Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden: observed built density
Canton · 20 municipalities with parcel data · Parcel data as of July 2025
- Parcels
- 27’591
1 % of Switzerland
- Municipal zones
- 239
- Median utilization
- 52 %
Switzerland: 10 %
- Median GFZ
- 0.20
Switzerland: 0.09
- Median height
- 10.3 m
Switzerland: 9.5 m
- Median floors
- 2.7
Switzerland: 2.3
About Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden
The parcel data covers 20 municipalities of the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden: 27’591 parcels in 239 municipal zone records. The municipalities with the most parcels are Herisau, Teufen (AR) and Heiden.
The median parcel is built to a volume utilization of 52 %; half of the parcels lie between 7 % and 117 %. The Swiss median is 10 %, so Appenzell Ausserrhoden sits above it.
The median building height is 10.3 m at 2.7 floors, and the median floor-area ratio (GFZ) is 0.20. Parcels built in the last 20 years reach a mean volume utilization of 149 % (2’340 parcels), higher than the 137 % across all building years.
Parcels by municipal zone
| Zone | Parcels |
|---|---|
| Landwirtschaftszone | 9’113 |
| Wohnzone | 6’824 |
| Wald | 3’946 |
| Wohn- und Gewerbezone | 3’344 |
| Kernzone | 1’549 |
| übriges Gemeindegebiet | 846 |
| Verkehrsfläche | 490 |
| Gewerbezone | 393 |
| Zone für öffentliche Bauten und Anlagen | 375 |
| Grünzone im Baugebiet | 225 |
| Grünzone nach altem Baugesetz | 170 |
| Industriezone | 115 |
| Other zones (6) | 201 |
Zone labels are municipal spellings, so one zone type can appear under several names.
Volume utilization (ratioV)
Of the 27’271 parcels with a value, half lie between 7 % and 117 %. The median is 52 % and the mean 126 %.
Share of parcels by range
- below 50 %49 %
- 50 % to below 100 %20 %
- 100 % to below 150 %13 %
- 150 % and above18 %
Floor-area ratio (GFZ)
Of the 27’267 parcels with a value, half lie between 0.05 and 0.56. The median is 0.20 and the mean 0.35.
Share of parcels by range
- below 0.5071 %
- 0.50 to below 1.0020 %
- 1.00 to below 1.506 %
- 1.50 and above3 %
Building height
Of the 17’369 parcels with a value, half lie between 8.6 m and 11.8 m. The median is 10.3 m and the mean 10.4 m.
Share of parcels by range
- below 8 m15 %
- 8 m to below 12 m62 %
- 12 m to below 20 m22 %
- 20 m and above1 %
Number of floors
Of the 12’951 parcels with a value, half lie between 2.0 and 3.2. The median is 2.7 and the mean 2.7.
Share of parcels by range
- below 26 %
- 2 to below 338 %
- 3 to below 554 %
- 5 and above3 %
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 | 27’591 | 137 % |
| Last 60 years | 8’818 | 160 % |
| Last 40 years | 6’066 | 155 % |
| Last 20 years | 2’340 | 149 % |
| Last 15 years | 1’616 | 154 % |
| Last 10 years | 910 | 160 % |
| Last 5 years | 409 | 152 % |
Municipalities of the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden
| Name | Parcels | Zones | Median utilization | Median height | Median floors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herisau | 4’532 | 13 | 68 % | 10.9 m | 2.9 |
| Teufen (AR) | 2’439 | 13 | 58 % | 10.3 m | 2.7 |
| Heiden | 1’993 | 13 | 61 % | 10.2 m | 2.6 |
| Urnäsch | 1’844 | 13 | 36 % | 9.4 m | 2.4 |
| Gais | 1’782 | 13 | 32 % | 10.0 m | 2.5 |
| Speicher | 1’670 | 13 | 68 % | 10.1 m | 2.6 |
| Walzenhausen | 1’669 | 13 | 34 % | 10.5 m | 2.6 |
| Wolfhalden | 1’479 | 11 | 19 % | 10.2 m | 2.5 |
| Rehetobel | 1’169 | 12 | 56 % | 10.5 m | 2.5 |
| Trogen | 1’122 | 12 | 51 % | 10.2 m | 2.8 |
| Schwellbrunn | 1’052 | 13 | 36 % | 10.3 m | 2.5 |
| Waldstatt | 939 | 13 | 66 % | 10.1 m | 2.7 |
| Stein (AR) | 923 | 11 | 18 % | 9.9 m | 2.6 |
| Hundwil | 910 | 12 | 9 % | 10.2 m | 2.7 |
| Lutzenberg | 860 | 12 | 53 % | 10.6 m | 2.6 |
| Wald (AR) | 751 | 11 | 10 % | 9.7 m | 2.6 |
| Reute (AR) | 705 | 9 | 9 % | 10.1 m | 2.6 |
| Grub (AR) | 680 | 11 | 26 % | 9.9 m | 2.6 |
| Bühler | 667 | 11 | 76 % | 10.4 m | 2.7 |
| Schönengrund | 405 | 10 | 58 % | 9.8 m | 2.5 |
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).