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Living in Karlstad

In Karlstad, rents across existing tenancies average €10.89 per m² a month (2025) and unemployment is 11.6% (2024).

The city covered 1,174.9 km² in 2024. Population density was 84.3 people per km² in 2025. Car density was 474.8 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2025. In 2024, annual NO₂ was 13.3 µg/m³. The unemployment rate was 11.6% at the end of 2024. In 2024, annual PM2.5 was 5.67 µg/m³.

Last checked 2026-09-1922 sources

Population98,084people31 Dec 2024Official source · SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year.
Median gross salary (region)3,298EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · api.scb.se
Average net rent10.89EUR/m²/monthcountry median €9.83 — 11% aboveOfficial source · api.scb.se
Unemployment rate11.6%country median 10.6% — 9% aboveIndependent source · SCB labour-market variables by municipality, 2022–2024
Recorded crime9,960offences per 100,000country median 9,986 — about the sameOfficial source · Brå — reported offences by municipality, 2025
PM2.5, annual mean5.67µg/m³country median 5.1 — 12% aboveOfficial source · Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.

Pricier rent than 71% of Swedish cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 62% of Swedish cities that publish it and dirtier air than 70% of Swedish cities that publish it.

Which Sweden-wide rules apply when you move to Karlstad?

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 SwedenNational rates and thresholds that apply in Karlstad.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Karlstad?

Average net cold rent is about 10.89 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 10.89 EUR/m²/month · api.scb.se1
What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Karlstad recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€40
Mobile plan, 10 GB€22
Net rent across major citiesKarlstad highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Karlstad highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Stockholm€13.35
Malmö€13.04
Helsingborg€12.09
Karlstad€10.89
Örebro€7.00
Jönköping€6.88
Show the other 6 cities
Västerås€11.91
Gothenburg€11.83
Norrköping€11.42
Uppsala€7.85
Umeå€7.45
Linköping€7.38
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited39.96 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Telia 100 Mbps broadband19Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB22.16 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Tele2 mobile plan18Official · national market
Average net rent (nettokalt)10.89 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €9.8331 Dec 2025api.scb.se1Official

Is Karlstad 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 worker60%strong on work, weak on safety · range 52–68%
Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on education · range 52–70%
Student56%strong on cost, weak on education · range 46–66%
Family39%strong on housing, weak on education · range 30–48%
Retirement53%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 43–63%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 653 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 10.89 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2025

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Karlstad?

The unemployment rate is 11.6 % (2024). Source: SCB labour-market variables by municipality, 2022–202411

Unemployment across cities in SwedenUnemployment in Karlstad is 11.6%. Of 216 cities with data, 61 have unemployment of 8 to under 10%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
People in employment50,061 people31 Dec 2024Statistics Sweden (SCB)10Official
Employment rate80.1 %31 Dec 2024Statistics Sweden (SCB)11Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,298 EUR/month31 Dec 2025api.scb.se2Official
Unemployment rate11.6 %country median 10.6%31 Dec 2024SCB labour-market variables by municipality, 2022–202411Independent

What does a salary buy in Karlstad?

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

regional median gross pay: €3,298 (api.scb.se, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€1,908of €2,623 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.€2,623
Rent, 60 m²€10.89/m² · official · api.scb.se · 2025-12-31− €653
Internet€40 · official · Telia 100 Mbps broadband · 2026-09-30− €40
Mobile plan€22 · official · Tele2 mobile plan · 2026-09-30− €22
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€1,908
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Karlstad Salary needed to live in Karlstad

Public employment service

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

Country-level information

Arbetsförmedlingen — Public employment service

Swedish Public Employment Service

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the Sweden service overview

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

Safety

How safe is Karlstad?

Police recorded 9,960 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

  • Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 9,960 offences per 100,000 · Brå — reported offences by municipality, 20253
Recorded crime across major citiesKarlstad highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Karlstad highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Stockholm19,159
Malmö16,183
Helsingborg15,583
Västerås14,153
Örebro13,915
Gothenburg13,878
Norrköping12,832
Uppsala11,137
Linköping10,322
Karlstad9,960
Jönköping9,782
Umeå9,210
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,960 offences per 100,000country median 9,986 — about the same31 Dec 2025Brå — reported offences by municipality, 20253Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport2 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat7Official
Nearest airportKSD13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv8Official
Distance to nearest airport10.9 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv8Official

Language courses and integration

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

Country-level information

Municipal civic orientation for newly arrived residents — Civic Orientation

Swedish municipalities

For newly arrived residents with residence permits.

In Person, OnlineFree
Open official information

Swedish for immigrants (SFI) municipal adult education — State Language Course

Swedish municipalities under the national SFI framework

For persons over 16 eligible for SFI.

SwedishIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full Sweden section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Karlstad.

