On this page
- What is a house in Rapperswil-Jona worth when there are no official price statistics?
- How much property gains tax do I pay on a sale in Rapperswil-Jona?
- What does selling in Rapperswil-Jona cost besides tax? Transfer tax, land registry, notary
- How low is the tax rate in Rapperswil-Jona, and will it stay that way?
- What does vacancy show in Rapperswil-Jona, and what applies to zoning changes?
- Estate agent in Rapperswil-Jona
- Frequently asked questions
Suppose you want to sell your house in Rapperswil-Jona and first look for an official price per square metre. There is none: the Canton of St. Gallen collects no median prices by municipality.
Other things are on record. At 179 per cent, Rapperswil-Jona has the fourth-lowest tax rate of the 75 St. Gallen municipalities. You reach Zürich HB faster than your own cantonal capital. The low tax rate does not, however, reduce the property gains tax on your sale.
What is a house in Rapperswil-Jona worth when there are no official price statistics?
| Indicator | Rapperswil-Jona | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 28,836 | 31.12.2025 |
| Tax rate city / canton / total, excl. church | 74% / 105% / 179% | 2026 |
| Lower tax rate than the city | only Balgach, Mörschwil and Sennwald | 2026 |
| Empty dwellings, city | 254 | 1.6.2026 |
| Vacancy rate previous year city / canton | 1.98% (286 flats) / 1.37% | 1.6.2025 |
| Train to St. Gallen (cantonal capital) | from 48 minutes, no change | 2026 timetable |
| Land registry office | St. Gallerstrasse 23, 8645 Jona | retrieved 24.10.2026 |
What is a house in Rapperswil-Jona worth when there are no official price statistics?
No authority keeps price statistics for Rapperswil-Jona. The Canton of Zurich publishes median prices by municipality; St. Gallen does not. What portals show are offers, not prices paid. Whether a property sold, and for how much, you cannot see there.
Today's city was formed on 1 January 2007 from the municipalities of Rapperswil and Jona. It has 28,836 residents; 21.9 per cent are 65 or older, more than the canton at 19.9 per cent.4 From Rapperswil SG station, Zürich HB is reachable from 36 minutes, St. Gallen only from 48 minutes.7 These figures do not produce a price.
So the valuation goes piece by piece: location, plot and building, measured against actual sales of similar properties. That is what the house valuation and the flat valuation do. What this means for you: a round figure without comparable properties is not a valuation. The free assessment shows you the route to the figure.
How much property gains tax do I pay on a sale in Rapperswil-Jona?
In Rapperswil-Jona too, property gains tax is a cantonal tax, assessed by the Cantonal Tax Office.1 The low city rate of 74 per cent plays no part. What counts is 325 per cent across the canton; a fixed 120 points go to the municipality.
Above CHF 600,000 of gain, a single rate applies: 10 per cent of the whole gain, times 325 per cent. Below that, the basic tax rises in bands up to 11 per cent. After more than 15 full years, the amount falls by 1 per cent a year, at most 20 per cent. Owners who lived there for 15 years or more get up to 40.5 per cent on the first CHF 500,000.
Bought more than 20 years ago? Then you may use the official market value from 20 years back instead of the price. Only investments from those 20 years count. The reduction is then based on 20 years. The St. Gallen calculator shows whether it pays.
Worked example
Example, Rapperswil-Jona: 25 full years, gain above the threshold
Suppose the 2001 purchase cost CHF 700,000 and the 2026 sale brings CHF 1,450,000. You never lived there; there were no investments and there is no replacement purchase. The purchase price is used, not the substitute value. Held for 25 full years.
- Sale price
- CHF 1,450,000
- Purchase price
- – CHF 700,000
- Property gain
- CHF 750,000
- Basic tax: 10% of the whole gain, as it exceeds CHF 600,000
- CHF 75,000
- Tax amount × 325%
- CHF 243,750
- Reduction: 10 full years beyond 15, 1% each
- – CHF 24,375
- Property gains tax
- CHF 219,375
- Remaining after tax, before mortgage
- CHF 1,230,625
What does selling in Rapperswil-Jona cost besides tax? Transfer tax, land registry, notary
Whoever sells in Rapperswil-Jona triggers a property transfer tax: 1 per cent of the purchase price.1 The buyer is liable to pay it; the seller is jointly liable. The city levies the tax but may not set the rate itself. Half applies between parents and children, and transfers between spouses are tax-free.
Notarisation takes place at the city land registry office, St. Gallerstrasse 23 in Jona, telephone 055 225 71 10.68 The office prepares contracts, keeps the land register, gives information on entries and assesses transfer tax and fees. Land-register plans come from the surveying firm Lukas Domeisen AG at the same address.
