About Saas-Fee
Saas-Fee is the main village in the Saastal, or the Saas Valley, and is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. The village is situated on a high mountain plateau at 1,800 meters, surrounded by a total of 13 peaks above 4,000 meters which is the highest concentration in the Alps, giving the village the nickname the Pearl of the Alps. It is a classic ski resort characterised by well-preserved Swiss wood architecture and a car-free city centre. The villages in its neighbourhood are Saas-Almagell, Saas-Grund and Saas-Balen.
- Canton
- Valais
- Area
- 40.3 km²
Population
1'638residents
Median taxable income
CHF 59'758
Vacancy
1.25%
Foreign residents
35.9%
Dwellings
2'880
Jobs (FTE)
1'554
Tax multiplier
120%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Saas-Fee, coloured by how it's used. Drawn from the BFS Arealstatistik 2025 release — the most recent nationwide snapshot.
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Loading statistics …
Jobs & economy
1'554 full-time-equivalent jobs across 0 businesses — services make up 91% of employment, industry 9% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
1'554FTE total
Primary0.5%
Secondary8.8%
Tertiary90.7%
Land use
2% built-up, 5% agricultural, 10% forest. Measured across 4'036 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement11.8%
Agriculture28.4%
Forest59.8%
Water0.0%
Election Results
Mitte led the 2023 National Council election with 61.9%, ahead of SVP at 21.9%.
Source BFS
Mitte61.9%
SVP21.9%+1.4 pp
FDP7.1%+0.6 pp
SP4.9%+1.5 pp
Grüne2.6%−1.1 pp
GLP1.6%+0.6 pp
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
34.9% of dwellings are primary residences; 65.1% are second homes (2026). The Zweitwohnungsgesetz applies here — new second-home construction is restricted.
Source BFS
Primary residences34.9%
Second homes65.1%
Second-home quota > 20% — Zweitwohnungsgesetz applies
Climate data
Annual mean 5.5°C with 607 mm of rain. Warmest in July (14.6°C), coldest in January (-2.6°C). Station: Grächen, 1605 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
5.5°C
Annual mean
Mean 5.5°C
Rain 607 mm
Grächen · 1605 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Grächen has risen by +2.4°C between the first 30 observed years (1864–1893) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.4°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1864–1893
Grächen · 1605 m.a.s.l. · 1864–2025