Find courses near Karlstad

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Karlstad?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.7 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: 5.67 µg/m³ · Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.4
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
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

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

PM2.5 across cities in SwedenAnnual PM2.5 in Karlstad is 5.7 µg/m³. Of 197 cities with data, 64 have annual PM2.5 of 4 to under 5 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean13.28 µg/m³country median 4.02024Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.4Official
NO₂ — latest reading5.86 µg/m³15 Jul 2026Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.4Official
PM10 — annual mean13.35 µg/m³country median 9.32024Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.4Official
PM2.5 — annual mean5.67 µg/m³country median 5.12024Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.4Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 0.2 · Feb 0.8 · Mar 4.7 · Apr 10.6 · May 16.1 · Jun 19.8 · Jul 22.1 · Aug 20.7 · Sep 16.1 · Oct 9.8 · Nov 4.6 · Dec 1.3 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlstad Flygplats21Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -5.3 · Feb -5.6 · Mar -3.2 · Apr 0.3 · May 4.9 · Jun 9.1 · Jul 11.7 · Aug 11 · Sep 7.3 · Oct 3.1 · Nov -0.3 · Dec -4.2 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlstad Flygplats21Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan -2 · Feb -2 · Mar 0.9 · Apr 5.8 · May 11.1 · Jun 15.1 · Jul 17.6 · Aug 16.5 · Sep 12.2 · Oct 6.9 · Nov 2.9 · Dec -0.7 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlstad Aut20Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 46.9 · Feb 36.5 · Mar 31.5 · Apr 39.1 · May 53.4 · Jun 61.3 · Jul 67 · Aug 83.5 · Sep 63.6 · Oct 69.7 · Nov 63.9 · Dec 54.8 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlstad Flygplats21Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 48.7 · Feb 78.2 · Mar 160 · Apr 208 · May 267 · Jun 274.1 · Jul 273.7 · Aug 225.1 · Sep 166.6 · Oct 100 · Nov 46.9 · Dec 38 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlstad Sol22Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Sweden: Jönköping ±0.5 °C. Elsewhere: Tartu linn (Estonia) ±1.0 °C, Vantaa (Finland) ±1.1 °C, Turku (Finland) ±0.8 °C, Espoo (Finland) ±1.2 °C, Pärnu (Estonia) ±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 Karlstad?

The published population was 98,084 people in 2024. Source: SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year.9

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area1,175 km²31 Dec 2025Statistics Sweden (SCB)12Official
Cars per 1,000 residents474.8 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2025Official vehicles-in-use table: Fordonsslag=10 is passenger cars, stock at the last month of 2025; divided by official SCB population at 31 December 2025.6Official
City area1,175 km²1 Jan 2024SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year.9Official
Foreign-resident share5.03 %31 Dec 2025Statistics Sweden (SCB)13Official
Foreign residents4,982 people31 Dec 2025Official number of foreign citizens at municipality grain, all ages and all sexes, reference 31 December 2025.5Official
Population density84.3 people/km²31 Dec 2025Official SCB population density per square kilometre at municipality grain. SCB states that it uses the population figure at 31 December with the following 1 January land-area figure.9Official
Female residents49,871 people31 Dec 2025Statistics Sweden (SCB)15Official
Male residents49,871 people31 Dec 2025Statistics Sweden (SCB)15Official
Population98,084 people31 Dec 2024SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year.9Official

International community in Karlstad

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

Country of birth

Registered population by municipality and country of birth; total sex · 2024

Published groupPeopleShare
All birth countries98,084100.0%
Sweden83,41185.0%
Syrian Arab Republic1,7871.8%
Iraq1,4981.5%
Norway8790.9%
Afghanistan8500.9%
Iran (Islamic Republic of)7820.8%
Finland5110.5%
Türkiye4320.4%
Thailand3970.4%
Show 95 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Poland3950.4%
Somalia3760.4%
Germany3680.4%
Bosnia and Herzegovina3620.4%
Yugoslavia3000.3%
Ukraine2850.3%
Eritrea2500.3%
India2200.2%
other countries2120.2%
China1960.2%
United Kingdom1860.2%
Kingdom of the Netherlands 1800.2%
Russian Federation1760.2%
United States of America1670.2%
Philippines1520.2%
Lithuania1380.1%
Romania1310.1%
Pakistan1240.1%
Denmark1200.1%
Chile1190.1%
Greece1180.1%
Morocco1080.1%
Lebanon1020.1%
Serbia1000.1%
Brazil970.1%
Korea, Republic of Korea950.1%
Colombia930.1%
Viet Nam890.1%
Ethiopia760.1%
Democratic Republic of the Congo750.1%
Hungary750.1%
Sri Lanka720.1%
Sudan720.1%
Bangladesh690.1%
Latvia650.1%
Yemen650.1%
Tunisia640.1%
Saudi Arabia630.1%
Italy620.1%
Austria590.1%
Bulgaria570.1%
Estonia570.1%
Spain570.1%
Palestinian territory, occupied520.1%
Croatia490.0%
Egypt480.0%
Kosovo480.0%
France450.0%
Canada430.0%
Serbia and Montenegro420.0%
Kenya410.0%
Burundi400.0%
Iceland390.0%
Nigeria370.0%
Albania360.0%
Armenia350.0%
Australia320.0%
Azerbaijan300.0%
Switzerland300.0%
Kuwait300.0%
Uzbekistan300.0%
United Arab Emirates290.0%
Jordan290.0%
South Africa290.0%
Ecuador270.0%
Belgium260.0%
Soviet Union250.0%
Algeria230.0%
Mongolia220.0%
Indonesia210.0%
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya210.0%
Bolivia180.0%
Czech Republic180.0%
Tanzania, United Republic of180.0%
Cameroon170.0%
Mexico170.0%
Belarus160.0%
North Macedonia150.0%
Nepal150.0%
Czechoslovakia150.0%
Gambia140.0%
Ireland140.0%
Israel140.0%
Zambia140.0%
Dominican Republic130.0%
Kazakhstan130.0%
Argentina120.0%
Japan120.0%
El Salvador120.0%
Cuba110.0%
Malaysia110.0%
Uganda110.0%
Venezuela110.0%
New Zealand100.0%
unknown country of birth100.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source17

