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Living in Olten

In Olten, unemployment is 2.2% (2022).

Olten is a city in Switzerland, with a population of 19,051 at the end of 2024. The resident counts list 12,951 Swiss permanent residents and 109 non-permanent residents at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-10-0227 sources

Population19,051people31 Dec 2024Official source · Switzerland official denominator source
Median gross salary (region)7,310EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch
Average net rent15.64EUR/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 rate2.2%country median 2.3% — 4% belowOfficial source · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO
Recorded crime15,369incidents per 100,000country median 11,440 — 34% aboveOfficial source · Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik Kanton Solothurn 2025

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

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 Olten.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Olten recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€71
Mobile plan, 10 GB€56
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited70.68 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Swisscom blue Internet S11Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB56.03 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Salt Swiss 10GB7Official · national market
Average net rent (nettokalt)15.64 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2024Loyer moyen par m2 en francs selon le nombre de pièces, par canton (mean rent per m2 in CHF by number of rooms and canton)3Official · regional context

Is Olten 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 worker63%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 53–73%
Skilled employee68%strong on work, weak on education · range 58–78%
Student36%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 25–47%
Family46%strong on family, weak on education · range 36–56%
Retirement47%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 35–59%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Olten?

The unemployment rate is 2.2 % (2022). Source: Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO1

Unemployment across cities in SwitzerlandUnemployment in Olten is 2.2%. Of 176 cities with data, 52 have unemployment of 2 to under 3%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)7,310 EUR/month31 Dec 2024www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch18Official
Unemployment rate2.2 %country median 2.3%31 Dec 2022Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO1Official

What does a salary buy in Olten?

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

regional median gross pay: €7,310 (pxweb.bfs.admin.ch, 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€5,048of €6,113 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.€6,113
Rent, 60 m²€15.64/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− €938
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€5,048
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Olten Salary needed to live in Olten

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Olten. 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
Register
Open the Switzerland service overview

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

Safety

How safe is Olten?

Police recorded about 15,369 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 Kanton Solothurn 20256

Recorded crime across major citiesOlten highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Olten highlighted

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
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents15,369 incidents per 100,000country median 11,44031 Dec 2025Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik Kanton Solothurn 20256Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Nearest airportEML3 Aug 2026OurAirports4Official
Distance to nearest airport42 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports4Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Olten. 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 Olten.

Find courses near Olten

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
MetricValuePeriodSource
Average daytime high by monthJan 3.5 · Feb 4.9 · Mar 9.4 · Apr 13.6 · May 17.5 · Jun 21.1 · Jul 23.3 · Aug 22.9 · Sep 18.3 · Oct 13.4 · Nov 7.6 · Dec 4.4 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -1.5 · Feb -1.1 · Mar 2 · Apr 5.1 · May 8.8 · Jun 12.4 · Jul 14.2 · Aug 14.2 · Sep 10.6 · Oct 7 · Nov 2.4 · Dec -0.6 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI14Official
Average temperature by monthJan 1 · Feb 1.8 · Mar 5.5 · Apr 9.2 · May 13 · Jun 16.6 · Jul 18.6 · Aug 18.3 · Sep 14.2 · Oct 10 · Nov 4.9 · Dec 1.8 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI15Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 54.5 · Feb 49.1 · Mar 58.3 · Apr 74.4 · May 111.2 · Jun 101.1 · Jul 108.3 · Aug 108.1 · Sep 82.3 · Oct 78.7 · Nov 73.4 · Dec 72.2 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI16Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 64 · Feb 85.8 · Mar 136.7 · Apr 169.2 · May 187.3 · Jun 210.3 · Jul 231.5 · Aug 213.9 · Sep 159.4 · Oct 103.6 · Nov 65.2 · Dec 55.2 hours31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI17Official

Similar climate. In Switzerland: Zürich ±0.4 °C. Elsewhere: Gentofte (Denmark) ±0.8 °C, Lyngby-Taarbæk (Denmark) ±0.8 °C, Rudersdal (Denmark) ±0.8 °C, Heide (Germany) ±0.9 °C, Meldorf (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

How many people live in Olten?

