Aarau, Baden, and Schaffhausen top Zurich region for family living

Families seeking a new home in the Zurich region with an average income should look beyond the canton's borders, a new UBS study suggests. The analysis reveals that the best balance of location quality and cost of living is not found in Zurich, Uster, or Winterthur, but rather in Aarau, followed by Baden and Schaffhausen.

The study, which compared municipalities based on infrastructure, accessibility, leisure, quality of life, and costs, used a hypothetical four-person family with a gross income of 150,000 Swiss francs and savings of 80,000 francs. Thirty-eight variables were considered, ranging from travel times to major centers and density of amenities like shops, healthcare, and schools, to factors such as gastronomy, sports facilities, green spaces, flight noise, and crime rates.

Zurich excels in infrastructure and accessibility, receiving top marks in the UBS assessment, and also scores highly for leisure and quality of life. However, its high cost of living places it in the lowest category for expenses, significantly diminishing its overall attractiveness as a place to live, according to the study.

Aarau emerges as the most attractive option by combining top-tier infrastructure and leisure facilities with moderate living costs, unlike Zurich. Baden also offers strong infrastructure and leisure but is more expensive than Aarau. The study acknowledges that Aarau and Baden may not offer the same breadth of cultural and academic institutions as Zurich, such as universities or international concert halls. However, for families, factors like accessible schools, childcare, shopping, and short commutes often take precedence.