Citizenship

Registered population by municipality and citizenship; total sex · 2024

Published groupPeopleShare
total98,084100.0%
Swedish93,16295.0%
Rest of the world incl. Stateless and unknown2,5752.6%
European citizenship except Swedish2,3472.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source16

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households50,538 households31 Dec 2024Statistics Sweden (SCB)14Official

Alternatives for people set on Karlstad

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.

Solna as a Karlstad alternative in the same country

Better on 5 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Foreign residents: 16.2% Solna vs 5.0% Karlstad+222%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 14,413 Solna vs 9,960 Karlstad+45%
  • Rent: €12.51/m² Solna vs €10.89/m² Karlstad+15%
  • Unemployment: 9.0% Solna vs 11.6% Karlstad−22%
  • Nearest airport: 4.5 km Solna vs 10.9 km Karlstad−59%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,651 Solna vs €3,298 Karlstad+11%
  • Annual PM2.5: 4.8 µg/m³ Solna vs 5.7 µg/m³ Karlstad−15%
Full comparisonMore about Solna

Alternative cities in Sweden

Other cities in Sweden to compare with Karlstad, nearest in population first.

All Sweden cities
Växjö98,334 residentsSundsvall99,048 residentsBotkyrka95,905 residentsHaninge100,895 residentsSödertälje102,911 residentsGävle103,838 residents

How does Karlstad compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Karlstad in rankings

#23 of 30 in Largest cities in Sweden

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Karlstad when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

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 6 to 16, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: förberedelseklass (reception class) + språkförskola (special language preschool). How to enrol a child (skolverket.se).

A country-wide rule for Sweden; Karlstad's school authority applies it locally.

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

Put Karlstad'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 Karlstad?

The published population was 98,084 people in 2024. Source: SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year..

How much does it cost to rent in Karlstad?

Average net cold rent is about 10.89 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 762 EUR a month before utilities. Source: api.scb.se.

Is the air quality good in Karlstad?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate..

How safe is Karlstad?

Police recorded 9,960 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Brå — reported offences by municipality, 2025.

What is the unemployment rate in Karlstad?

The unemployment rate is 11.6 % (2024). Source: SCB labour-market variables by municipality, 2022–2024.

What is the typical salary around Karlstad?

The median gross salary is 3,298 EUR/month. Source: api.scb.se.

Is Karlstad a good place to live?

Karlstad 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 All birth countries live in Karlstad?

The official country of birth distribution records 98,084 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2024. 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). Karlstad, Sweden: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 78b1f40fbb07e04ca2e42aa240afbcb5]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/se/karlstad/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_karlstad-sweden-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_8ce99d0a8c62,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Karlstad, Sweden: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {78b1f40fbb07e04ca2e42aa240afbcb5},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/se/karlstad/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Karlstad, Sweden: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/se/karlstad/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 78b1f40fbb07e04ca2e42aa240afbcb5; 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. api.scb.se api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-27
  2. api.scb.se api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-27
  3. Brå — reported offences by municipality, 2025 Brå · bra.se · checked 2026-07-26
  4. Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate. datavardluft.smhi.se · checked 2026-07-15
  5. Official number of foreign citizens at municipality grain, all ages and all sexes, reference 31 December 2025. api.scb.se · checked 2025-12-31
  6. Official vehicles-in-use table: Fordonsslag=10 is passenger cars, stock at the last month of 2025; divided by official SCB population at 31 December 2025. api.scb.se · checked 2025-12-31
  7. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  8. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  9. SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year. api.scb.se · checked 2026-07-14
  10. Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
Show 12 more sources
  1. Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
  2. Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
  3. Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
  4. Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
  5. Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
  6. Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-30
  7. Statistics Sweden (SCB) country of birth distribution api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-28
  8. Tele2 mobile plan tele2.se · checked 2026-09-15
  9. Telia 100 Mbps broadband telia.se · checked 2026-09-15
  10. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlstad Aut WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  11. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlstad Flygplats WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  12. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Karlstad Sol WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31

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.