Herisau 
AR
Herisau is a commune in the canton of Appenzell Outer Rhodes with 16,100 residents (FSO), 26.1 % of them foreign nationals. On a gross salary of CHF 100,000 a single person pays CHF 14,373 in income tax here, rank 905 of 2,110 communes (FTA).
Authorities, contacts and news for this commune will follow.
Taxes
Federal, cantonal and communal, without church tax, official FTA tax calculator. Rank 1 = lowest tax.
Commune tax multiplier
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 |
FTA; comparable within the canton only. All multipliers in the canton of Appenzell Outer Rhodes
Work it out yourself
Compare taxes in every commune Gross-to-net calculator Moving cost calculator My commune
Typically Herisau: specialities, brands, sights
What makes Herisau special, from official registers and gathered with pleasure.
Protected specialities (PDO/PGI)
Herisau lies in the area of origin of these protected specialities:
- Appenzeller Mostbröckli meat speciality
- Appenzeller Pantli meat speciality
- Appenzeller Siedwurst meat speciality
- St. Galler Bratwurst meat speciality
Good to know
- 12 cultural properties of national importance, for example: «Altes Rathaus» Schwänberg, Historisches Museum, Kantonales Regierungsgebäude, Reformierte Kirche, Rosenburg, Rutenkaminhaus …
Sources: FOAG (register of PDO/PGI), FOC and FOEN (UNESCO World Heritage, parks), FOCP (inventory of cultural property), commercial register (Zefix), Culinary Heritage of Switzerland.
Charging stations near you
Free public charge points within 3 km, live from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. Your location is used for this one lookup only and is never stored.
Commune finances
Show table
| Year | Revenue m | Expenditure m | Result m | per resident CHF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 106.8 | 116.0 | −9.2 | −576 |
| 2023 | 104.9 | 105.1 | −0.2 | −12 |
| 2022 | 104.9 | 99.0 | 6.0 | 378 |
| 2021 | 96.4 | 100.2 | −3.9 | −246 |
| 2020 | 86.5 | 98.0 | −11.5 | −736 |
| 2019 | 94.2 | 92.8 | 1.5 | 92 |
| 2018 | 89.4 | 89.8 | −0.5 | −30 |
| 2017 | 88.3 | 89.0 | −0.7 | −46 |
| 2016 | 88.9 | 90.0 | −1.1 | −67 |
| 2015 | 87.9 | 89.3 | −1.4 | −89 |
Result = revenue minus expenditure of the income statement. Source: FFA financial statistics.
The commune in figures
Births and deaths
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Births | 179 | 154 | 171 | 166 | 165 | 162 | 145 | 135 | 141 | 158 |
| Deaths | 156 | 133 | 132 | 143 | 132 | 138 | 135 | 147 | 150 | 140 |
FSO, demographic balance · Births and deaths in the canton of Appenzell Outer Rhodes
Immigration and emigration
In 2025, 272 people moved to Herisau from abroad, 221 of them foreign nationals; 212 moved abroad. Net international migration: +60.
Arrivals and departures by world region 2025
| Origin | arrived | left |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 51 | 56 |
| EU | 177 | 123 |
| rest of Europe | 19 | 21 |
| Africa | 6 | 3 |
| Latin America and Caribbean | 2 | 2 |
| Asia | 14 | 6 |
For individual communes the FSO publishes nationality by world region only. Source: FSO, migration statistics of the permanent resident population.
Naturalisations
Origin of people naturalised in 2025: EU 15rest of Europe 10Africa 3Latin America 4Asia 4
FSO
The canton compared
| Figure | Value | Rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton tax (example) | CHF 10,076 | 16 / 26 | 2026 |
| Average rent | CHF 1,320 | 10 / 26 | 2024 |
| Health premium | CHF 575 | 12 / 26 | 2027 |
| Electricity price | 29.11 Rp./kWh | 22 / 26 | 2027 |
| Vacant homes | 1.1 % | 10 / 26 | 2025 |
| Unemployment | 1.5 % | 7 / 26 | 2026 |
Nearby communes
- WaldstattAppenzell Outer Rhodes · 3 km
- Gossau (SG)St. Gallen · 4 km
- HundwilAppenzell Outer Rhodes · 4 km
- SchwellbrunnAppenzell Outer Rhodes · 5 km
- Stein (AR)Appenzell Outer Rhodes · 5 km
- GaiserwaldSt. Gallen · 5 km
- Andwil (SG)St. Gallen · 6 km
- DegersheimSt. Gallen · 6 km
Frequently asked questions
How many people live in Herisau?
16,100 (FSO).
How high are taxes in Herisau?
On a gross salary of CHF 100,000 a single person pays CHF 14,373 in federal, cantonal and communal tax (FTA).
How much tax does a family pay in Herisau?
A married couple with two children and a gross salary of CHF 100,000 pays CHF 6,299 in federal, cantonal and communal tax (FTA).
What share of residents are foreign nationals in Herisau?
26.1 % of residents do not hold Swiss citizenship (FSO).
Sources: FSO, FTA, FFA, SECO, FOPH · www.herisau.ch · JSON · Coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (public domain) · Archive
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