Living in Uster

In Uster, unemployment is 1.7% (2022).

The resident counts list 27,333 Swiss permanent residents and 165 non-permanent residents at the end of 2024. The population of Uster, in Switzerland, was 36,563 at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-09-2432 sources

Population36,563people31 Dec 2024Official source · Switzerland official denominator source

Median gross salary (region)7,875EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch

Average net rent22.36EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2024Regional figureOfficial source · Loyer moyen par m2 en francs selon le nombre de pièces, par canton (mean rent per m2 in CHF by number of rooms and canton)

Unemployment rate1.7%country median 2.3% — 26% belowOfficial source · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO

Recorded crime6,509incidents per 100,000country median 11,440 — 43% belowOfficial source · Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik 2025 by municipality and legal statute

PM2.5, annual mean7.18µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · Annual AQ statistics (AirBase & e-Reporting merged)

Lower unemployment than 74% of Swiss cities that publish it and cleaner air than 88% of Swiss cities that publish it.

Which Switzerland-wide rules apply when you move to Uster?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in SwitzerlandNational rates and thresholds that apply in Uster.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€71

Mobile plan, 10 GB€56

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	70.68 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Swisscom blue Internet S¹⁶Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	56.03 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Salt Swiss 10GB¹²Official · national market
Average net rent (nettokalt)	22.36 EUR/m²/month	31 Dec 2024	Loyer moyen par m2 en francs selon le nombre de pièces, par canton (mean rent per m2 in CHF by number of rooms and canton)⁶Official · regional context

Is Uster a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–74%

Skilled employee70%strong on work, weak on education · range 60–80%

Student38%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 27–49%

Family51%strong on family, weak on education · range 41–61%

Retirement32%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 20–44%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Uster?

The unemployment rate is 1.7 % (2022). Source: Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO²

Unemployment across cities in SwitzerlandUnemployment in Uster is 1.7%. Of 176 cities with data, 52 have unemployment of 2 to under 3%.

0–11–22–33–44–55–66–78–99–1011–12

Uster 1.7%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary (regional)	7,875 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch²³Official
Unemployment rate	1.7 %country median 2.3%	31 Dec 2022	Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO²Official

What does a salary buy in Uster?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€5,081of €6,549 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€6,549
Rent, 60 m²€22.36/m² · official · Loyer moyen par m2 en francs selon le nombre de pièces, par canton (mean rent per m2 in CHF by number of rooms and canton) · 2024-12-31	− €1,342
Internet€71 · official · Swisscom blue Internet S · 2026-09-30	− €71
Mobile plan€56 · official · Salt Swiss 10GB · 2026-09-30	− €56
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€5,081

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Uster Salary needed to live in Uster

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Uster. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

arbeit.swiss — Public employment service

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs / public employment service

Job SearchCareer Counselling

Open the Switzerland service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Uster. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Uster?

Police recorded about 6,509 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik 2025 by municipality and legal statute¹¹

Recorded crime across major citiesUster highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Solothurn25,779

Bern20,196

Interlaken18,896

Olten15,369

Kloten13,097

St. Gallen9,783

Winterthur7,988

Muri bei Bern5,389

Wetzikon (ZH)4,048

Küsnacht (ZH)3,718

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	6,509 incidents per 100,000country median 11,440	31 Dec 2025	Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik 2025 by municipality and legal statute¹¹Official

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	137 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁸Official
Nearest airport	ZRH	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁹Official
Distance to nearest airport	18 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁹Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Uster. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Cantonal integration programmes — Newcomer Adaptation

SEM and cantons

For migrants, refugees.

German, French, ItalianIn Person

Open official information

fide language promotion system — State Language Course

State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)

For adult migrants.

German, French, ItalianIn Person, Online

Open official information

Open the full Switzerland section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Uster.