The published population was 19,051 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source12

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents410 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS10Official
City area11.45 km²2015Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2015, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km².2Official
Foreign non-permanent residents109 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20245Official
Foreign residents6,100 people31 Dec 2024Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.8Official
Non-permanent residents109 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20245Official
Population density1,664 people/km²31 Dec 2024Reproducible density from BFS STATPOP permanent population at 31.12.2024 divided by the exact official BFS municipality area denominator (2013-2018; FJ=2015; area observed_at=2015).2Official
Population19,051 people31 Dec 2024Switzerland official denominator source12Official
Swiss non-permanent residents0 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20245Official
Swiss permanent residents12,951 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20245Official

International community in Olten

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 groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total70100.0%
Abroad6795.7%
In Switzerland34.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9

Country of birth

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total19,265100.0%
In Switzerland12,88866.9%
Abroad6,37733.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9

Citizenship

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Citizenship - total70100.0%
India1825.7%
Germany1622.9%
Romania68.6%
Spain68.6%
Czechia45.7%
France34.3%
Italy34.3%
Bulgaria22.9%
Finland22.9%
Show 7 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Netherlands22.9%
Austria22.9%
Portugal22.9%
Greece11.4%
Poland11.4%
Hungary11.4%
Croatia11.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9

Alternatives for people set on Olten

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.

Luzern as an Olten alternative in the same region

45 km away, better on 2 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Residents: 86,234 Luzern vs 19,051 Olten+353%
  • Rent: €17.56/m² (2021) Luzern vs €15.64/m² (2024) Oltenno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 5.0 km Luzern vs 42.0 km Olten−88%
  • Unemployment: 1.7% Luzern vs 2.2% Olten−23%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 12,894 Luzern vs 15,369 Oltenno percentage
  • Median gross pay, region: €7,445 Luzern vs €7,310 Oltensame level
Full comparisonMore about Luzern

Winterthur as an Olten alternative in the same country

64 km away, better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Residents: 120,376 Winterthur vs 19,051 Olten+532%
  • Rent: €17.90/m² (2023) Winterthur vs €15.64/m² (2024) Oltenno percentage
  • Nearest airport: 14.0 km Winterthur vs 42.0 km Olten−67%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,988 Winterthur vs 15,369 Oltenno percentage
  • Unemployment: 1.9% Winterthur vs 2.2% Olten−14%
  • Median gross pay, region: €7,875 Winterthur vs €7,310 Olten+8%
Full comparisonMore about Winterthur

Cities near Olten

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

Alternative cities in Switzerland

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

All Switzerland cities
Monthey19,074 residentsOnex18,915 residentsGossau (SG)18,633 residentsGrenchen18,602 residentsPully19,538 residentsThalwil18,513 residents

How does Olten compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Olten 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; Olten's school authority applies it locally.

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

Put Olten'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 Olten?

The published population was 19,051 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source.

How safe is Olten?

Police recorded about 15,369 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 Kanton Solothurn 2025.

What is the unemployment rate in Olten?

The unemployment rate is 2.2 % (2022). Source: Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO.

What is the typical salary around Olten?

The median gross salary is 7,310 EUR/month. Source: www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch.

How many foreign residents live in Olten?

6,100 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024..

Is Olten a good place to live?

Olten 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.

Which cities are near Olten?

Trimbach, Dulliken, Wangen bei Olten, Aarburg, Oftringen are near Olten. 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 Olten?

The official country of birth distribution records 70 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). Olten, Switzerland: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 2f146f2f1949a649be9fb5411b3dc470]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/2581-olten/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_olten-switzerland-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_ba542b3fcc93,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Olten, Switzerland: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {2f146f2f1949a649be9fb5411b3dc470},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/2581-olten/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Olten, Switzerland: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/2581-olten/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 2f146f2f1949a649be9fb5411b3dc470; 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
  1. Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO dam-api.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-04
  2. Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2015, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km². disseminate.stats.swiss · checked 2026-07-15
  3. 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
  4. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  5. Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024 pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-18
  6. Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik Kanton Solothurn 2025 so.ch · checked 2026-09-28
  7. Salt Swiss 10GB salt.ch · checked 2026-09-15
  8. Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024. pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2024-12-31
  9. Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-30
  10. Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-08
Show 17 more sources
  1. Swisscom blue Internet S swisscom.ch · checked 2026-09-15
  2. Switzerland official denominator source pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-14
  3. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  4. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  5. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  6. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  7. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-27
  9. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  10. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  11. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  14. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  15. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  16. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  17. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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