About La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds is a Swiss city in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura Mountains at an altitude of 992 metres, a few kilometres south of the French border. After Geneva, Lausanne, Biel/Bienne, and Fribourg, it is the fifth-largest city in the Romandie, the French-speaking part of the country, with a population of 36,915.
- Canton
- Neuchâtel
- Area
- 55.7 km²
Population
37'600residents
Median taxable income
CHF 53'689
Vacancy
3.57%
Foreign residents
33.1%
Dwellings
22'101
Jobs (FTE)
26'383
Tax multiplier
75%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of La Chaux-de-Fonds, 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
26'383 full-time-equivalent jobs across 2'766 businesses — services make up 58% of employment, industry 41% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
26'383FTE total
Primary0.9%
Secondary41.3%
Tertiary57.8%
Land use
18% built-up, 54% agricultural, 28% forest. Measured across 5'573 hectares (2025).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement17.7%
Agriculture54.3%
Forest28.0%
Water0.0%
Election Results
PdA led the 2023 National Council election with 20.6%, ahead of SP at 20.3%.
Source BFS
PdA20.6%−3.8 pp
SP20.3%+4.8 pp
Grüne17.3%−4.1 pp
SVP16.0%+4.0 pp
FDP12.7%−0.8 pp
GLP5.3%+0.3 pp
Mitte3.9%
Others
3.9%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
83.6% of dwellings are primary residences; 16.4% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences83.6%
Second homes16.4%
Climate data
Annual mean 7.0°C with 1'389 mm of rain. Warmest in July (15.6°C), coldest in January (-1.0°C). Station: La Chaux-de-Fonds, 1017 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
7.0°C
Annual mean
Mean 7.0°C
Rain 1389 mm
Sun ≈146 days
La Chaux-de-Fonds · 1017 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at La Chaux-de-Fonds has risen by +2.0°C between the first 30 observed years (1901–1930) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.0°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1901–1930
La Chaux-de-Fonds · 1017 m.a.s.l. · 1901–2025