Find courses near Uster

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Uster?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 7.18 µg/m³ · Annual AQ statistics (AirBase & e-Reporting merged)¹

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

4°-1°

5°-1°

10°2°

15°5°

19°9°

22°13°

24°14°

19°11°

14°7°

8°2°

4°0°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

128

126

119

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

144

178

192

207

229

216

164

109

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.57.2WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in SwitzerlandAnnual PM2.5 in Uster is 7.2 µg/m³. Of 43 cities with data, 12 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

2–36–77–88–99–1010–1116–1717–18

Uster 7.2

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	7.18 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	Annual AQ statistics (AirBase & e-Reporting merged)¹Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by month	Jan 3.5 · Feb 5.2 · Mar 10.2 · Apr 14.8 · May 18.8 · Jun 22.4 · Jul 24.3 · Aug 23.9 · Sep 19.1 · Oct 13.8 · Nov 7.6 · Dec 4 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁸Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan -1.4 · Feb -1.2 · Mar 1.9 · Apr 5.1 · May 9 · Jun 12.6 · Jul 14.4 · Aug 14.3 · Sep 10.7 · Oct 7.1 · Nov 2.5 · Dec -0.5 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁹Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 0.9 · Feb 1.8 · Mar 5.8 · Apr 9.6 · May 13.6 · Jun 17.1 · Jul 19 · Aug 18.6 · Sep 14.4 · Oct 10 · Nov 4.9 · Dec 1.7 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI²⁰Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 63 · Feb 60.3 · Mar 71.2 · Apr 80.4 · May 128.2 · Jun 127.6 · Jul 126 · Aug 119.1 · Sep 87.4 · Oct 85.2 · Nov 76.1 · Dec 83.4 mm	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI²¹Official
Average sunshine by month	Jan 59.7 · Feb 88.6 · Mar 143.8 · Apr 177.5 · May 191.7 · Jun 207.3 · Jul 229.4 · Aug 215.7 · Sep 164.1 · Oct 108.7 · Nov 60.7 · Dec 47.1 hours	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI²²Official

Similar climate. In Switzerland: Winterthur ±1.0 °C. Elsewhere: Berlin (Germany) ±0.7 °C, Cottbus (Germany) ±0.9 °C, Traunreut (Germany) ±0.9 °C, Traunstein (Germany) ±0.9 °C, Trostberg (Germany) ±0.9 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

The city covered 28.5 km² in 2016.

How many people live in Uster?

The published population was 36,563 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source¹⁷

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport74.8%
Foreign residents25.2%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Cars per 1,000 residents	447.8 cars/1000 residents	31 Dec 2024	Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS¹⁵Official
City area	28.5 km²	2016	Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2016, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km².⁴Official
Foreign non-permanent residents	165 people	31 Dec 2024	Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024¹⁰Official
Foreign residents	9,230 people	31 Dec 2024	Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.¹³Official
Non-permanent residents	165 people	31 Dec 2024	Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024¹⁰Official
Population density	1,283 people/km²	31 Dec 2024	Reproducible density from BFS STATPOP permanent population at 31.12.2024 divided by the exact official BFS municipality area denominator (2013-2018; FJ=2016; area observed_at=2016).⁴Official
Population	36,563 people	31 Dec 2024	Switzerland official denominator source¹⁷Official
Swiss non-permanent residents	0 people	31 Dec 2024	Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024¹⁰Official
Swiss permanent residents	27,333 people	31 Dec 2024	Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024¹⁰Official

International community in Uster

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Non-permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published group	People	Share
Place of birth - total	176	100.0%
Abroad	172	97.7%
In Switzerland	4	2.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁴

Country of birth

Permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published group	People	Share
Place of birth - total	37,031	100.0%
In Switzerland	25,209	68.1%
Abroad	11,822	31.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁴

Citizenship

Non-permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published group	People	Share
Citizenship - total	176	100.0%
Ukraine	24	13.6%
Italy	20	11.4%
Spain	19	10.8%
Afghanistan	15	8.5%
Germany	13	7.4%
Somalia	11	6.3%
Japan	9	5.1%
Romania	8	4.5%
Poland	6	3.4%

Show 29 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Hungary	5	2.8%
Colombia	5	2.8%
China	5	2.8%
Ethiopia	4	2.3%
Congo (Kinshasa)	3	1.7%
Eritrea	3	1.7%
France	2	1.1%
Greece	2	1.1%
Portugal	2	1.1%
Belgium	1	0.6%
United Kingdom	1	0.6%
Netherlands	1	0.6%
Austria	1	0.6%
Sweden	1	0.6%
Türkiye	1	0.6%
Slovakia	1	0.6%
Czechia	1	0.6%
Croatia	1	0.6%
Slovenia	1	0.6%
Kosovo	1	0.6%
Ghana	1	0.6%
South Africa	1	0.6%
Brazil	1	0.6%
Chile	1	0.6%
United States	1	0.6%
India	1	0.6%
Israel	1	0.6%
Singapore	1	0.6%
Syria	1	0.6%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁴

