About Mels
Mels is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of Sarganserland in the Seeztal, canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
- Canton
- St. Gallen
- Area
- 139.1 km²
Population
9'581residents
Median taxable income
CHF 62'946
Vacancy
0.13%
Foreign residents
20.2%
Dwellings
4'615
Jobs (FTE)
3'388
Tax multiplier
125%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Mels, 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
3'388 full-time-equivalent jobs across 597 businesses — services make up 68% of employment, industry 23% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
3'388FTE total
Primary9.0%
Secondary22.8%
Tertiary68.2%
Land use
3% built-up, 41% agricultural, 30% forest. Measured across 13'920 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement4.0%
Agriculture55.6%
Forest40.4%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SVP led the 2023 National Council election with 39.2%, ahead of Mitte at 29.5%.
Source BFS
SVP39.2%+4.0 pp
Mitte29.5%
FDP12.2%+0.7 pp
SP6.4%+0.1 pp
Grüne5.0%−0.5 pp
GLP3.8%−2.9 pp
EDU1.4%+0.9 pp
Others
1.0%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
86.2% of dwellings are primary residences; 13.8% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences86.2%
Second homes13.8%
Climate data
Annual mean 10.3°C with 1'099 mm of rain. Warmest in July (19.1°C), coldest in January (1.1°C). Station: Bad Ragaz, 497 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
10.3°C
Annual mean
Mean 10.3°C
Rain 1099 mm
Bad Ragaz · 497 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Bad Ragaz has risen by +2.3°C between the first 30 observed years (1864–1893) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.3°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1864–1893
Bad Ragaz · 497 m.a.s.l. · 1864–2025
