Municipality · Aargau

Aarau

Get to know Aarau

Aarau is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau.

Read the full introduction

The town is also the capital of the district of Aarau. It is German-speaking and predominantly Protestant. Aarau is situated on the Swiss plateau, in the valley of the Aare, on the river's right bank, and at the southern foot of the Jura Mountains, and is west of Zurich, 58 kilometres south of Basel and 65 kilometres northeast of Bern. The municipality borders directly on the canton of Solothurn to the west. It is the largest town in Aargau. At the beginning of 2010 Rohr became a district of Aarau.

Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Landscape

The shape of the place

The land-use survey ending in 2025 shows how the area is shared between buildings, woodland, farmland and water.

50%

Settlement

Settlement50%
Forest32%
Agriculture11%
Water6%
Other1%

Survey period ending 2025 · BFS

Climate

Through the seasons

Annual mean 10.0°C with 920 mm of rain. Warmest in July (19.4°C), coldest in January (1.2°C). Station: Buchs / Aarau, 387 m.

Buchs / Aarau · 387 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals · MeteoSchweiz

10.0°C

Annual average

Sunshine

1'529 h

Precipitation

920 mm

1°19°Temperature and sunshine across the year.

Warming trend

Mean annual temperature at Luzern has risen by +2.4°C between the first 30 observed years (1871–1900) and the most recent (1996–2025).

18712025

Source: MeteoSchweiz NBCN

Housing

Finding a home here

A view of the rental market, drawn from 58 apartment and house listings. These are advertised rents, before any individual negotiation.

Homes to rent Homes to buy

Net asking rent

CHF 22.9

/ m² per month

Middle half of advertised rents

19.925.9

1 Nov 2026

More about Housing

Vacancy

0.45%As of 1 June 2026

2026

0.45%

10.50

20222026

Vacancy
2015	1.73%
2016	1.27%
2017	2.02%
2018	1.30%
2019	0.98%
2020	1.01%
2021	0.75%
2022	0.60%
2023	0.60%
2024	0.41%
2025	0.38%
2026	0.45%

Net asking rentCHF 22.9/ m² per month1 Nov 2026

Gross asking rentCHF 25.5/ m² per month1 Nov 2026

Asking priceCHF 10'096/ m²1 Nov 2026

Dwellings12'572Counted on 31 Dec 2025 · in 3'864 residential buildings

Newly built dwellings114During 2024

Primary residences89%Dwelling inventory 2026

Broadband coverage31%FibreAs of 2026 · Broadband coverage is one part of everyday infrastructure. This is coverage across the reported area; availability at a particular home still depends on its address.

People

The people who live here

The population grew by 17.6% between 2010 and 2025. The annual record shows how that change unfolded.

End of 2025

2025

22'932

22.9K11.5K0

20212025

Population
2010	19'497
2011	19'840
2012	20'103
2013	20'185
2014	20'445
2015	20'710
2016	21'036
2017	21'268
2018	21'506
2019	21'773
2020	21'726
2021	21'773
2022	21'807
2023	22'290
2024	22'710
2025	22'932

More about People

Population

22'932End of 2025

2025

22'932

22.9K11.5K0

20212025

Population
2010	19'497
2011	19'840
2012	20'103
2013	20'185
2014	20'445
2015	20'710
2016	21'036
2017	21'268
2018	21'506
2019	21'773
2020	21'726
2021	21'773
2022	21'807
2023	22'290
2024	22'710
2025	22'932

Foreign residents

23.5%End of 2025

2025

23.5%

23.511.70

20212025

Foreign residents
2010	19.5%
2011	19.9%
2012	19.9%
2013	19.8%
2014	19.9%
2015	20.0%
2016	21.4%
2017	21.2%
2018	21.1%
2019	20.9%
2020	21.1%
2021	21.2%
2022	21.6%
2023	22.8%
2024	23.4%
2025	23.5%

Jobs (FTE)

26'800

As of 2024 · The reported area accounts for 26'800 full-time-equivalent jobs. This describes employment located here, rather than the number of residents who work.

2024

26'800

26.8K13.4K0

20202024

Jobs (FTE)
2011	23'835
2012	24'691
2013	24'867
2014	24'929
2015	24'814
2016	25'686
2017	25'635
2018	25'593
2019	25'661
2020	25'309
2021	25'739
2022	26'415
2023	26'343
2024	26'800

Politics

Local choices

Strongest party: SP · 28.4% · 2023

Election results (1971–2023)

Turnout 57.7%

Source: FSO

Taxes & income

A picture of local costs

Single person without children, gross wage CHF 100'000 · Canton, municipality and personal tax, without church, federal and wealth tax · tax year 2026

CHF 10'611

/ year

More about Taxes & income

Income taxCHF 10'611/ yearTax year 2026

Single person without children, gross wage CHF 100'000 · Canton, municipality and personal tax, without church, federal and wealth tax · tax year 2026

Tax multiplier

96%Tax year 2026

2026

96%

9748.50

20222026

Tax multiplier
2010	94%
2011	94%
2012	94%
2013	94%
2014	94%
2015	94%
2016	97%
2017	97%
2018	97%
2019	97%
2020	97%
2021	97%
2022	97%
2023	96%
2024	96%
2025	96%
2026	96%

Median taxable income

CHF 54'300All taxpayers · tax period 2022

2022

CHF 54'300

54.3K27.2K0

20182022

Median taxable income
2010	CHF 49'100
2011	CHF 49'500
2012	CHF 49'400
2013	CHF 49'300
2014	CHF 49'600
2015	CHF 50'000
2016	CHF 51'000
2017	CHF 51'100
2018	CHF 51'700
2019	CHF 52'700
2020	CHF 53'300
2021	CHF 53'600
2022	CHF 54'300

Median net income

CHF 58'350As of 2022

2022

CHF 58'350

58.4K29.2K0

20182022

Median net income
2010	CHF 53'400
2011	CHF 53'900
2012	CHF 53'700
2013	CHF 53'800
2014	CHF 54'000
2015	CHF 54'800
2016	CHF 55'600
2017	CHF 55'700
2018	CHF 56'400
2019	CHF 57'100
2020	CHF 57'500
2021	CHF 58'000
2022	CHF 58'350

Paying direct federal tax81%As of 2022

Cantonal tax multiplier

103%Tax year 2026

2026

103%

112560

20222026

Cantonal tax multiplier
2010	109%
2011	109%
2012	109%
2013	109%
2014	109%
2015	109%
2016	109%
2017	109%
2018	112%
2019	112%
2020	112%
2021	112%
2022	112%
2023	112%
2024	112%
2025	111%
2026	103%

Federal data — BFS (STATPOP, STATENT, land use), ESTV, BAKOM, ARE. Asking rents and prices: Homematch, from listings on Swiss portals.

The municipality

Settlement type: Urban
Municipality type: Urban municipality of a medium-sized agglomertation
Language region: German
Agglomeration: Aarau
Labour market region: Aarau–Olten
Statistical city: Yes
Mountain region: No

Federal Statistical Office · 2020