Switzerland · Canton BE · Administrative district
Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen
BernVerwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen is one of 10 districts of the canton of Bern and comprises 7 municipalities with 16'863 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.
Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 12.08.2026
Votes in Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen
district results as published by BFS14.06.2026Änderung des Bundesgesetzes über den zivilen Ersatzdienst (Zivildienstgesetz, ZDG)Federal● Accepted · 52.5% Yes
64.4% YesNo 35.6%
14.06.2026Volksinitiative «Keine 10-Millionen-Schweiz! (Nachhaltigkeitsinitiative)»Federal● Rejected · 45.2% Yes
60.6% YesNo 39.4%
14.06.2026Projektierungskredit für das Kunstmuseum Bern (Sanierung und Ersatzneubau)Cantonal BE● Rejected · 48.2% Yes
27.8% YesNo 72.2%
08.03.2026Volksinitiative «Für eine gerechte Energie- und Klimapolitik: Investieren für Wohlstand, Arbeit und Umwelt (Klimafonds-Initiative)»Federal● Rejected · 29.3% Yes
15.7% YesNo 84.3%
08.03.2026Volksinitiative «200 Franken sind genug! (SRG-Initiative)»Federal● Rejected · 38.1% Yes
45.7% YesNo 54.4%
08.03.2026Bargeldinitiative und Gegenvorschlag: StichfrageFederal● Rejected · 37.4% Yes
48.4% YesNo 51.6%
08.03.2026Bundesbeschluss über die schweizerische Währung und die Bargeldversorgung (Gegenvorschlag zur Bargeldinitiative)Federal● Accepted · 73.4% Yes
68.9% YesNo 31.1%
08.03.2026Volksinitiative «Ja zu einer unabhängigen, freien Schweizer Währung mit Münzen oder Banknoten (Bargeld ist Freiheit)»Federal● Rejected · 45.6% Yes
55.2% YesNo 44.8%
30.11.2025Volksinitiative «Für eine soziale Klimapolitik – steuerlich gerecht finanziert (Initiative für eine Zukunft)»Federal● Rejected · 21.7% Yes
9.9% YesNo 90.1%
Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 12.08.2026
Politics
National Council election 2023 · sum of its municipalitiesSVP49.8% · strongest party
SVP49.8%
EDU9.8%
FDP9.6%
GLP9.4%
Mitte7.0%
SP6.8%
GRÜNE3.5%
EVP2.1%
Übrige1.9%
SD0.1%
Tax rate in the district
ESTV 2026Saanen
110 %
median of its municipalities
179 %
Boltigen
190 %
A district has no tax rate of its own. Rates range from 110 % % in Saanen to 190 % % in Boltigen (median 179 % %).
Tax burden (single, CHF 100,000): 14.9 % in Saanen to 17.5 % in Boltigen (ESTV 2'026)
Housing
BFSVacancy rate
1.1 %
Dwellings
17'760
Avg. rooms
3.3
Built before 1946
31.4%
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
+67 +0.4%
births
129
deaths
161
net migration
+113
BEVNAT (Statistik der natürlichen Bevölkerungsbewegung) 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 19.09.2026
Economy
BFS · 2024 · sum of its municipalitiesJobs
12'667
Workplaces
2'134
Services share
67.6 %
Jobs by sector: Primary 1'623 (12.8%) · Secondary 2'484 (19.6%) · Tertiary 8'560 (67.6%)
STATENT (Statistik der Unternehmensstruktur) 2024 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 11.09.2026
Agriculture
BFS · 2025 · sum of its municipalitiesFarms
540
Organic share
28 %
Farmland
12'206 ha
Landwirtschaftliche Strukturerhebung 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 19.09.2026
Climate · Terrain
MeteoSchweiz · swisstopoAnnual mean temperature
4.4 °C
Precipitation
1'523 mm
Elevation
798–3'240 m
Flat share
5.3%
Climate: area-weighted over its municipalities · Terrain: swissALTIRegio 40 m, zonal over the district polygon
Energy · Accessibility
BFE · ElCom · ARESolar potential
361 GWh
Electricity
25.6 Rp./kWh
Public transport to centre
113 min
Road to centre
81 min
Solar potential: sum of its municipalities · Electricity: median of its municipalities (25.591–34.161 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 Obersimmental-Saanen rank
sum of its municipalities1657Abländschen×23766Boltigen×23770Zweisimmen3771Blankenburg3772St. Stephan3773Matten (St. Stephan)3775Lenk im Simmental3776Oeschseite3777Saanenmöser3778Schönried3780Gstaad3781Turbach3782Lauenen b. Gstaad3783Grund b. Gstaad3784Feutersoey3785Gsteig b. Gstaad3792Saanen
2 of these postal codes reach across the district border.
Map
swisstopo · OSMArrondissement administratif Jura bernois47'003Verwaltungskreis Biel/Bienne107'448Verwaltungskreis Seeland79'107Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau86'163Verwaltungskreis Emmental100'490Verwaltungskreis Bern-Mittelland430'771Verwaltungskreis Thun110'264Verwaltungskreis Frutigen-Niedersimmental41'799Verwaltungskreis Interlaken-Oberhasli49'166
- Which municipalities belong to Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen?
- Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen comprises 7 municipalities: Saanen, Zweisimmen, Lenk, St. Stephan, Boltigen, Gsteig bei Gstaad, Lauenen. Together they have 16'863 residents (BFS, 2025).
- Which canton is Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen in?
- Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen lies in the canton of Bern, which is divided into 10 districts.
- How many people live in Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen?
- Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen has 16'863 residents (BFS STATPOP, 2025) — the sum of its 7 municipalities; the largest is Saanen with 6'967.
- Does Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen have its own tax rate?
- No. Tax rates are set by municipalities. In Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen the municipal rate ranges from 110 % (Saanen) to 190 % (Boltigen).
- How did Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen vote in the latest federal vote?
- On 14.06.2026, Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen voted 64.4 % yes on “Änderung des Bundesgesetzes über den zivilen Ersatzdienst (Zivildienstgesetz, ZDG)” (Accepted) — the district figure BFS publishes.
Districts exist in 17 cantons; UR, OW, NW, GL, ZG, BS, AI, NE and GE have no such level.