Switzerland · Canton VS
Lens
1978–3978Residents
4'590
Area
14 km²
Population density
328 pop./km²
Elevation
1'134 m a.s.l.
Terrain up to
2'539 m a.s.l.
Tax multiplier
105%
Postal codes
4
Demographics
BFS · 2025Women
2'310 50.3%
Men
2'280 49.7%
Children & youth (0–19)
714 15.6%
Swiss citizens
3'040 66.2%
Foreign residents
1'550 33.8%
Population density
328 pop./km²
0–19 · 714 · 15.6%20–64 · 2'510 · 54.7%65+ · 1'366 · 29.8%
Foreign residents 33.8%0%64.0%
STATPOP 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 31.08.2026 · swisstopo, retrieved 24.08.2026
14.06.2026Änderung des Bundesgesetzes über den zivilen Ersatzdienst (Zivildienstgesetz, ZDG)Federal● Accepted · 52.5% Yes
59.4% YesNo 40.7%
14.06.2026Volksinitiative «Keine 10-Millionen-Schweiz! (Nachhaltigkeitsinitiative)»Federal● Rejected · 45.2% Yes
45.5% YesNo 54.5%
08.03.2026Volksinitiative «Für eine gerechte Energie- und Klimapolitik: Investieren für Wohlstand, Arbeit und Umwelt (Klimafonds-Initiative)»Federal● Rejected · 29.3% Yes
20.9% YesNo 79.1%
08.03.2026Volksinitiative «200 Franken sind genug! (SRG-Initiative)»Federal● Rejected · 38.1% Yes
42.9% YesNo 57.2%
08.03.2026Bargeldinitiative und Gegenvorschlag: StichfrageFederal● Rejected · 37.4% Yes
54.4% YesNo 45.6%
08.03.2026Bundesbeschluss über die schweizerische Währung und die Bargeldversorgung (Gegenvorschlag zur Bargeldinitiative)Federal● Accepted · 73.4% Yes
64.3% YesNo 35.7%
08.03.2026Volksinitiative «Ja zu einer unabhängigen, freien Schweizer Währung mit Münzen oder Banknoten (Bargeld ist Freiheit)»Federal● Rejected · 45.6% Yes
62.0% YesNo 38.0%
30.11.2025Volksinitiative «Für eine soziale Klimapolitik – steuerlich gerecht finanziert (Initiative für eine Zukunft)»Federal● Rejected · 21.7% Yes
12.4% YesNo 87.6%
30.11.2025Volksinitiative «Für eine engagierte Schweiz (Service-citoyen-Initiative)»Federal● Rejected · 15.9% Yes
14.2% YesNo 85.9%
Popular votes (sd-t-17-02) 2026 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 31.08.2026
Politics
National Council election 2023Mitte33.2% · strongest party
Mitte33.2%
SVP23.7%
FDP19.2%
SP12.2%
GRÜNE7.3%
sd-t-17.02-NRW2023 2023 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 31.08.2026
Taxes 2026
ESTVMunicipal tax multiplier105%
Cantonal tax multiplier100%
105%VS range 100%145%
Tax rank 16 of 122 in canton ValaisTax burden
Single, 100'000 CHF gross income
13'973 CHF(14%)
Rank 15 of 122 in the canton · 825 of 2110 in Switzerland
Median canton 15'413 CHF · median Switzerland 15'290 CHF
Cheapest Bister VS 13'690 CHF · most expensive Grächen 17'302 CHF
100'000 CHF:13'973 CHF(~14%)
LensCanton range ValaisSwitzerland median
Show data table
| Gross income | Lens | Valais | Switzerland median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40'000 | 4.3% | 4.2–5.8% | 5.4% |
| 50'000 | 7.6% | 7.5–10.3% | 7.8% |
| 60'000 | 9% | 8.8–12% | 10.5% |
| 70'000 | 10.4% | 10.2–13.5% | 11.9% |
| 80'000 | 11.6% | 11.4–14.9% | 13.1% |
| 90'000 | 12.7% | 12.4–16% | 14.1% |
| 100'000 | 14% | 13.7–17.3% | 15.3% |
| 110'000 | 15.1% | 14.8–18.5% | 16.3% |
| 120'000 | 16.2% | 15.9–19.6% | 17.2% |
| 130'000 | 17.3% | 17–20.8% | 18.1% |
| 140'000 | 18.4% | 18.1–22% | 19% |
| 150'000 | 19.5% | 19.1–23% | 19.7% |
| 175'000 | 22.2% | 21.8–25.7% | 21.6% |
| 200'000 | 24.3% | 23.9–27.7% | 23.2% |
| 225'000 | 25.5% | 25.1–28.9% | 24.6% |
| 250'000 | 26.4% | 26–30% | 25.8% |
| 275'000 | 27.2% | 26.8–30.8% | 26.8% |
| 300'000 | 27.8% | 27.4–31.6% | 27.4% |
2026 · Federal Tax Administration (FTA), retrieved 31.08.2026
