Ranking · Data 2026 · Source: BFS
The highest second-home share in canton St. Gallen
National ranking →Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann has the highest second-home share in canton St. Gallen: 63.9 % of all dwellings are second homes. Next come Amden (48.4 %) and Flums (44.4 %). At 20 % or above, the Second Homes Act bars any new second-home permits. Source: ARE.
Ranking
ARE · 2026| Rank | Municipality | Second-home share | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann | 63.9% | 2'614 |
| 2 | Amden | 48.4% | 1'896 |
| 3 | Flums | 44.4% | 5'458 |
| 4 | Quarten | 40.6% | 3'118 |
| 5 | Pfäfers | 31.5% | 1'647 |
| 6 | Nesslau | 25.6% | 3'937 |
| 7 | Ebnat-Kappel | 17.6% | 5'353 |
| 8 | Walenstadt | 16.9% | 6'083 |
| 9 | Neckertal | 16.8% | 6'446 |
| 10 | Bad Ragaz | 16.1% | 6'836 |
| 11 | St. Gallen | 14.7% | 79'487 |
| 12 | Lütisburg | 14.5% | 1'647 |
| 13 | Mosnang | 14.5% | 2'936 |
| 14 | Wartau | 14% | 5'617 |
| 15 | Mels | 13.8% | 9'581 |
| 16 | Sevelen | 13.7% | 5'405 |
| 17 | Vilters-Wangs | 13.6% | 5'168 |
| 18 | Rheineck | 13.3% | 3'566 |
| 19 | Gommiswald | 13.3% | 5'838 |
| 20 | Weesen | 13.2% | 1'895 |
| 21 | Eschenbach | 13.1% | 10'401 |
| 22 | Altstätten | 13.1% | 12'788 |
| 23 | Wattwil | 13.1% | 9'262 |
| 24 | Gams | 13% | 3'736 |
| 25 | Rorschach | 12.6% | 10'389 |
| 26 | Bütschwil-Ganterschwil | 12.6% | 5'385 |
| 27 | Muolen | 12.2% | 1'251 |
| 28 | Thal | 12.2% | 7'217 |
| 29 | Degersheim | 12.1% | 4'209 |
| 30 | Schmerikon | 12.1% | 4'168 |
| 31 | Buchs | 11.7% | 14'287 |
| 32 | St. Margrethen | 11.7% | 6'731 |
| 33 | Grabs | 11.7% | 7'535 |
| 34 | Lichtensteig | 11% | 2'157 |
| 35 | Benken | 10.8% | 3'119 |
| 36 | Berneck | 10.7% | 4'026 |
| 37 | Sennwald | 10.7% | 6'428 |
| 38 | Rorschacherberg | 10.4% | 7'741 |
| 39 | Balgach | 10.3% | 5'229 |
| 40 | Schänis | 10.2% | 4'213 |
| 41 | Eggersriet | 10% | 2'370 |
| 42 | Rebstein | 10% | 5'084 |
| 43 | Jonschwil | 9.9% | 3'979 |
| 44 | Rapperswil-Jona | 9.9% | 28'836 |
| 45 | Sargans | 9.8% | 6'670 |
| 46 | Rüthi | 9.7% | 2'667 |
| 47 | Oberriet | 9.6% | 9'417 |
| 48 | Uzwil | 9.6% | 14'676 |
| 49 | Steinach | 9.5% | 3'579 |
| 50 | Waldkirch | 9.5% | 3'581 |
| 51 | Wil | 9.5% | 25'444 |
| 52 | Marbach | 9.3% | 2'147 |
| 53 | Flawil | 9.1% | 10'672 |
| 54 | Oberuzwil | 9.1% | 6'864 |
| 55 | Niederhelfenschwil | 8.9% | 3'309 |
| 56 | Berg | 8.6% | 1'021 |
| 57 | Untereggen | 8.6% | 1'035 |
| 58 | Kirchberg | 8.6% | 9'879 |
| 59 | Eichberg | 8.5% | 1'614 |
| 60 | Gaiserwald | 8.4% | 8'828 |
| 61 | Kaltbrunn | 8.4% | 5'128 |
| 62 | Uznach | 8.4% | 7'114 |
| 63 | Andwil | 8.3% | 2'117 |
| 64 | Gossau | 8.3% | 18'943 |
| 65 | Diepoldsau | 8% | 6'933 |
| 66 | Niederbüren | 8% | 1'571 |
| 67 | Goldach | 7.9% | 9'872 |
| 68 | Wittenbach | 7.7% | 10'157 |
| 69 | Au | 7.7% | 8'771 |
| 70 | Häggenschwil | 7.5% | 1'432 |
| 71 | Widnau | 7.3% | 10'485 |
| 72 | Oberbüren | 7.2% | 4'762 |
| 73 | Zuzwil | 7.1% | 4'994 |
| 74 | Mörschwil | 6.8% | 3'702 |
| 75 | Tübach | 6.6% | 1'587 |
Dwelling inventory and second-home share 2026 · ARE, retrieved 11.09.2026
How we measure this
AREShare of second homes in a municipality’s total dwelling stock, in percent, from the dwelling inventory of the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), as of 2026. The Second Homes Act (ZWG) bars new second-home permits in municipalities whose share is 20 % or more. Whether a municipality is subject to that freeze is an official ARE determination and does not in every case coincide exactly with the 20 % line; it is shown separately on the municipality page.
Frequently asked questions
- Which municipality in canton St. Gallen has the highest second-home share?
- Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann: 63.9 % of all dwellings are second homes (2026) — the highest share of any municipality in canton St. Gallen. Source: ARE.
- What does the 20 % Second Homes Act limit mean?
- If a municipality’s second-home share is 20 % or more, no new second homes may in principle be built there. Whether the freeze applies is determined officially by the ARE. Around 326 municipalities are currently subject to it.