Demographics
BFS · 2025Women
1'511 48.4%
Men
1'608 51.6%
Children & youth (0–19)
741 23.8%
Swiss citizens
2'662 85.4%
Foreign residents
457 14.7%
Population density
189 pop./km²
0–19 · 741 · 23.8%20–64 · 1'798 · 57.6%65+ · 580 · 18.6%
Foreign residents 14.7%0%64.0%
Population change 2025: +46 (+1.5%) · 18 births · 32 deaths · net migration +55
STATPOP 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 19.09.2026 · swisstopo, retrieved 24.09.2026 · BEVNAT (Statistik der natürlichen Bevölkerungsbewegung) 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 24.09.2026
14.06.2026Änderung des Bundesgesetzes über den zivilen Ersatzdienst (Zivildienstgesetz, ZDG)Federal● Accepted · 52.5% YesDistrict Wahlkreis See-Gaster: 59.1% Yes
64.8% YesNo 35.2%
14.06.2026Volksinitiative «Keine 10-Millionen-Schweiz! (Nachhaltigkeitsinitiative)»Federal● Rejected · 45.2% YesDistrict Wahlkreis See-Gaster: 56.1% Yes
70.0% YesNo 30.0%
14.06.2026Gesetz über Beiträge für familien- und schulergänzende KinderbetreuungCantonal SG● Accepted · 57.8% YesDistrict Wahlkreis See-Gaster: 56.4% Yes
47.2% YesNo 52.8%
08.03.2026Bundesgesetz über die IndividualbesteuerungFederal● Accepted · 54.3% YesDistrict Wahlkreis See-Gaster: 45.1% Yes
34.4% YesNo 65.6%
08.03.2026Volksinitiative «Für eine gerechte Energie- und Klimapolitik: Investieren für Wohlstand, Arbeit und Umwelt (Klimafonds-Initiative)»Federal● Rejected · 29.3% YesDistrict Wahlkreis See-Gaster: 22.3% Yes
17.0% YesNo 83.0%
08.03.2026Volksinitiative «200 Franken sind genug! (SRG-Initiative)»Federal● Rejected · 38.1% YesDistrict Wahlkreis See-Gaster: 43.3% Yes
52.3% YesNo 47.7%
08.03.2026Bargeldinitiative und Gegenvorschlag: StichfrageFederal● Rejected · 37.4% YesDistrict Wahlkreis See-Gaster: 40.8% Yes
52.9% YesNo 47.1%
08.03.2026Bundesbeschluss über die schweizerische Währung und die Bargeldversorgung (Gegenvorschlag zur Bargeldinitiative)Federal● Accepted · 73.4% YesDistrict Wahlkreis See-Gaster: 73.1% Yes
68.0% YesNo 32.0%
Popular votes (sd-t-17-02) 2026 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 21.09.2026
Politics
National Council election 2023SVP47.0% · strongest party
SVP47.0%
Mitte21.2%
FDP12.4%
SP6.1%
GRÜNE5.1%
sd-t-17.02-NRW2023 2023 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 25.09.2026
Taxes 2026
ESTVMunicipal tax multiplier117%
Cantonal tax multiplier105%
117%SG range 61%155%
Tax rank 44 of 75 in canton St. GallenTax burden
Single, 100'000 CHF gross income
13'978 CHF(14%)
Rank 43 of 75 in the canton · 829 of 2110 in Switzerland
Median canton 13'868 CHF · median Switzerland 15'290 CHF
Cheapest Balgach 10'881 CHF · most expensive Lütisburg 16'080 CHF
100'000 CHF:13'978 CHF(~14%)
BenkenCanton range St. GallenSwitzerland median
Show data table
| Gross income | Benken | St. Gallen | Switzerland median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40'000 | 6.3% | 4.8–7.3% | 5.4% |
| 50'000 | 8% | 6.1–9.3% | 7.8% |
| 60'000 | 9.6% | 7.4–11.2% | 10.5% |
| 70'000 | 10.8% | 8.3–12.5% | 11.9% |
| 80'000 | 11.9% | 9.2–13.8% | 13.1% |
| 90'000 | 12.9% | 10–14.9% | 14.1% |
| 100'000 | 14% | 10.9–16.1% | 15.3% |
| 110'000 | 14.9% | 11.7–17.1% | 16.3% |
| 120'000 | 15.7% | 12.3–18% | 17.2% |
| 130'000 | 16.4% | 12.9–18.7% | 18.1% |
| 140'000 | 17.1% | 13.6–19.5% | 19% |
| 150'000 | 17.7% | 14.1–20.2% | 19.7% |
| 175'000 | 19.2% | 15.4–21.8% | 21.6% |
| 200'000 | 20.4% | 16.5–23.1% | 23.2% |
| 225'000 | 21.5% | 17.5–24.2% | 24.6% |
| 250'000 | 22.5% | 18.4–25.2% | 25.8% |
| 275'000 | 23.2% | 19.1–26.1% | 26.8% |
| 300'000 | 23.9% | 19.7–26.7% | 27.4% |
2026 · Federal Tax Administration (FTA), retrieved 24.09.2026
Climate
MeteoSwiss 1 km grid · 1991–2020Annual mean temperature 1991–202010.2 °C
Precipitation 1991–20201'509 mm
10.2 °CCH range -5.5°14°
1991–2020 · MeteoSwiss, retrieved 28.08.2026
Terrain
swisstopo · DHM 40 mHighest point
600 m
Mean elevation
430 m
Relief
194 m
Mean slope
4°
Flat share
75.4%
South-facing
5.2%
Above 2000 m
0.0%
Relief 194 m0 m3'847 m
Terrain figures cover the whole municipal territory (swisstopo swissALTIRegio) — not the settlement point. Slope and south-facing share are resolution-dependent and measured at 40 m.
swissALTIRegio 2026 · swisstopo, retrieved 28.08.2026
Roof potential
34.6 GWh/yr
Roofs + façades
46.5 GWh/yr
≈ households powered
7'700
Per inhabitant
11'087 kWh/yr
35 GWh/yr01'133 GWh/yr
BFE solar factsheet ↗Modelled roof and façade potential from the BFE solar model — the electricity these surfaces could produce, not installed capacity or what the municipality actually generates today. The household figure divides the roof potential by 4'500 kWh per year, ElCom’s reference household (consumption profile H4, a 5-room apartment).
Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), retrieved 24.09.2026
Electricity
ElCom · 2027Tariff H4
30.71 Rp./kWh
Energy
13.54 Rp./kWh
Grid usage
12.18 Rp./kWh
Levies + grid surcharge
2.8 Rp./kWh
30.71 Rp./kWh10.5645.88
Canton median 30.11 Rp./kWhSwiss median 26.53 Rp./kWh
Network operator Politische Gemeinde Benken SG, Elektrizitätsversorgung
ElCom tariff comparison ↗How this is measured
Total household electricity price for ElCom consumption profile H4 — 4'500 kWh a year, a 5-room flat with electric stove and tumble dryer — standard product, excluding VAT, for the tariff year shown. Energy, grid usage, levies to public bodies and the federal grid surcharge are included. Canton and Swiss medians are ElCom's own published figures.
2027 · Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom), retrieved 12.09.2026
Health-insurance premiums
BAG · 2024Premium regionRegion 2
Standard model, deductible 300538 CHF/mo
Ø premium in canton St. Gallen377 CHF/mo
Estimate Switzerland 2026465.3 CHF/mo
Premiums are set per canton and premium region. This area lies in premium region 2 of canton St. Gallen. Shown is the average adult premium paid across the whole canton St. Gallen (2024, BAG) — a region-specific average is not available in the cantonal data.
2024 · Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), retrieved 12.09.2026
Housing
BFS · AREVacancy rate
0.51 %
Second homes
10.8 %
Avg. rooms
4.3
Dwellings
1'369
Built before 194621.9%
Built since 200138.5%
0.51 %0 %12 %
Vacancy rate from the BFS vacant-dwelling count (2025); building age and room count from the Buildings and Dwellings Statistics (2024). The average room count treats the ‘6 rooms or more’ class as 6, so it is a slight lower bound. The vacancy rate is volatile for small municipalities.
Buildings and Dwellings Statistics 2024 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 24.09.2026 · Vacant dwellings survey 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 24.09.2026 · Dwelling inventory and second-home share 2026 · Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), retrieved 24.09.2026
Economy
BFS · 2024Jobs
1'267
Workplaces
238
Services share
31.3 %
Jobs by sector: Primary 228 (18.0%) · Secondary 642 (50.7%) · Tertiary 397 (31.3%)
STATENT (Statistik der Unternehmensstruktur) 2024 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 24.09.2026
Agriculture
BFS · 2025Farms
66
Organic share
9.1 %
Farmland
1'296 ha
Landwirtschaftliche Strukturerhebung 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 19.09.2026
Accessibility
ARE · NPVMNational Passenger Transport Model (NPVM) 2025 · Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), retrieved 24.09.2026
Municipality
Wikidata · CC0Wikidata · continuously updated, retrieved 24.09.2026
Largest municipalities3'119 #56 SG · #701 CHGrowing municipalities1.5% #10 SG · #540 CHShrinking municipalities1.5% #66 SG · #1570 CHJobs per resident0.41 #44 SG · #804 CHFamilies & children23.8% #10 SG · #189 CHAge structure18.6% #51 SG · #1531 CHWomen share48.4% #65 SG · #1744 CHForeign residents14.7% #57 SG · #1316 CHPopulation density189/km² #48 SG · #1066 CHTax burden13'978 #43 SG · #829 CHTaxes117% #44 SGWarmest municipalities10.2 °C #16 SG · #345 CHSunniest municipalities44.6% #17 SG · #729 CHRainiest municipalities1'509 mm #19 SG · #232 CHVoter turnout53.8% #39 SG · #1247 CHAgainst Switzerland30% #9 SG · #78 CHAligned with Switzerland70% #66 SG · #1379 CHSVP strongholds47% #5 SG · #322 CHSP strongholds6.1% #65 SG · #1870 CHCentre strongholds21.2% #33 SG · #473 CHFDP strongholds12.4% #49 SG · #1107 CHGLP strongholds4.3% #50 SG · #1348 CHGreen strongholds5.1% #58 SG · #1531 CHLargest by area16.5 km² #34 SG · #584 CHHighest municipalities420 m #62 SG · #1775 CHSecond homes10.8% #35 SG · #1085 CHOrganic farming9.1% #46 SG · #1290 CHBest-connected municipalities77 min #8 SG · #1285 CHRemotest municipalities77 min #68 SG · #830 CHHighest peaks600 m #63 SG · #1545 CHHighest-lying municipalities430 m #68 SG · #1865 CHGreatest vertical range194 m #59 SG · #1395 CHSteepest municipalities4° #68 SG · #1744 CHSolar potential35 GWh #50 SG · #575 CHSolar potential per capita11'087 kWh #18 SG · #897 CHCheapest electricity30.71 Rp./kWh #42 SG · #1855 CHMost expensive electricity30.71 Rp./kWh #33 SG · #252 CH
Postal codes (2)
swisstopoLocalities
swisstopo · 2Nearby municipalities
swisstopo- What is the postal code of Benken?
- Benken has 2 postal codes: 8717, 8863.
- What is the tax rate in Benken?
- The municipal tax multiplier of Benken is 117% (2026); canton SG levies 105%.
- How much tax do you pay in Benken?
- A single person without children pays about 13'978 CHF income tax in Benken on 100'000 CHF gross income (federal, cantonal, municipal), rank 43 of 75 in canton SG. Source: ESTV (2026).
- How many residents does Benken have?
- Benken has 3'119 residents (2025).
- How many foreign residents live in Benken?
- Benken has 457 foreign residents, a share of 14.65% (2025).
Map
OpenStreetMapBenken compared with
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