Alternatives for people set on Uster

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Pfäffikon as an Uster alternative in the same region

5 km away, better on 2 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,965 Pfäffikon vs 6,509 Uster−24%
Residents: 12,750 Pfäffikon vs 36,563 Uster−65%
Unemployment: 1.5% Pfäffikon vs 1.7% Uster−12%
Nearest airport: 21.0 km Pfäffikon vs 18.0 km Uster+17%
Rent: €22.36/m² Pfäffikon vs €22.36/m² Ustersame level
Median gross pay, region: €7,875 Pfäffikon vs €7,875 Ustersame level
Annual PM2.5: 7.2 µg/m³ Pfäffikon vs 7.2 µg/m³ Ustersame level

Full comparison More about Pfäffikon

Bern as an Uster alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 106 km, better on 1 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Residents: 137,995 Bern vs 36,563 Uster+277%
Rent: €18.05/m² (2021) Bern vs €22.36/m² (2024) Usterno percentage
Nearest airport: 6.0 km Bern vs 18.0 km Uster−67%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 20,196 Bern vs 6,509 Usterno percentage
Median gross pay, region: €7,310 Bern vs €7,875 Uster−7%

Full comparison More about Bern

Cities near Uster

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Zürich Commuting Zone · 13.7 km away

Rent: 26.18 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2026-04-01

Winterthur Commuting Zone · 16.7 km away

Rent: 17.9 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31

Alternative cities in Switzerland

Other cities in Switzerland to compare with Uster, nearest in population first.

All Switzerland cities

Sion37,154 residents Lancy37,259 residents La Chaux-de-Fonds37,600 residents Vernier37,837 residents Schaffhausen38,964 residents Fribourg39,151 residents

How does Uster compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Uster's.

Open the full comparison

Uster in rankings

#8 of 30 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Switzerland #9 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in Switzerland #15 of 30 in Safest cities in Switzerland by recorded crime #22 of 30 in Largest cities in Switzerland

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Uster under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 4 to 15, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Einführungsklassen / integrative DaZ-Sprachförderung (per canton). How to enrol a child (edk.ch).

A country-wide rule for Switzerland; Uster's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Is Uster part of Winterthur?

Uster is in the published commuting zone of Winterthur; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Winterthur city profile

Relationship type: Commuting Zone Of. Source⁵

Put Uster's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Uster?

The published population was 36,563 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Uster?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Annual AQ statistics (AirBase & e-Reporting merged).

How safe is Uster?

What is the unemployment rate in Uster?

The unemployment rate is 1.7 % (2022). Source: Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO.

What is the typical salary around Uster?

The median gross salary is 7,875 EUR/month. Source: www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch.

Is Uster a good place to live?

Uster may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Is Uster part of Winterthur?

Uster is in the published commuting zone of Winterthur; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub.

Which cities are near Uster?

Zürich, Winterthur, Greifensee, Maur, Fehraltorf are near Uster. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Place of birth - total live in Uster?

The official country of birth distribution records 176 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2025-12-31. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Uster, Switzerland: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 49b0f302d1b60ef9e09df8adfe3ef038]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/0198-uster/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_uster-switzerland-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_20ae26c47bb1,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Uster, Switzerland: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {49b0f302d1b60ef9e09df8adfe3ef038},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/0198-uster/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Uster, Switzerland: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/0198-uster/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 49b0f302d1b60ef9e09df8adfe3ef038; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Annual AQ statistics (AirBase & e-Reporting merged) discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-23
Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO dam-api.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-04
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-27
Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2016, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km². disseminate.stats.swiss · checked 2026-07-15
GISCO Urban Audit 2021 — Functional Urban Areas (URAU_RG_100K_2021_4326_FUA) GISCO Urban Audit 2021 · gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-19
Loyer moyen par m2 en francs selon le nombre de pièces, par canton (mean rent per m2 in CHF by number of rooms and canton) dam-api.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-09-24
Mietpreise in der Stadt Zürich (MPE Abfragetool), 2026-04 data.stadt-zuerich.ch · checked 2026-10-11
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024 pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-18

Show 22 more sources

Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik 2025 by municipality and legal statute daten.statistik.zh.ch · checked 2026-09-24
Salt Swiss 10GB salt.ch · checked 2026-09-15
Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024. pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2024-12-31
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-30
Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-08
Swisscom blue Internet S swisscom.ch · checked 2026-09-15
Switzerland official denominator source pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-14
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-27
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.