Climate
MeteoSwiss 1 km grid · 1991–2020Annual mean temperature 1991–20207.7 °C
Precipitation 1991–2020806 mm
7.7 °CCH range -5.5°14°
1991–2020 · MeteoSwiss, retrieved 28.08.2026
Terrain
swisstopo · DHM 40 mHighest point
2'539 m
Mean elevation
1'341 m
Relief
1'946 m
Mean slope
18.9°
Flat share
6.1%
South-facing
60.4%
Above 2000 m
12.6%
Relief 1'946 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
60.8 GWh/yr
Roofs + façades
84.9 GWh/yr
≈ households powered
13'500
61 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 31.08.2026
Electricity
ElCom · 2026Tariff H4
26.87 Rp./kWh
Energy
14 Rp./kWh
Grid usage
7.73 Rp./kWh
Levies + grid surcharge
3.38 Rp./kWh
26.87 Rp./kWh9.6443.61
Canton median 26.87 Rp./kWhSwiss median 27.7 Rp./kWh
Network operator OIKEN SA
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.
2026 · Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom), retrieved 28.08.2026
Housing
BFSVacancy rate
3.08 %
Avg. rooms
3.3
Dwellings
5'392
Built before 19466.3%
Built since 200115.7%
3.08 %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 31.08.2026 · Vacant dwellings survey 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retrieved 31.08.2026
Accessibility
ARE · NPVMNational Passenger Transport Model (NPVM) 2025 · Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), retrieved 28.08.2026
Municipality
Wikidata · CC0Websitelens.ch ↗
Wikidata · continuously updated, retrieved 31.08.2026
Rankings
31Largest municipalities4'590 #22 VS · #481 CHFamilies & children15.6% #85 VS · #1945 CHAge structure29.8% #21 VS · #107 CHWomen share50.3% #32 VS · #766 CHForeign residents33.8% #15 VS · #179 CHPopulation density328/km² #17 VS · #724 CHTax burden13'973 #15 VS · #825 CHTaxes105% #16 VSWarmest municipalities7.7 °C #55 VS · #1756 CHSunniest municipalities56.9% #8 VS · #10 CHRainiest municipalities806 mm #72 VS · #2046 CHVoter turnout54.3% #52 VS · #1179 CHAgainst Switzerland18% #55 VS · #733 CHAligned with Switzerland82% #19 VS · #782 CHSVP strongholds23.7% #73 VS · #1623 CHSP strongholds12.2% #48 VS · #1274 CHCentre strongholds33.2% #79 VS · #196 CHFDP strongholds19.2% #29 VS · #514 CHGLP strongholds3.8% #6 VS · #1450 CHGreen strongholds7.3% #47 VS · #1035 CHLargest by area14 km² #90 VS · #701 CHHighest municipalities1'134 m #60 VS · #189 CHRemotest municipalities122 min #40 VS · #173 CHBest-connected municipalities122 min #84 VS · #1941 CHHighest peaks2'539 m #93 VS · #231 CHHighest-lying municipalities1'341 m #91 VS · #252 CHGreatest vertical range1'946 m #94 VS · #221 CHSteepest municipalities18.9° #112 VS · #427 CHSolar potential61 GWh #17 VS · #234 CHCheapest electricity26.87 Rp./kWh #77 VS · #577 CHMost expensive electricity26.87 Rp./kWh #49 VS · #1533 CH
Postal codes (4)
swisstopoLocalities
swisstopo · 5Nearby municipalities
swisstopo- What is the postal code of Lens?
- Lens has 4 postal codes: 1978, 3963, 3971, 3978.
- What is the tax rate in Lens?
- The municipal tax multiplier of Lens is 105% (2026); canton VS levies 100%.
- How much tax do you pay in Lens?
- A single person without children pays about 13'973 CHF income tax in Lens on 100'000 CHF gross income (federal, cantonal, municipal), rank 15 of 122 in canton VS. Source: ESTV (2026).
- How many residents does Lens have?
- Lens has 4'590 residents (2025).
- How many foreign residents live in Lens?
- Lens has 1'550 foreign residents, a share of 33.77% (2025).
Map
OpenStreetMapLens compared with
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