Swiss prefer countryside over city life

According to national statistics, nearly 9 out of 10 jobs are found in urban areas. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

Results of a survey indicate that the Swiss prefer to live in the countryside but not farther than 20 minutes from a city.

Nearly half of the respondents (43%) surveyed by price comparison website ComparisExternal link said that they would choose rural life compared to around a quarter who would prefer to live in a city. The remaining would choose to live in the suburbs.

But in an ideal situation, the peace and quiet of the countryside wouldn’t be too far away from the bright lights of the city. Just over 50% said they’d like to live 20 minutes from the closest city by car or public transportation.

This is particularly the case for people living in the French-speaking and Italian-speaking regions of the country as well as for people with lower household incomes.

“Those who have little money at their disposal generally also want to save on transportation,” said Comparis consumer finance expert Michael Kuhn.

Another key factor when deciding where to live is the tax burden. Some 39% of people with less than CHF4,000 ($4,288) monthly income find the tax rate important when deciding where to live compared to 19% for those making more than CHF8,000 a month. 

Some 61% of people live in predominantly urban areas in Switzerland according to statistics compiled by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. This is higher than the European average. Switzerland also has a high level of commuter mobility, thanks to its small size and good rail infrastructure.