Switzerland · Canton BE · Administrative district
Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau
BernVerwaltungskreis Oberaargau is one of 10 districts of the canton of Bern and comprises 43 municipalities with 86'163 residents in all (BFS, 2025). A district is an administrative unit of the canton — a court and administrative area, not a postal delivery area: postal codes and localities follow delivery routes and can cross district borders.
Residents
86'163
sum of its municipalities
Municipalities
43
Switzerland
Area
331 km²
swisstopo
Density
260 /km²
sum of its municipalities
BFS district number
244
BFS
Relief © swisstopo · TINITALY · geoland.at · LGL · IGN · swissTLM3D · swissTLMRegio
Langenthal
16'233Residents
Herzogenbuchsee
7'620Residents
Niederbipp
5'689Residents
Huttwil
5'206Residents
Aarwangen
4'873Residents
Roggwil
4'514Residents
Thunstetten
3'621Residents
Madiswil
3'383Residents
Wangen an der Aare
2'981Residents
Lotzwil
2'841Residents
Wiedlisbach
2'657Residents
Oberbipp
1'979Residents
Niederönz
1'784Residents
Wynau
1'694Residents
Rohrbach
1'568Residents
Seeberg
1'565Residents
Attiswil
1'529Residents
Melchnau
1'485Residents
Eriswil
1'346Residents
Heimenhausen
1'199Residents
Thörigen
1'179Residents
Wyssachen
1'125Residents
Ursenbach
907Residents
Bleienbach
787Residents
Gondiswil
736Residents
Bettenhausen
706Residents
Bannwil
674Residents
Inkwil
668Residents
Walliswil bei Wangen
614Residents
Rütschelen
597Residents
Ochlenberg
555Residents
Walterswil
539Residents
Schwarzhäusern
529Residents
Rumisberg
499Residents
Auswil
485Residents
Rohrbachgraben
374Residents
Graben
334Residents
Oeschenbach
237Residents
Walliswil bei Niederbipp
234Residents
Farnern
224Residents
Reisiswil
183Residents
Busswil bei Melchnau
165Residents
Berken
45Residents
Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 24.09.2026
Votes in Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau
district results as published by BFS27.09.2026Popular Initiative 'For food security – through increased sustainable domestic production, more plant-based food and clean drinking water (Food Initiative)'Federal● Rejected · 27.5% Yes
22.2% YesNo 77.9%
27.09.2026Popular Initiative 'Safeguard Swiss neutrality (Neutrality Initiative)'Federal● Rejected · 29.8% Yes
32.3% YesNo 67.7%
27.09.2026Volksinitiative «Berner Bildungsinitiative»Cantonal BE● Rejected · 40.1% Yes
32.1% YesNo 67.9%
14.06.2026Popular initiative: 'No to Switzerland of 10 million! (Sustainability Initiative)'Federal● Rejected · 45.2% Yes
57.9% YesNo 42.1%
14.06.2026Projektierungskredit für das Kunstmuseum Bern (Sanierung und Ersatzneubau)Cantonal BE● Rejected · 48.2% Yes
34.8% YesNo 65.2%
08.03.2026Popular Initiative ‘For a fair energy and climate policy: Investing for prosperity, jobs and the environment (Climate Fund Initiative)’Federal● Rejected · 29.3% Yes
20.9% YesNo 79.1%
08.03.2026Popular Initiative ‘200 francs is enough! (SBC Initiative)’Federal● Rejected · 38.1% Yes
42.2% YesNo 57.8%
08.03.2026Cash Initiative and Counter-Proposal: Deciding QuestionFederal● Rejected · 37.4% Yes
39.8% YesNo 60.3%
Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 24.09.2026
Politics
National Council election 2023 · sum of its municipalitiesSVP40.2% · strongest party
SVP40.2%
SP15.7%
FDP8.4%
GLP8.2%
Mitte7.8%
GRÜNE7.2%
EDU4.9%
EVP4.1%
Übrige2.9%
SD0.4%
Tax rate in the district
ESTV 2026Walliswil bei Niederbipp
90 %
median of its municipalities
170 %
Oeschenbach
200 %
A district has no tax rate of its own. Rates range from 90 % % in Walliswil bei Niederbipp to 200 % % in Oeschenbach (median 170 % %).
