UBS study: medium-sized centers score well in residential comparison
A new location indicator from UBS comes to the conclusion that medium-sized centers offer the more attractive cost/benefit profile in many places. In the Zurich region, for example, Aarau, Schaffhausen and Baden outrank the lakeside municipalities.
A new residential attractiveness indicator from UBS Wealth Management aims to determine which Swiss cities are the best places to live. The location comparison compares the parameters of local infrastructure and leisure facilities in relation to housing costs. The result: in ten of the 13 regions analyzed, medium-sized centers are the most attractive for a family with two children and average finances. These include Locarno and Vevey as well as the cantonal capitals of Aarau, Chur, Fribourg, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Sion, Solothurn and St. Gallen. In addition to these medium-sized centers, the list of top municipalities is completed by Basel, Interlaken and Murten. The two major centers of Bern and Lausanne make it into the top three in their respective regions.
Vevey and Morges more attractive than Lausanne
From UBS's perspective, the top-ranked municipalities have a wide range of stores, good medical care and easily accessible schools and childcare facilities. The most attractive municipalities also offer a wide range of leisure activities. As the quality of infrastructure and quality of life cannot outweigh the high cost of living everywhere, the municipalities of Aarau and Schaffhausen, for example, outrank the Lake Zurich municipalities in the Zurich region. In western Switzerland, Vevey and Morges are more attractive than Lausanne, and in Ticino Tenero-Contra and Muralto rank ahead of Lugano. The few municipalities where housing costs are below average despite above-average infrastructure and quality of life include Schaffhausen, Goldach, Rheinfelden, Yverdon-les-Bains and Delsberg.
Aircraft noise is an exclusion criterion
Agglomeration municipalities in major centers also offer a relatively high level of residential attractiveness. Among the most attractive are Rheinfelden, Ittigen and Uster. Such locations score very well in terms of accessibility and quality of life and in many cases have a lower tax burden or lower rental costs than the nearby centers.
By contrast, municipalities with high levels of aircraft noise pollution in the north of Zurich and north-west of Geneva or municipalities with relatively large industrial areas remain off the list of top residential locations. (aw)
