About Riviera
Riviera is an Italian word which means 'coastline', ultimately derived from Latin rīpa, through Ligurian rivêa. It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria in the form Riviera ligure, then shortened in English.
- Canton
- Ticino
- Area
- 86.5 km²
Population
4'269residents
Median taxable income
CHF 56'294
Vacancy
1.33%
Foreign residents
29.8%
Dwellings
2'556
Jobs (FTE)
1'389
Tax multiplier
95%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Riviera, coloured by how it's used. Drawn from the BFS Arealstatistik 2025 release — the most recent nationwide snapshot.
Source BFS Arealstatistik
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Jobs & economy
1'389 full-time-equivalent jobs across 261 businesses — services make up 34% of employment, industry 61% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
1'389FTE total
Primary4.6%
Secondary61.1%
Tertiary34.3%
Land use
4% built-up, 7% agricultural, 66% forest. Measured across 8'658 hectares (2009).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement5.2%
Agriculture9.2%
Forest85.6%
Water0.0%
Election Results
Mitte led the 2023 National Council election with 22.8%, ahead of FDP at 20.6%.
Source BFS
Mitte22.8%
FDP20.6%+1.5 pp
Lega
16.2%−2.6 pp
SVP12.8%+6.7 pp
SP12.1%−1.8 pp
Grüne5.8%−1.5 pp
GLP0.8%+0.8 pp
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
81.5% of dwellings are primary residences; 18.5% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences81.5%
Second homes18.5%
Climate data
Annual mean 11.9°C with 1'806 mm of rain. Warmest in July (21.9°C), coldest in January (1.5°C). Station: Magadino / Cadenazzo, 203 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
11.9°C
Annual mean
Mean 11.9°C
Rain 1806 mm
Sun ≈177 days
Magadino / Cadenazzo · 203 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Locarno / Monti has risen by +2.1°C between the first 30 observed years (1883–1912) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.1°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1883–1912
Locarno / Monti · 367 m.a.s.l. · 1883–2025