SBLA Commercial location analysis · Switzerland

Opening a business in the canton of Geneva

The official figures for the canton of Geneva, then the detail by activity. The analysis itself runs on a specific address.

The canton of Geneva in figures

Population531’102inhabitants across 45 municipalities
Average taxable income58’508 CHFper taxpayer
Median age43.1years · 62.3 % aged 20–64
Reference commercial rent21.10 CHFper m² per month
Average municipal tax multiplier41.2 %(2025)
Projected population 2035570’069inhabitants (+7.1 %)

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Setup costs

At 21.10 CHF/m²/month (FSO 2024), a 90 m² retail space costs around 1’899 CHF per month excluding charges. The canton’s average municipal tax multiplier is 41.2 % (2025) — it varies widely between municipalities, and that gap feeds straight through to the bottom line. It is not comparable across cantons: each canton applies its multiplier to its own tax base.

Snapshot of 17 July 2026: 1’118 commercial spaces were advertised for rent in the canton of Geneva.

Footfall and access

The canton’s busiest railway stations are Genève (83’100), Genève-Aéroport (16’000), Genève-Eaux-Vives (9’900) (passengers per day, SBB 2025). Station footfall is a good proxy for a town-centre shop; SBLA additionally measures public-transport quality (ARE classes) and road traffic (ASTRA) at the analysed address.

The canton recorded 3’443 new dwellings in 2023 — a growth signal for the resident customer base.

Where to open in the canton of Geneva?

The most populous municipalities offer the largest catchment — and the densest competition. Start the analysis directly on one of them:

The other side

How it works

  1. You enter an address

    The exact address of the space and the intended activity — not just a municipality.

  2. SBLA combines the data

    Population hectare by hectare, competition, transport, rents, taxation: some thirty official, dated indicators.

  3. You get a verdict

    A 0–100 viability score, a competition map and a report you can export as PDF.

Ready to test an address?

The analysis is free and takes under a minute.

Analyse an address →

Sources and vintages

Population and age: STATPOP 2024 (FSO). Taxable income: FTA 2022. Businesses: STATENT 2023 (FSO). Jobs by branch: STATENT (FSO). Rents: FSO 2024. Municipal taxation: FTA 2025. Population projections: FSO, reference scenario. Station footfall: SBB 2025. Household budget: FSO 2023. Every figure on this page is recomputed at each publication.