Aarau: observed built density
Municipality in the canton of Aargau · FSO no. 4001 · Parcel data as of July 2025
- Parcels
- 4’879
2 % of the canton
- Municipal zones
- 31
- Median utilization
- 80 %
Canton: 35 %
Switzerland: 10 %
- Median GFZ
- 0.46
Canton: 0.13
Switzerland: 0.09
- Median height
- 10.4 m
Canton: 9.3 m
Switzerland: 9.5 m
- Median floors
- 2.4
Canton: 2.2
Switzerland: 2.3
About Aarau
Aarau is a municipality in the canton of Aargau. The parcel data lists 4’879 parcels in 31 municipal zone types. The zone types with the most parcels are Zone Wohnen zweigeschossig (1’051), Zone Wohnen dreigeschossig (737) and Zone Gartenstadt zweigeschossig (512).
The median parcel is built to a volume utilization of 80 %; half of the parcels lie between 24 % and 115 %. The canton median is 35 %, so Aarau sits above it.
The median building height is 10.4 m at 2.4 floors, and the median floor-area ratio (GFZ) is 0.46. Parcels built in the last 20 years reach a mean volume utilization of 118 % (556 parcels), higher than the 91 % across all building years.
Parcels by municipal zone
| Zone | Parcels | Median utilization |
|---|---|---|
| Zone Wohnen zweigeschossig | 1’051 | 80 % |
| Zone Wohnen dreigeschossig | 737 | 94 % |
| Zone Gartenstadt zweigeschossig | 512 | 86 % |
| Zone Gartenstadt dreigeschossig | 445 | 81 % |
| Zone Arbeiten und Wohnen dreigeschossig | 257 | 72 % |
| Zone Altstadt A | 218 | 117 % |
| Zone Arbeiten und Wohnen fünfgeschossig | 181 | 62 % |
| Zone Landwirtschaft | 176 | 0 % |
| Zone Wohnen differenziert | 169 | 119 % |
| Zone Öffentliche Nutzung | 138 | 56 % |
| Zone Altstadt B | 125 | 153 % |
| Zone Freiraum | 107 | 0 % |
| Other zones (18) | 763 | - |
Volume utilization (ratioV)
Of the 4’834 parcels with a value, half lie between 24 % and 115 %. The median is 80 % and the mean 88 %.
Share of parcels by range
- below 50 %30 %
- 50 % to below 100 %35 %
- 100 % to below 150 %22 %
- 150 % and above13 %
Floor-area ratio (GFZ)
Of the 4’834 parcels with a value, half lie between 0.14 and 0.77. The median is 0.46 and the mean 0.79.
Share of parcels by range
- below 0.5055 %
- 0.50 to below 1.0027 %
- 1.00 to below 1.506 %
- 1.50 and above12 %
Building height
Of the 3’609 parcels with a value, half lie between 8.4 m and 13.0 m. The median is 10.4 m and the mean 11.3 m.
Share of parcels by range
- below 8 m20 %
- 8 m to below 12 m49 %
- 12 m to below 20 m27 %
- 20 m and above5 %
Number of floors
Of the 2’712 parcels with a value, half lie between 1.9 and 3.2. The median is 2.4 and the mean 2.7.
Share of parcels by range
- below 26 %
- 2 to below 348 %
- 3 to below 539 %
- 5 and above6 %
Building age cohorts
Mean volume utilization of the parcels built inside each window, from all years on record down to the last five. The windows overlap: the last 20 years include the last 5.
| Built in | Parcels | Mean utilization |
|---|---|---|
| All years | 4’879 | 91 % |
| Last 60 years | 1’773 | 112 % |
| Last 40 years | 1’212 | 116 % |
| Last 20 years | 556 | 118 % |
| Last 15 years | 364 | 129 % |
| Last 10 years | 183 | 126 % |
| Last 5 years | 71 | 122 % |
How to read this page
room shows observed built density: what has been built on the parcels, not what the zoning permits. Volume utilization (ratioV) compares the built volume of a parcel with the reference volume of its municipal zone type. The floor-area ratio (GFZ) is floor area divided by parcel area; building height and number of floors are taken from the buildings on a parcel. Figures pool all municipal zones of the area. Medians and quartiles are read from bins 10 points (ratioV), 0.1 (GFZ), 2 m (height) and 1 floor wide, so they are exact to within one bin; means are exact. A parcel counts in a distribution only when the parcel data has a value for it. The floors distribution leaves out parcels without a building (0 floors).