Mels 
SG
Mels is a commune in the canton of St. Gallen with 9,581 residents (FSO), 20.1 % of them foreign nationals. On a gross salary of CHF 100,000 a single person pays CHF 14,421 in income tax here, rank 919 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 133 | 133 | 133 | 133 | 133 | 133 | 133 | 133 | 128 | 125 | 125 |
FTA; comparable within the canton only. All multipliers in the canton of St. Gallen
Work it out yourself
Compare taxes in every commune Gross-to-net calculator Moving cost calculator My commune
Typically Mels: specialities, brands, sights
What makes Mels special, from official registers and gathered with pleasure.
Protected specialities (PDO/PGI)
Mels lies in the area of origin of these protected specialities:
- Emmentaler cheese
- Appenzeller Mostbröckli meat speciality
- Appenzeller Pantli meat speciality
- Appenzeller Siedwurst meat speciality
- St. Galler Bratwurst meat speciality
- Rheintaler Ribel
Good to know
- UNESCO World Heritage: Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona
- 2 cultural properties of national importance, for example: Castels, Mels
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 | 57.0 | 56.9 | 0.1 | 8 |
| 2023 | 58.1 | 51.5 | 6.5 | 686 |
| 2022 | 55.0 | 53.4 | 1.6 | 173 |
| 2021 | 53.2 | 53.0 | 0.2 | 27 |
| 2020 | 56.4 | 64.2 | −7.8 | −894 |
| 2019 | 50.4 | 60.0 | −9.6 | −1,126 |
| 2013 | 40.1 | 46.0 | −6.0 | −696 |
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 | 100 | 100 | 89 | 96 | 82 | 102 | 95 | 100 | 107 | 84 |
| Deaths | 65 | 77 | 68 | 60 | 93 | 64 | 76 | 74 | 80 | 77 |
FSO, demographic balance · Births and deaths in the canton of St. Gallen
Immigration and emigration
In 2025, 112 people moved to Mels from abroad, 101 of them foreign nationals; 74 moved abroad. Net international migration: +38.
Arrivals and departures by world region 2025
| Origin | arrived | left |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 11 | 8 |
| EU | 70 | 53 |
| rest of Europe | 23 | 5 |
| Africa | 1 | 1 |
| North America | 0 | 2 |
| Latin America and Caribbean | 2 | 0 |
| Asia | 5 | 5 |
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 7EFTA 1rest of Europe 13Africa 1Asia 2
FSO
The canton compared
| Figure | Value | Rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton tax (example) | CHF 10,365 | 18 / 26 | 2026 |
| Average rent | CHF 1,343 | 12 / 26 | 2024 |
| Health premium | CHF 571 | 10 / 26 | 2027 |
| Electricity price | 30.11 Rp./kWh | 23 / 26 | 2027 |
| Vacant homes | 1.4 % | 6 / 26 | 2025 |
| Unemployment | 2.0 % | 9 / 26 | 2026 |
Nearby communes
Frequently asked questions
How many people live in Mels?
9,581 (FSO).
How high are taxes in Mels?
On a gross salary of CHF 100,000 a single person pays CHF 14,421 in federal, cantonal and communal tax (FTA).
How much tax does a family pay in Mels?
A married couple with two children and a gross salary of CHF 100,000 pays CHF 4,223 in federal, cantonal and communal tax (FTA).
What share of residents are foreign nationals in Mels?
20.1 % of residents do not hold Swiss citizenship (FSO).
Sources: FSO, FTA, FFA, SECO, FOPH · www.mels.ch · JSON · Coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (public domain) · Archive
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