Where are vacant homes still available? The 2026 vacancy ranking

Why the 2026 ranking uses two data dates

The title refers to the 2026 edition and information date, not to a completed nationwide 2026 survey. The Federal Statistical Office still shows 2025 as the latest complete national comparison.

To avoid mixing provisional figures calculated at different times, the 26-canton table retains the uniform FSO reference date of 1 June 2025. Official early 2026 cantonal figures are shown separately.

This distinction matters: an apparently complete 2026 ranking in early August would either be incomplete or combine different years.

What counts as a vacant dwelling?

A dwelling counts as vacant only if it is unoccupied, habitable and actively offered for permanent rent or sale on the reference date. Homes already let for a later move-in date, empty properties not offered on the market and many owner-used second homes are excluded.

The vacancy rate compares vacant dwellings with the total dwelling stock of the previous year, making large and small cantons more comparable than absolute counts alone.

A market around 1.5% is often used as a rough balance point. This does not guarantee low rents: location, size, condition and local demand remain decisive.

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Complete ranking of all 26 cantons

Complete national data date: 1 June 2025

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Where choice remains greatest

Jura leads the complete ranking at 3.03% and is the only canton clearly above 3%. Solothurn follows at 2.05%. Ticino and Neuchâtel are also well above the Swiss average.

A higher rate generally improves the chance of comparing several offers. It does not mean that every municipality is well supplied or that asking rents are low.

In small markets, a single development can move the rate sharply. Combine cantonal figures with municipal, district and current listing data.

Where finding a home is especially difficult

At the other end are Geneva at 0.34%, Zug at 0.42% and Zurich at 0.48%. In these markets, considerably fewer than one in 200 dwellings is vacant.

Geneva tightened further in 2026. Large cities may also be much tighter than their canton: Zurich city was around 0.1% in 2025.

Below 0.5%, rapid responses, a complete file, flexible search areas and alerts become particularly important.

First 2026 results: Geneva and Vaud

Geneva reported only 793 vacant dwellings on 1 June 2026 and a rate of 0.31%, down from 858 dwellings and 0.34% a year earlier. Of 682 vacant apartments, 574 were offered for rent.

Vaud counted 3,907 vacant dwellings: 2,735 were for rent or both markets and 1,172 were for sale only. The provisional rate was 0.87%, down from 0.89%. District rates ranged from 0.64% in Lavaux-Oron to 1.35% in Broye-Vully.

These early figures confirm continued scarcity but do not replace a consistent nationwide 2026 ranking.

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Why the number of homes alone is misleading

Bern had the largest absolute number in 2025, with 6,660 vacant dwellings, but ranked only ninth at 1.12%. Jura had just 1,268 vacant dwellings yet led the ranking because its housing stock is much smaller.

Both measures matter: the rate describes market tightness, while the count describes the visible market size. The practical result also depends on how many homes match the required size, location and budget.

Vacancy includes rent and sale

Of Switzerland’s 48,455 vacant dwellings in 2025, 37,194 were offered for rent and 11,261 for sale. The overall rate is therefore not a pure rental indicator.

Cantons with many vacant ownership or holiday properties may look less tight even when affordable rentals remain scarce. Where available, examine tenure, room count and municipality.

What a higher vacancy rate really means

A higher vacancy rate usually means more choice, longer marketing periods and slightly more negotiating room. It may also reflect new developments that have not yet been fully absorbed.

It does not automatically mean low rents. A tourism canton can have a higher rate and expensive homes in popular resorts, while a low-rate municipality may still offer individual cooperative or older apartments.

Use the ranking as a search filter, not a substitute for budget, commuting and quality comparisons.

A canton is not the same as a municipality

Cantonal averages hide major differences. In Vaud, 2026 district rates ranged from 0.64% to 1.35%. In Geneva’s larger municipalities they ranged from 0.12% in Lancy to 0.37% in Geneva city.

Municipal detail is decisive. Compare towns on the same rail line, suburban areas, edge districts and new developments. Adding 15–30 minutes to the search radius may substantially increase suitable listings.

Search strategy by market tightness

Interactive vacancy checker

Common misinterpretations

1. Treating the 2026 edition as a completed national 2026 survey.
2. Assuming a high rate automatically means low rents.
3. Comparing only absolute counts.
4. Ignoring the split between rent and sale.
5. Applying a canton average to every municipality.
6. Overinterpreting small annual changes.
7. Treating new-build vacancy as permanent oversupply.
8. Searching only in city centres.
9. Obtaining application documents only after a viewing.
10. Choosing a statistically easier region without checking commuting and total costs.

Housing-search checklist

Sources and information date

1. Federal Statistical Office: Vacancy rate falls to 1% in 2025
2. Federal Statistical Office: Vacant dwellings and canton rates 2003–2025
3. Federal Statistical Office: Definition and interactive census
4. Canton of Geneva: Vacancy figures 2026
5. Canton of Vaud: Provisional vacancy figures 2026
6. Canton of Zurich: Vacancy figures 2025
7. Federal Office for Housing: Housing shortage action plan
8. UrbanHome: Current vacant homes

Information current as of 6 August 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion: more choice is usually outside the strongest centres

The latest complete ranking shows the greatest statistical choice in Jura, Solothurn, Ticino and Neuchâtel. Geneva, Zug and Zurich remain the most difficult canton markets. Early 2026 results from Geneva and Vaud do not indicate broad relief. Use the ranking as a starting point, then research municipalities and monitor several areas simultaneously.