City and Baoshan in Hsinchu County, and the bureau that runs it also manages other sites, including the biomedical park next to the HSR station in Zhubei. Other employers are in industrial parks to the north, or in offices in the city or Zhubei. Get the actual gate address, then try the drive or bus at the hour you'll do it. → Commuting to the Science Park
Then add the school run. If you have kids at an international or bilingual school, the school's location and its bus routes can matter as much as your office. → Families and schools
Hsinchu City: East District
East District is the Science Park side of the city, home to the main park, both big universities (National Tsing Hua University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University) and a lot of the city's newer housing. If a short commute to the main park is your priority, start here.
- Guanpu (關埔): a newer planned district right against the park, with towers and wide streets. Popular with park families who want the shortest commute. Fewer older shops and markets than the centre.
- Jinshan (金山): the streets along the park's edge, a mix of newer buildings and older low-rise, with plenty of everyday restaurants that serve the park's lunch and dinner crowd.
- Guangfu (光復) and the university area: along Guangfu Road between the two universities. More student life, cheaper food, older apartments, and buses toward the centre. Good for singles, couples and university staff.
Who it suits: people working in the main park who'd rather not cross a river every morning; academics; anyone who wants to scooter or cycle to work. Watch for: the roads into the park jam at shift times, so "close" can still mean slow; and parking near the universities is tight. → East District in detail
Hsinchu City: North District and the old city
The old centre around the City God Temple, the old moat and Hsinchu TRA Station is the most walkable part of Hsinchu: older buildings, markets, night food, small shops and the train to Taipei. You can live here without a car if your work is reachable by bus, train or a short scooter ride.
Who it suits: singles and couples who want street life; people who work in the city rather than the park; anyone who'd use the TRA a lot. Watch for: older walk-up apartments without elevators or parking, narrow streets and more noise. → The old city
Zhubei: the HSR district (高鐵特區)
The area around Hsinchu HSR Station in Liujia (六家) grew up after the station opened: tall residential towers with guards, gyms and underground parking, big supermarkets and malls, and the station on your doorstep for Taipei. The TRA Liujia Line runs from here to Hsinchu TRA Station, and buses run to the Science Park and the universities.
Who it suits: families who want new, managed buildings; households where one person goes to Taipei or Taoyuan regularly; people working at the biomedical park by the station. Watch for: it's spread out and built around the car; a tower flat with parking comes with a monthly management fee and often a separate parking charge. → The HSR station
Zhubei: the county-hall area (縣治) and old Zhubei
Between the HSR district and the old town, the area around the Hsinchu County Government (縣治) is the other big block of newer towers, schools and parks, with shops and restaurants along the main roads. Old Zhubei, near TRA Zhubei Station on the main line, is older and cheaper, with traditional markets and low-rise streets. The 5900 shuttle bus links the HSR station, the county government and TRA Zhubei Station.
Who it suits: families who want Zhubei's schools and parks without paying for a tower next to the station; people who want a market and a mix of old and new. Watch for: to reach the main park you cross the Touqian River, and the bridges bunch up at rush hour. → Zhubei in detail
The other realistic areas
- Zhudong (竹東): a Hakka town east of the park, on the TRA Neiwan Line, with markets, older housing and the hills close by. Worth a look if you work on the park's eastern side or want more space for less.
- Baoshan (寶山): part of the main park sits in Baoshan, and the township beyond it is rural and hilly. Quiet, green, and you'll drive for everything.
- Hukou (湖口) and Xinfeng (新豐): north of Zhubei, near industrial parks and the coast, with TRA stations on the main line. Makes sense if your job is up there; a long way from the main park.
- Xiangshan (香山): Hsinchu City's southern district along the coast, with the wetlands and cycle paths, quieter streets and the TRA. Check the drive to your gate before you fall for the sea air.
→ Zhudong, Baoshan, Hukou, Xinfeng and Xiangshan
Side by side
| East District | Old city (North District) | Zhubei HSR district | Zhubei county-hall and old town | Zhudong, Baoshan, Hukou, Xinfeng, Xiangshan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commute | Closest to the main park and universities; park roads jam at shift times | Bus, scooter or car to the park; TRA to Taipei | HSR on the doorstep; river crossing to the main park | River crossing to the main park; TRA Zhubei on the main line | Fine if you work nearby; long to the main park otherwise |
| Housing | Newer towers in Guanpu, mixed old and new elsewhere | Older walk-ups and low-rise, some newer buildings | Newer managed towers with parking | Towers near the county hall, older low-rise in the old town | More houses (透天厝) and older buildings, more space |
| Schools | Public schools plus the park's bilingual school nearby; check eligibility | Established public schools | Newer public schools; check catchments and seats | Newer and established public schools | Local public schools; long drives to most international schools |
| Errands | Plenty of daily shops and restaurants; a scooter or car for big shops | Most walkable: markets, shops, food | Big supermarkets and malls, mostly by car | Markets and shops on the main roads | Town centres and markets; a drive for big shops |
| Transport | Buses, YouBike, scooters; no metro | TRA, buses, YouBike | HSR, TRA Liujia Line, buses to the park | TRA Zhubei, the 5900 shuttle, buses | TRA in Zhudong, Hukou, Xinfeng and Xiangshan; a car helps |
| Weekends | Hills at Shibajianshan and Qingcaohu close by | Old city food, the moat park, night market | Malls, parks, easy drive to the coast | Parks, the coast, Hakka towns by car | Closest to the mountains (Zhudong) or the coast (Xiangshan, Xinfeng) |
How to choose
- Drive or ride your commute at rush hour from two or three candidate areas before you sign anything.
- If you have children, check the school first, then look at homes on its bus route or within an easy drive.
- Ask who in the household doesn't drive, and make sure they can walk or bus to groceries, a park and a clinic.
- If anyone goes to Taipei often, weigh the HSR (Zhubei) against the TRA (old city, Zhubei old town).
- Decide if you want a managed tower (fees, parking, guards) or an older building (cheaper, fewer services).
- Rent for a year before you commit to buying. → Renting in Hsinchu
Good to know: book a short stay in the area you're leaning toward and do a normal weekday from there: school run, commute, a grocery shop, dinner. It tells you more than any listing. → Where to stay while house-hunting
→ Hsinchu City vs Zhubei · Renting · Hsinchu or Taipei?
Sources: Taiwan High Speed Rail, Hsinchu Station (Liujia Line, 5900 shuttle, bus routes); Hsinchu Science Park Bureau; Hsinchu City Government; Hsinchu County Government. Checked November 2026.