About Oberhelfenschwil
Oberhelfenschwil is a former municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of Toggenburg in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. On 1 January 2023 the former municipalities of Hemberg and Oberhelfenschwil merged into the new municipality of Neckertal.
- Canton
- St. Gallen
- Area
- 81.8 km²
Population
6'420residents
Vacancy
0.61%
Foreign residents
10.7%
Dwellings
3'443
Tax multiplier
120%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Oberhelfenschwil, coloured by how it's used. Drawn from the BFS Arealstatistik 2025 release — the most recent nationwide snapshot.
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Loading statistics …
Land use
6% built-up, 56% agricultural, 37% forest. Measured across 8'188 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement5.7%
Agriculture56.9%
Forest37.4%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SVP led the 2023 National Council election with 42.0%, ahead of Mitte at 19.9%.
Source BFS
SVP42.0%+2.1 pp
Mitte19.9%
FDP12.7%+0.2 pp
SP7.7%−1.3 pp
Grüne6.6%−2.1 pp
GLP3.1%−1.2 pp
EDU2.9%+1.1 pp
Others
1.4%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
83.2% of dwellings are primary residences; 16.8% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences83.2%
Second homes16.8%
Climate data
Annual mean 8.1°C with 1'818 mm of rain. Warmest in July (17.4°C), coldest in January (-1.1°C). Station: Ebnat-Kappel, 623 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
8.1°C
Annual mean
Mean 8.1°C
Rain 1818 mm
Ebnat-Kappel · 623 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Säntis has risen by +2.2°C between the first 30 observed years (1864–1893) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.2°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1864–1893
Säntis · 2501 m.a.s.l. · 1864–2025
