Population
10'906↑0.4%
About Sarnen
Municipality · Obwalden
Sarnen is a small historic town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Obwalden situated on the northern shores of Lake Sarnen in Switzerland. It has a population of just over 10,000 and is surrounded by countryside and mountains. Sarnen is located 20 km south of Lucerne.
Population
10'906
Tax multiplier
386%
Sarnen in numbers
Federal data — BFS (STATPOP, STATENT, land use), ESTV, BAKOM, ARE.386%
Median taxable income
CHF 52'750↑1.4%
Top 10% in canton
Median net income
CHF 57'800↑1.2%
80%
Cantonal tax multiplier
325%
0.29%↑480.0%
Bottom quartile in CH
- Forest52%
- Agriculture38%
- Settlement6%
- Other4%
Foreign residents
18.4%↑3.8%
Middle in CH
Median rent
CHF 22/ m²
+24% vs CH
Dwellings
5'517↓8.1%
Jobs (FTE)
6'868↑0.9%
84%
Housing market in Sarnen
The rental vacancy rate is 0.29%, 41% below the cantonal average (0.50 %) — a tight rental market. The municipal tax multiplier (Steuerfuss) is 386%, 15% below the cantonal average (453 %) — tax-favourable. Median taxable income is CHF 61'050, roughly the Swiss average (CHF 61'929). Sarnen has 10'906 residents (2025).
Source: Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS).