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Switzerland · Canton SG

Benken

8717–8863
SG CANTON87178863
Residents
3'035
Area
16.5 km²
Elevation
420 m a.s.l.
Tax multiplier
117%
Postal codes
2

Relief © swisstopo · TINITALY · geoland.at · LGL · IGN

Demographics

BFS · 2023
Women
1'480 48.8%
Men
1'555 51.2%
Children & youth (0–19)
740 24.4%
Swiss citizens
2'628 85.5%
Foreign residents
445 14.5%
0–19 · 740 · 24.4%20–64 · 1'781 · 58.7%65+ · 514 · 16.9%
Foreign residents 14.5%0%61.6%
STATPOP 2023 · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS), retrieved 24.07.2026

Votes

BFS
Volksabstimmungen (sd-t-17-02) 2026 · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS), retrieved 03.08.2026

Politics

National Council election 2023
SVP47.0% · strongest party
SVP47.0%
Mitte21.2%
FDP12.4%
SP6.1%
GRÜNE5.1%
sd-t-17.02-NRW2023 2023 · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS), retrieved 20.07.2026

Taxes 2026

ESTV
Municipal tax multiplier117%
Cantonal tax multiplier105%
117%SG range 61%155%
Tax rank 44 of 75 in canton St. Gallen
2026 · Eidgenössische Steuerverwaltung (ESTV), retrieved 20.07.2026

Climate

MeteoSwiss 1 km grid · 1991–2020
Annual mean temperature 1991–202010.2 °C
Precipitation 1991–20201'509 mm
10.2 °CCH range -5.5°14°
1991–2020 · MeteoSwiss, retrieved 03.08.2026

Terrain

swisstopo · DHM 40 m
Highest point
577 m
Mean elevation
429 m
Relief
172 m
Mean slope
3.7°
Flat share
74.4%
South-facing
14.6%
Above 2000 m
0.0%
Relief 172 m0 m3'865 m

Terrain figures cover the whole municipal territory (swisstopo DEM, 40 m) — not the settlement point. Slope and south-facing share are resolution-dependent and measured at 40 m.

swissALTIRegio 2025 · swisstopo, retrieved 04.08.2026

Solar potential

BFE
Roof potential
34.6 GWh/yr
Roofs + façades
46.5 GWh/yr
≈ households powered
7'700
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).

Bundesamt für Energie (BFE), retrieved 10.08.2026

Housing

BFS
Vacancy rate
0.51 %
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.

Gebäude- und Wohnungsstatistik (GWS) 2024 · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS), retrieved 11.08.2026 · Leerwohnungszählung (LWZ) 2025 · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS), retrieved 11.08.2026

Municipality

Wikidata · CC0
Wikidata · continuously updated, retrieved 27.07.2026

Rankings

24

Postal codes (2)

swisstopo

Localities

swisstopo · 2

Nearby municipalities

swisstopo

Frequently asked questions

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 many residents does Benken have?
Benken has 3'035 residents (2023).
How many foreign residents live in Benken?
Benken has 445 foreign residents, a share of 14.48% (2024).
Which party is strongest in Benken?
In the 2023 National Council election, SVP was the strongest party in Benken with 47.041% of the vote.

Map

OpenStreetMap