About Sarnen
Sarnen is a small historic town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Obwalden situated on the northern shores of Lake Sarnen in Switzerland. It has a population of just over 10,000 and is surrounded by countryside and mountains. Sarnen is located 20 km south of Lucerne.
- Canton
- Obwalden
- Area
- 76.9 km²
Population
10'862residents
Median taxable income
CHF 66'541
Vacancy
0.29%
Foreign residents
17.7%
Dwellings
5'517
Jobs (FTE)
8'513
Tax multiplier
386%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Sarnen, coloured by how it's used. Drawn from the BFS Arealstatistik 2025 release — the most recent nationwide snapshot.
Source BFS Arealstatistik
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Jobs & economy
8'513 full-time-equivalent jobs across 1'235 businesses — services make up 72% of employment, industry 24% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
8'513FTE total
Primary4.4%
Secondary24.0%
Tertiary71.6%
Land use
6% built-up, 38% agricultural, 52% forest. Measured across 7'316 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement6.7%
Agriculture39.3%
Forest54.0%
Water0.0%
Election Results
FDP led the 2023 National Council election with 52.0%, ahead of SVP at 48.0%.
Source BFS
FDP52.0%+42.2 pp
SVP48.0%+17.7 pp
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
84.0% of dwellings are primary residences; 16.0% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences84.0%
Second homes16.0%
Climate data
Annual mean 2.3°C with 1'791 mm of rain. Warmest in August (9.8°C), coldest in February (-4.4°C). Station: Pilatus, 2105 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
2.3°C
Annual mean
Mean 2.3°C
Rain 1791 mm
Sun ≈144 days
Pilatus · 2105 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
