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Living in Sarnen

Sarnen is a city in Switzerland, with a population of 10,862 at the end of 2024. The resident counts list 8,938 Swiss permanent residents and 147 non-permanent residents at the end of 2024.

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

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 Sarnen.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Sarnen yet. Switzerland has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

17.7% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 1,924 people of 10,862 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in SwitzerlandUnemployment in Sarnen is 0.8%. Of 175 cities with data, 52 have unemployment of 2 to under 3%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Switzerland per band12 cities: 0% to under 1%120–1Sarnen 0.8%51 cities: 1% to under 2%511–252 cities: 2% to under 3%522–338 cities: 3% to under 4%383–415 cities: 4% to under 5%154–52 cities: 5% to under 6%25–62 cities: 6% to under 7%26–71 city: 8% to under 9%18–91 city: 9% to under 10%19–101 city: 11% to under 12%111–12

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)4,386 EUR/month31 Dec 2024www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch14Official
Unemployment rate0.8 %country median 2.3%31 Dec 2022Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO1Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Sarnen. 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 Sarnen. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Nearest airportBXO3 Aug 2026OurAirports3Official
Distance to nearest airport14 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports3Official

Language courses and integration

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

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Sarnen average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-10°0°10°20°JFMAMJJASOND13°-7°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sarnen average monthly precipitation, mm0459013518016415515016315316816316111199132173JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Sarnen average monthly sunshine, hours04590135180124132155156152146162165154159116106JFMAMJJASONDhours
MetricValuePeriodSource
Average daytime high by monthJan -0.8 · Feb -1.2 · Mar 0.6 · Apr 3.2 · May 7.1 · Jun 10.5 · Jul 12.6 · Aug 12.8 · Sep 9.6 · Oct 7.3 · Nov 2.7 · Dec 0.1 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI9Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -6.5 · Feb -7.1 · Mar -5.2 · Apr -2.5 · May 1.3 · Jun 4.8 · Jul 6.8 · Aug 7.2 · Sep 4 · Oct 1.4 · Nov -3 · Dec -5.6 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI10Official
Average temperature by monthJan -3.8 · Feb -4.4 · Mar -2.5 · Apr 0.1 · May 4 · Jun 7.5 · Jul 9.5 · Aug 9.8 · Sep 6.5 · Oct 4 · Nov -0.3 · Dec -2.9 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI11Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 164.3 · Feb 154.6 · Mar 149.8 · Apr 163.4 · May 152.8 · Jun 167.9 · Jul 163.3 · Aug 161.1 · Sep 110.5 · Oct 98.5 · Nov 131.7 · Dec 173 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI12Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 123.5 · Feb 131.6 · Mar 154.9 · Apr 156 · May 152.1 · Jun 146.4 · Jul 161.8 · Aug 164.9 · Sep 153.9 · Oct 158.9 · Nov 116.2 · Dec 106 hours31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official

Cities of a similar size in Switzerland

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Switzerland cities
Maur10,884 residentsLe Locle10,907 residentsVal de Bagnes10,907 residentsDavos10,774 residentsPayerne10,758 residentsLutry10,751 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Sarnen residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport82.3%Foreign residents17.7%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents616.9 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS7Official
City area73.16 km²2016Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2015-16, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km².2Official
Foreign Nonpermanent Resident Population Total147 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20244Official
Foreign residents1,924 people31 Dec 2024Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.5Official
Nonpermanent Resident Population Total147 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20244Official
Population density148.5 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=2015-16; area observed_at=2016).2Official
Population10,862 people31 Dec 2024Switzerland official denominator source8Official
Swiss Nonpermanent Resident Population Total0 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20244Official
Swiss Permanent Resident Population Total8,938 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20244Official

International community in Sarnen

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

Country of birth

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total10,906100.0%
In Switzerland8,61279.0%
Abroad2,29421.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source6

Country of birth

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total277100.0%
Abroad27699.6%
In Switzerland10.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source6

Citizenship

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Citizenship - total277100.0%
Eritrea5118.4%
Afghanistan4817.3%
Somalia4516.2%
Ukraine4215.2%
Ethiopia227.9%
Italy82.9%
Poland82.9%
Germany72.5%
Algeria51.8%
Show 26 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Türkiye41.4%
Congo (Kinshasa)31.1%
Sudan31.1%
Sri Lanka31.1%
Georgia31.1%
France20.7%
Portugal20.7%
Morocco20.7%
Iraq20.7%
No indication10.4%
Greece10.4%
Hungary10.4%
Slovakia10.4%
Croatia10.4%
Latvia10.4%
Côte d'Ivoire10.4%
Guinea10.4%
Kenya10.4%
Senegal10.4%
Egypt10.4%
South Sudan10.4%
Colombia10.4%
Iran10.4%
Jordan10.4%
Pakistan10.4%
Thailand10.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source6

Is Sarnen 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 air quality · range 53–75%
Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–74%
Student59%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 47–71%
Family64%strong on family, weak on safety · range 52–76%
Retirement55%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 41–69%
Foreign residents1,924 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.
Population10,862 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Switzerland official denominator source
Median gross salary (regional)4,386 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch
Unemployment rate0.8 %31 Dec 2022Official source · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO
Cars per 1,000 residents616.9 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Official source · Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS
City area73.16 km²2016Official source · Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2015-16, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km².
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Sarnen 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.

Common questions

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

What is the typical salary around Sarnen?

The median gross salary is 4,386 EUR/month. Source: www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch.

What is the unemployment rate in Sarnen?

The unemployment rate is 0.8 %. Source: Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO.

How many people live in Sarnen?

The published population is 10,862 people. Source: Switzerland official denominator source.

How many foreign residents live in Sarnen?

1,924 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024..

Is Sarnen a good place to live?

Sarnen 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.

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

The official country of birth distribution records 10,906 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, September 12). Sarnen, Switzerland: salary, jobs, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/sarnen/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sarnen-switzerland-salary-jobs-climate_9b02b8935ceb,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Sarnen, Switzerland: salary, jobs, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/sarnen/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Sarnen, Switzerland: salary, jobs, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/sarnen/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

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=2015-16, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km². disseminate.stats.swiss · checked 2026-07-15
  3. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024 pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-18
  5. Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024. pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2024-12-31
  6. Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-30
  7. Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-08
  8. Switzerland official denominator source pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-14
  9. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  10. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
Show 4 more sources
  1. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  2. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  3. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  4. www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-27

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.