Where to Live in Winterthur Close to Nature

By VivaMap · find the best place to live in Switzerland, from canton to exact address · Last updated 26 July 2026

Quality-of-life map for the Nature profile in the Winterthur area — communes weighted by that profile's priorities

The Winterthur metropolitan area is particularly well-suited for the Nature profile. Our analysis covers 40 communes in the Winterthur area.

With an average score of 6.6/10, the area is on par with the national average (6.8/10). Individual scores range from 5.6 to 7.1/10, offering a real span of options. A standard deviation of 0.35 signals relative homogeneity for this profile.

Top 5 Communes

  1. 1. Hettlingen (ZH) 7.1/10
    strong score, above the local average
  2. 2. Ellikon an der Thur (ZH) 7.0/10
    strong score, above the local average
  3. 3. Buch am Irchel (ZH) 7.0/10
    strong score, above the local average
  4. 4. Dinhard (ZH) 7.0/10
    strong score, above the local average
  5. 5. Rickenbach (ZH) 7.0/10
    strong score, above the local average

Bottom 5 Communes

  1. 1. Kloten (ZH) 5.6/10
    solid score for this profile, without marked excellence
  2. 2. Bassersdorf (ZH) 5.9/10
    solid score for this profile, without marked excellence
  3. 3. Lindau (ZH) 5.9/10
    solid score for this profile, without marked excellence
  4. 4. Dietlikon (ZH) 6.0/10
    solid score for this profile, without marked excellence
  5. 5. Wiesendangen (ZH) 6.1/10
    solid score for this profile, without marked excellence

Why These Communes Stand Out

Nature & Green Spaces (weight: 100%)

Excellent average of 9.1/10. Berg am Irchel leads the ranking (9.6/10), while Dietlikon comes last (7.1/10).

Noise (weight: 95%)

Excellent average of 8.3/10. Thalheim an der Thur leads the ranking (10/10), while Kloten comes last (3.7/10).

Air Quality (weight: 95%)

Moderate average of 5.9/10. Hagenbuch leads the ranking (6.5/10), while Bassersdorf comes last (4.9/10).

Strengths and Tradeoffs of the Agglomeration

Relative to the Swiss average, the Winterthur area stands out on Taxation (5.5/10, well above the national average of 3.5/10, deviation +2) and shows weakness on Annual Sunshine (3.4/10, below the national average of 4.7/10, deviation -1.3).

Top-ranked communes limit the compromise on Annual Sunshine without sacrificing higher-priority profile criteria. Each criterion's scores are independently normalised at national scale; direct comparison between different criteria should be interpreted with caution.

Advice for the Nature profile

For a nature-oriented profile, prioritise the combined scores of Nature, Noise, and Air quality first: that trio truly protects the experience you seek. Mind accessibility: a wonderfully green commune 45 minutes from the nearest station will weigh on every other activity. Also consider Sunshine: winters can differ drastically between Central Valais and the Plateau. If you work from home, check fibre-optic coverage — some rural communes still rely on ADSL. For families, combine this profile with education criteria: the tradeoff is often worth making.

Methodology

The profile overall score combines the 9 VivaMap criteria weighted by the profile's declared priorities. Each criterion score is normalised on a national 0-10 scale to keep agglomerations comparable. Visit the criteria pages to learn how each dimension is measured.

Related Guides

Data: FSO, geo.admin.ch, OSM — Scores normalised 0-10