About Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen, historically known in English as Shaffhouse, is a town with historic roots, a municipality in northern Switzerland, and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 37,000 as of December 2018. It is located right next to the shore of the High Rhine; it is one of four Swiss towns located entirely on the northern side of the Rhine, along with Neuhausen am Rheinfall, the historic Neunkirch, and medieval Stein am Rhein.
- Canton
- Schaffhausen
- Area
- 41.9 km²
Population
38'964residents
Median taxable income
CHF 62'107
Vacancy
0.46%
Foreign residents
31.2%
Dwellings
20'652
Jobs (FTE)
27'255
Tax multiplier
83%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Schaffhausen, 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
27'255 full-time-equivalent jobs across 3'017 businesses — services make up 76% of employment, industry 24% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
27'255FTE total
Primary0.3%
Secondary23.9%
Tertiary75.8%
Land use
25% built-up, 19% agricultural, 53% forest. Measured across 4'192 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement25.9%
Agriculture19.8%
Forest54.3%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SP led the 2023 National Council election with 35.9%, ahead of SVP at 29.7%.
Source BFS
SP35.9%+3.8 pp
SVP29.7%−3.1 pp
FDP12.7%+3.1 pp
GLP7.4%+0.8 pp
Grüne6.3%−1.7 pp
Mitte2.5%
EVP1.7%−0.4 pp
Others
1.3%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
89.8% of dwellings are primary residences; 10.2% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences89.8%
Second homes10.2%
Climate data
Annual mean 9.9°C with 966 mm of rain. Warmest in July (19.3°C), coldest in January (0.7°C). Station: Schaffhausen, 438 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
9.9°C
Annual mean
Mean 9.9°C
Rain 966 mm
Sun ≈128 days
Schaffhausen · 438 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Zürich / Fluntern has risen by +2.2°C between the first 30 observed years (1864–1893) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.2°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1864–1893
Zürich / Fluntern · 556 m.a.s.l. · 1864–2025
