Where to Live in Zurich as a Family

By VivaMap · find the best place to live in Switzerland, from canton to exact address · Last updated 16 June 2026

The Zurich metropolitan area shows mixed results for the Family profile. Our analysis covers 138 communes in the Zurich area.

With an average score of 5.9/10, the area is on par with the national average (5.6/10). Individual scores range from 5.1 to 6.7/10, offering a real span of options. A standard deviation of 0.32 signals relative homogeneity for this profile.

Top 5 Communes

1. Zürich (ZH) 6.7/10

strong score, above the local average
2. Männedorf (ZH) 6.7/10

strong score, above the local average
3. Adliswil (ZH) 6.6/10

strong score, above the local average
4. Uster (ZH) 6.5/10

strong score, above the local average
5. Uetikon am See (ZH) 6.5/10

strong score, above the local average

Bottom 5 Communes

1. Rümlang (ZH) 5.1/10

solid score for this profile, without marked excellence
2. Oberrieden (ZH) 5.1/10

solid score for this profile, without marked excellence
3. Höri (ZH) 5.1/10

solid score for this profile, without marked excellence
4. Oberglatt (ZH) 5.2/10

solid score for this profile, without marked excellence
5. Eggenwil (AG) 5.3/10

solid score for this profile, without marked excellence

Zürich Männedorf Adliswil Uster Uetikon am See

Why These Communes Stand Out

Education & Culture (weight: 95%)

Moderate average of 4.7/10. Oberengstringen leads the ranking (8/10), while Oberembrach comes last (2.1/10).

Noise (weight: 90%)

Excellent average of 7.8/10. Dättlikon leads the ranking (10/10), while Oberglatt comes last (2.7/10).

Air Quality (weight: 80%)

Excellent average of 6.6/10. Russikon leads the ranking (7.3/10), while Wallisellen comes last (5.2/10).

Strengths and Tradeoffs of the Agglomeration

Relative to the Swiss average, the Zurich area stands out on Taxation (5.5/10, well above the national average of 3.5/10, deviation +2) and shows weakness on Noise (7.8/10, below the national average of 8.9/10, deviation -1.1).

Top-ranked communes limit the compromise on Noise 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 Family profile

For a family with children, start by checking the school catchment (nearby primary, accessible upper-secondary), distance to daycare and playgrounds, and the safety of pedestrian and cycling routes. A high Noise and Nature score protects sleep and child development; a strong Education & Culture score multiplies extra-curricular opportunities. Mind the commute: an ideal commune becomes painful when it adds 45 daily minutes to travel. Visit your three finalists at different times of day, including a Wednesday afternoon to gauge the real rhythm.

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.

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