In all fairness, there are no truly ‘bad’ communities in Switzerland, especially in comparison to certain parts of the world.

However, in the only major ranking of this kind conducted in Switzerland, Handelzeitung newspaper set out to find out which Swiss towns of more than 2,000 residents offer the best overall quality of life to its residents, and which  ones — not so much. 

The publication examined 1,000 municipalities, ranking them on 51 criteria, including the tax burden, property prices, security, geographic location, quality of public schools, social structures, and availability of shopping venues, among others.

The data that Handelszeitung used is based mainly on public statistics, as well as on real estate price models from the company Iazi.

“Among the main factors for a municipality to be at the top are low taxes, proximity to the centre, and the presence of a lake,” according the study’s author, Donato Scognamiglio.

The findings can be summed up thus: all the best communities are located in the Swiss-German part of the country (mainly in Zurich and central Switzerland), while the ‘worst’ are predominantly in the French-speaking cantons, as well as Ticino.

And the best places are….

Based on the above criteria, Handelszeitung selected these 10 communes as the best places to live in the country:
1 Meggen (LU)
2 Hergiswil (NW)
3 Oberkirch (LU)
4 Cham (ZG)
5 Zug (ZG)
6 Zollikon (ZH)
7 Freienbach (SZ)
8 Küsnacht (ZH)
9 Hünenberg (ZG)
10 Kilchberg (ZH)

Why has the municipality of Meggen earned  the top spot?

 “Living in Meggen is considered a privilege by most people,” said mayor Carmen Holdener.

“But it’s not just the rich and privileged who live here,” she added. “The population is very diverse.”

City statistics do show that foreign nationals make up nearly 25 percent of the town’s 7,768  residents.

What about Hergiswil, which is in the second-place?

The Nidwalden municipality is well connected by transport, and its location between Pilatus and Lake Lucerne offers many leisure activities.

But its main attraction may lie elsewkere: “We keep taxes in Hergiswil consistently low,” said the mayor, Daniel Rogenmoser. “This is important for taxpayers so that they can plan for the long term with relatively stable taxes.”

This community is diverse as wll: almost 30 percent of the population of 6,185 people are foreigners.

What about the ‘losers’?

This is what the line-up looks like:

1 Val-de-Travers (NE)
2 Chamoson (VS)
3 Le Locle (NE)
4 Riviera (TI)
5 Perles (BE)
6 Biasca (TI)
7 Diemtigen (BE)
8 Saint-Imier (BE)
9 La Chaux-de-Fonds (NE)
10 Tramelan (BE)

So what’s wrong with Val-de-Travers, which got the lowest score in the ranking?

Although scenically located amid hills and pine forests, the Neuchâtel municipality has the highest taxes in Switzerland.

But that’s not all: the community of 10,550 inhabitants is “poorly served by publlic transport, poorly structured, and has few jobs on site.”

What about Switzerland’s largest cities?

According to the study, life is not that great (comparatively speaking) in major Swiss municipalities.

Zurich is in the 54th place, Basel in the 486th, and Bern in 491st.

“The reasons for this poor ranking lie mainly in the areas of housing and employment, with reduced construction activity, more difficult financial accessibility, a higher unemployment rate, and fewer business start-ups.”