About Kerns
Kerns is a village in the canton of Obwalden in Switzerland.
- Canton
- Obwalden
- Area
- 92.6 km²
Population
6'514residents
Median taxable income
CHF 64'254
Vacancy
0.63%
Foreign residents
12.1%
Dwellings
3'492
Jobs (FTE)
2'518
Tax multiplier
470%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Kerns, 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
2'518 full-time-equivalent jobs across 499 businesses — services make up 54% of employment, industry 31% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
2'518FTE total
Primary14.6%
Secondary31.3%
Tertiary54.1%
Land use
4% built-up, 44% agricultural, 30% forest. Measured across 9'259 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement4.6%
Agriculture57.1%
Forest38.3%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SVP led the 2023 National Council election with 57.6%, ahead of FDP at 42.4%.
Source BFS
SVP57.6%+16.8 pp
FDP42.4%+26.7 pp
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
83.8% of dwellings are primary residences; 16.3% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences83.8%
Second homes16.2%
Climate data
Annual mean 6.8°C with 1'568 mm of rain. Warmest in July (15.4°C), coldest in January (-1.7°C). Station: Engelberg, 1036 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
6.8°C
Annual mean
Mean 6.8°C
Rain 1568 mm
Sun ≈115 days
Engelberg · 1036 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
