Here are the most attractive Swiss municipalities to live in

Places of residence are not equivalent in Switzerland: some municipalities offer better living conditions than others, according to a UBS study. Here are the ones.

A tenth of the Swiss population looks for new accommodation every year. A choice which is not always easy and which depends on a multitude of factors. Place of residence is one, and it plays a central role. In fact, not all municipalities are equal: in some of them, we live better than in others.

This is supported by a recent study carried out by UBS, which evaluates Swiss municipalities according to their residential attractiveness and highlights those “where it is good to live”. To do this, the bank's economists based themselves on three factors, playing in their eyes a “decisive role” in the search for a place of residence: local infrastructure, leisure offerings and housing costs. .

“Ideally, the most attractive residential communities have a good mix of these three factors,” the research says. And to emphasize: this is not a “beauty ranking”. Attractiveness is exclusively based on “objectively measurable” elements.

Verdict? The 130 most attractive Swiss municipalities for an average family household, i.e. a family with two children and a gross annual income of 145,000 francs, are as follows:

What emerges from the UBS ranking is that medium-sized centers offer the greatest attractiveness. This is the case of cities such as Vevey, Morges, Bienne or Locarno. Many cantonal capitals are also present in the list, such as Lausanne, Fribourg, Neuchâtel and Sion.

Another interesting category: urban areas of large centers. The latter can offer a lower tax burden or less expensive rents compared to neighboring towns.

However, not all localities surrounding cities stand out positively: high exposure to noise (communities close to airports) or the presence of a large industrial zone can keep them away from the list of best places.

“Rural localities naturally cannot compete with suburban communities in terms of accessibility and infrastructure,” the study further indicates. They can nevertheless offer certain advantages, such as lower costs and a large supply of green spaces and forests.

Often expensive places

Generally speaking, the most attractive municipalities are often quite expensive, the report recognizes.

However, assure its authors, these high costs “offer something in return: exceptional infrastructure”. Shops, schools and medical establishments are “easily accessible”. The cultural, gastronomic and sporting offer is also important and, sometimes, these municipalities have large green spaces or are close to a lake.

In some cases, however, “the quality of the infrastructure and the leisure offer cannot compensate for the high costs of living.” Indeed, Zurich and Geneva, the two most populous cities in the country, do not appear on the list. Another example provided by UBS: in the Lake Geneva region, “Vevey and Morges are more attractive than Lausanne.”

Ultimately, few municipalities combine above-average infrastructure and leisure offerings with below-average costs. In this category, the report cites Yverdon-les-Bains and Delémont in particular, as well as Schwyz, Schaffhausen and Rheinfelden (AG).

The study ultimately reminds us that not all the factors that come into play when choosing a place of residence are quantifiable. Personal preferences, household structure, as well as professional situation can have an influence. Additionally, some people may value a natural landscape over good infrastructure.

However, one element remains valid for everyone (or almost):

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