Sarnen 
OW
Sarnen is a commune in the canton of Obwalden with 10,906 residents (FSO), 18.4 % of them foreign nationals. On a gross salary of CHF 100,000 a single person pays CHF 11,325 in income tax here, rank 162 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 406 | 406 | 406 | 406 | 376 | 376 | 376 | 376 | 386 | 386 | 386 |
FTA; comparable within the canton only. All multipliers in the canton of Obwalden
Work it out yourself
Compare taxes in every commune Gross-to-net calculator Moving cost calculator My commune
Typically Sarnen: specialities, brands, sights
What makes Sarnen special, from official registers and gathered with pleasure.
Protected specialities (PDO/PGI)
Sarnen lies in the area of origin of these protected specialities:
- Sbrinz cheese
Good to know
- 12 cultural properties of national importance, for example: Archive der Archäologie und Denkmalpflege Obwalden, Beinhaus St. Michael, Benediktinerinnen-Kloster St. Andreas, Benediktinerinnen-Kloster St. Andreas, Doppelhaus «am Grund», Doppelhaus Grundacher …
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 | 67.6 | 66.7 | 0.9 | 83 |
| 2023 | 64.6 | 69.4 | −4.8 | −446 |
| 2022 | 61.1 | 61.5 | −0.4 | −39 |
| 2021 | 65.9 | 60.7 | 5.2 | 491 |
| 2020 | 62.3 | 61.5 | 0.9 | 82 |
| 2019 | 65.1 | 57.6 | 7.5 | 717 |
| 2018 | 63.5 | 55.3 | 8.2 | 791 |
| 2017 | 56.0 | 56.0 | −0.0 | −1 |
| 2016 | 56.7 | 54.1 | 2.6 | 257 |
| 2015 | 93.3 | 56.1 | 37.2 | 3,638 |
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 | 88 | 99 | 122 | 102 | 108 | 94 | 85 | 87 | 87 | 78 |
| Deaths | 82 | 83 | 71 | 79 | 106 | 86 | 104 | 107 | 87 | 89 |
FSO, demographic balance · Births and deaths in the canton of Obwalden
Immigration and emigration
In 2025, 199 people moved to Sarnen from abroad, 181 of them foreign nationals; 77 moved abroad. Net international migration: +122.
Arrivals and departures by world region 2025
| Origin | arrived | left |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 18 | 18 |
| EU | 109 | 46 |
| EFTA | 2 | 0 |
| rest of Europe | 27 | 4 |
| Africa | 7 | 0 |
| North America | 3 | 1 |
| Latin America and Caribbean | 1 | 0 |
| Asia | 31 | 7 |
| Oceania | 1 | 0 |
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 2rest of Europe 4Latin America 1
FSO
The canton compared
| Figure | Value | Rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton tax (example) | CHF 8,329 | 9 / 26 | 2026 |
| Average rent | CHF 1,449 | 16 / 26 | 2024 |
| Health premium | CHF 524 | 5 / 26 | 2027 |
| Electricity price | 25.99 Rp./kWh | 10 / 26 | 2027 |
| Vacant homes | 0.5 % | 23 / 26 | 2025 |
| Unemployment | 1.0 % | 2 / 26 | 2026 |
Nearby communes
Frequently asked questions
How many people live in Sarnen?
10,906 (FSO).
How high are taxes in Sarnen?
On a gross salary of CHF 100,000 a single person pays CHF 11,325 in federal, cantonal and communal tax (FTA).
How much tax does a family pay in Sarnen?
A married couple with two children and a gross salary of CHF 100,000 pays CHF 6,156 in federal, cantonal and communal tax (FTA).
What share of residents are foreign nationals in Sarnen?
18.4 % of residents do not hold Swiss citizenship (FSO).
Sources: FSO, FTA, FFA, SECO, FOPH · www.sarnen.ch · JSON · Coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (public domain) · Archive
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