About Quarten
Quarten is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of Sarganserland, in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, on Lake Walen. Besides the village of Quarten, the municipality also includes the settlements of Oberterzen, Unterterzen, Quinten, Mols, Murg, and parts of Tannenbodenalp.
- Canton
- St. Gallen
- Area
- 73.2 km²
Population
3'105residents
Median taxable income
CHF 60'556
Vacancy
1.20%
Foreign residents
20.8%
Dwellings
2'333
Jobs (FTE)
1'133
Tax multiplier
102%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Quarten, 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
1'133 full-time-equivalent jobs across 239 businesses — services make up 68% of employment, industry 20% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
1'133FTE total
Primary11.4%
Secondary20.1%
Tertiary68.5%
Land use
4% built-up, 33% agricultural, 47% forest. Measured across 6'171 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement4.8%
Agriculture39.0%
Forest56.2%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SVP led the 2023 National Council election with 44.3%, ahead of Mitte at 25.9%.
Source BFS
SVP44.3%−0.7 pp
Mitte25.9%
FDP11.3%+1.0 pp
SP6.3%−0.4 pp
Grüne4.7%−1.8 pp
GLP4.5%−1.1 pp
EDU0.9%+0.5 pp
Others
0.5%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
59.4% of dwellings are primary residences; 40.6% are second homes (2026). The Zweitwohnungsgesetz applies here — new second-home construction is restricted.
Source BFS
Primary residences59.4%
Second homes40.6%
Second-home quota > 20% — Zweitwohnungsgesetz applies
Climate data
Annual mean 9.3°C with 1'494 mm of rain. Warmest in July (18.3°C), coldest in January (0.0°C). Station: Glarus, 517 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
9.3°C
Annual mean
Mean 9.3°C
Rain 1494 mm
Sun ≈111 days
Glarus · 517 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Elm has risen by +2.4°C between the first 30 observed years (1879–1908) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.4°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1879–1908
Elm · 958 m.a.s.l. · 1879–2025
