About Sion
Sion is a Swiss town situated in the Rhône valley, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Valais and of the district of Sion. As of December 2020 it had a population of 34,978.
- Canton
- Valais
- Area
- 34.9 km²
Population
37'154residents
Median taxable income
CHF 59'448
Vacancy
0.22%
Foreign residents
30.4%
Dwellings
21'364
Jobs (FTE)
34'703
Tax multiplier
110%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Sion, 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
34'703 full-time-equivalent jobs across 3'973 businesses — services make up 82% of employment, industry 16% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
34'703FTE total
Primary1.7%
Secondary16.1%
Tertiary82.2%
Land use
38% built-up, 33% agricultural, 23% forest. Measured across 3'476 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement40.3%
Agriculture35.3%
Forest24.4%
Water0.0%
Election Results
Mitte led the 2023 National Council election with 25.6%, ahead of SVP at 20.9%.
Source BFS
Mitte25.6%
SVP20.9%+6.9 pp
SP20.6%−0.8 pp
Grüne15.3%−3.2 pp
FDP13.6%−2.3 pp
GLP3.2%+2.4 pp
PdA0.8%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
87.4% of dwellings are primary residences; 12.6% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences87.4%
Second homes12.6%
Climate data
Annual mean 10.7°C with 583 mm of rain. Warmest in July (20.6°C), coldest in January (0.5°C). Station: Sion, 482 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
10.7°C
Annual mean
Mean 10.7°C
Rain 583 mm
Sun ≈180 days
Sion · 482 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Sion has risen by +2.6°C between the first 30 observed years (1864–1893) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.6°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1864–1893
Sion · 482 m.a.s.l. · 1864–2025