Tax burden (single, CHF 100,000): 14.3 % in Walliswil bei Niederbipp to 17.9 % in Oeschenbach (ESTV 2'026)
Housing
BFSVacancy rate
2.02 %
Dwellings
43'977
Avg. rooms
3.9
Built before 1946
31.0%
Vacancy rate: published by BFS for the district (2025) · Dwellings: sum of its municipalities (2024)
Population change
BFS · 2025 · sum of its municipalitiesPopulation change 2025
+681 +0.8%
births
685
deaths
785
net migration
+814
BEVNAT (Statistik der natürlichen Bevölkerungsbewegung) 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 24.09.2026
Economy
BFS · 2024 · sum of its municipalitiesJobs
43'115
Workplaces
6'098
Services share
62.4 %
Jobs by sector: Primary 3'113 (7.2%) · Secondary 13'056 (30.3%) · Tertiary 26'894 (62.4%)
STATENT (Statistik der Unternehmensstruktur) 2024 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 24.09.2026
Agriculture
BFS · 2025 · sum of its municipalitiesFarms
954
Organic share
11 %
Farmland
18'312 ha
Landwirtschaftliche Strukturerhebung 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 19.09.2026
Climate · Terrain
MeteoSchweiz · swisstopoAnnual mean temperature
8.9 °C
Precipitation
1'174 mm
Elevation
399–1'230 m
Flat share
46.9%
Climate: area-weighted over its municipalities · Terrain: swissALTIRegio 40 m, zonal over the district polygon
Energy · Accessibility
BFE · ElCom · ARESolar potential
992 GWh
Electricity
25.6 Rp./kWh
Public transport to centre
73 min
Road to centre
49 min
Solar potential: sum of its municipalities · Electricity: median of its municipalities (23.15–35.017 Rp./kWh, 2027). ElCom publishes a median per municipality; the district value is our median of those. · Accessibility: median of its municipalities
Where the municipalities of Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau rank
sum of its municipalities3360Herzogenbuchsee3362Niederönz3363Oberönz3365Grasswil×23366Bettenhausen3367Ochlenberg +13368Bleienbach3372Wanzwil3373Röthenbach Herzogenbuchsee3374Wangenried3375Inkwil3376Berken +13377Walliswil b. Wangen3380Walliswil b. Niederbipp +13457Wasen im Emmental×23463Häusernmoos im Emmental×23464Schmidigen-Mühleweg×23474Rüedisbach×23475Riedtwil3476Oschwand4536Attiswil4537Wiedlisbach4538Oberbipp4539Farnern +14556Burgäschi×24704Niederbipp4900Langenthal4911Schwarzhäusern4912Aarwangen4913Bannwil4914Roggwil BE×24916Untersteckholz4917Busswil b. Melchnau +14919Reisiswil4922Bützberg4923Wynau4924Obersteckholz4932Gutenburg +14933Rütschelen4934Madiswil4935Leimiswil4936Kleindietwil4937Ursenbach4938Rohrbach +14942Walterswil BE×24943Oeschenbach4944Auswil4950Huttwil4952Eriswil×34953Schwarzenbach (Huttwil)4954Wyssachen×24955Gondiswil×26146Grossdietwil×26147Altbüron×2
13 of these postal codes reach across the district border.
AarwangenAltbüronAttiswilAuswilBannwilBerkenBettenhausenBleienbachBollodingenBurgäschiBusswil b. MelchnauBützbergEriswilFarnernGondiswilGrabenGrasswilGrossdietwilGutenburgHäusernmoos im EmmentalHeimenhausenHermiswilHerzogenbuchseeHuttwilInkwilKleindietwilLangenthalLeimiswilLotzwilMadiswilMelchnauNiederbippNiederönzOberbippOberönzObersteckholzOchlenbergOeschenbachOschwandReisiswilRiedtwilRoggwil BERohrbachRohrbachgrabenRöthenbach HerzogenbuchseeRüedisbachRumisbergRütschelenSchmidigen-MühlewegSchwarzenbach (Huttwil)SchwarzhäusernSeebergThörigenThunstettenUntersteckholzUrsenbachWalliswil b. NiederbippWalliswil b. WangenWalterswil BEWangen an der AareWangenriedWanzwilWasen im EmmentalWiedlisbachWolfisbergWynauWyssachen
Map
swisstopo · OSMArrondissement administratif Jura bernois47'003Verwaltungskreis Biel/Bienne107'448Verwaltungskreis Seeland79'107Verwaltungskreis Emmental100'490Verwaltungskreis Bern-Mittelland430'771Verwaltungskreis Thun110'264Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen16'863Verwaltungskreis Frutigen-Niedersimmental41'799Verwaltungskreis Interlaken-Oberhasli49'166
- Which municipalities belong to Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau?
- Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau comprises 43 municipalities: Langenthal, Herzogenbuchsee, Niederbipp, Huttwil, Aarwangen, Roggwil, Thunstetten, Madiswil, Wangen an der Aare, Lotzwil, Wiedlisbach, Oberbipp, Niederönz, Wynau, Rohrbach, Seeberg, Attiswil, Melchnau, Eriswil, Heimenhausen, Thörigen, Wyssachen, Ursenbach, Bleienbach, Gondiswil, Bettenhausen, Bannwil, Inkwil, Walliswil bei Wangen, Rütschelen, Ochlenberg, Walterswil, Schwarzhäusern, Rumisberg, Auswil, Rohrbachgraben, Graben, Oeschenbach, Walliswil bei Niederbipp, Farnern, Reisiswil, Busswil bei Melchnau, Berken. Together they have 86'163 residents (BFS, 2025).
- Which canton is Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau in?
- Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau lies in the canton of Bern, which is divided into 10 districts.
- How many people live in Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau?
- Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau has 86'163 residents (BFS STATPOP, 2025) — the sum of its 43 municipalities; the largest is Langenthal with 16'233.
- Does Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau have its own tax rate?
- No. Tax rates are set by municipalities. In Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau the municipal rate ranges from 90 % (Walliswil bei Niederbipp) to 200 % (Oeschenbach).
- How did Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau vote in the latest federal vote?
- On 27.09.2026, Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau voted 22.2 % yes on “Popular Initiative 'For food security – through increased sustainable domestic production, more plant-based food and clean drinking water (Food Initiative)'” (Rejected) — the district figure BFS publishes.
Districts exist in 17 cantons; UR, OW, NW, GL, ZG, BS, AI, NE and GE have no such level.