Marriage, inheritance and company contracts belong to the See-Gaster notary's office at Neue Jonastrasse 59 in Rapperswil. What this means for you: an inheritance contract and the house sale go through two different offices.
How low is the tax rate in Rapperswil-Jona, and will it stay that way?
The city levies 74 per cent, the canton 105 per cent, 179 per cent together excluding church tax.3 In the canton, only Balgach at 166, Mörschwil at 172 and Sennwald at 175 per cent are lower. On the same income and wealth, you pay markedly more in the city of St. Gallen, at 243 per cent.
For 2026 the city council proposed raising it to 79 per cent. Ahead of the citizens’ assembly in December 2025, the SVP, FDP, Mitte and GLP parties opposed this.10 The canton’s official tax-rate tool still shows 74 per cent for 2026.3
What does vacancy show in Rapperswil-Jona, and what applies to zoning changes?
On 1 June 2026, 254 flats in Rapperswil-Jona were unoccupied and available, 1.76 per cent.5 A year earlier the figure was 286 flats, or 1.98 per cent. The rate has fallen but stays above the cantonal level of 1.16 per cent. Rental and owner-occupied flats are counted together. The statistic measures neither houses for sale nor prices.
If land is newly zoned for building, the canton charges 20 per cent of the increase in land value; increases up to CHF 30,000 are disregarded.2 For conversions and upzonings, cantonal law provides no levy but allows contracts on planning gains. Under «StadtLebensRaum 2040» the city is currently revising its zoning plan and building regulations.9
What this means for you: if you own building land or a large plot, ask the city about the status of the revision and any existing contracts before you name a price.
Rapperswil-Jona has one of the lowest tax rates in the canton, but no official price figure. I value your house from comparable sales and show you what is left after property gains tax and mortgage.
Prefer to talk? +41 76 325 11 95 – you speak directly with Dominik Devaja.
Official figures
Rapperswil-Jona in figures: homes, people, market
- Residential buildings built before 198154.4 %Rank 42 of 75 in the Canton of St. GallenCanton: 58.9 % · rank 1 = highest shareAs of 31.12.2025
- Residential buildings heated by oil or gas54.4 %Rank 25 of 75 in the Canton of St. GallenCanton: 50.0 % · rank 1 = highest shareAs of 31.12.2025
- Single-family houses among buildings with residential use49.4 %Rank 71 of 75 in the Canton of St. GallenCanton: 59.2 % · rank 1 = highest shareAs of 31.12.2025
- Residents aged 65 and over21.9 %Rank 19 of 75 in the Canton of St. GallenCanton: 19.9 % · rank 1 = highest shareAs of 31.12.2025
- Vacancy rate1.76 %Rank 69 of 75 in the Canton of St. GallenCanton: 1.16 % · rank 1 = lowest vacancyAs of 01.06.2026
- Municipal tax rate74%Rank 4 of 75 in the Canton of St. GallenCanton: 113.12% · rank 1 = lowestAs of Steuerjahr 2026
- Undeveloped building zone7.5 %Rank 27 of 75 in the Canton of St. GallenCanton: 6.8 % · rank 1 = highest shareAs of 01.01.2022
- Train to Zurich HB36 minRank 1 of 75 in the Canton of St. GallenCanton: 71 min · rank 1 = fastestAs of Fahrplan 2026
Canton figure: weighted average of all 75 municipalities. All 75 municipalities compared
Sources
- Residents and age – Federal Statistical OfficeAs of 31.12.2025
- Buildings: age, heating, type – Federal Statistical OfficeAs of 31.12.2025
- Vacant dwellings – Federal Statistical OfficeAs of 01.06.2026
- Tax rates – Canton of St. GallenAs of Steuerjahr 2026
- Undeveloped building zones – Federal Office for Spatial DevelopmentAs of 01.01.2022
- Train connections – Swiss timetable dataAs of Fahrplan 2026
Estate agent in Rapperswil-Jona
Selling in Rapperswil-Jona with Immosmile: four phases, one contact person
I support sales in the Canton of Zurich and across German-speaking Switzerland, including Rapperswil-Jona. Through all four phases you have one contact person: me, Dominik Devaja, managing director of Immosmile. You pay nothing beforehand. Our fee falls due only when you sign the contract at the notary (Beurkundung).
-
Clarity
Independent valuation, net calculation after taxes and costs, a look at what comes after. You decide on figures, not on hearsay.
-
Preview
Before anyone sees your house, film, photography and exposé are produced. Then we show it to vetted buyers first – not yet on the portals.
-
Market decision
You receive the demand report and every offer immediately. Then you choose the path to the best price: accept, bidding round – or the broad public phase on the portals, the normal case.
-
Completion & move
Notary appointment, key handover, documents for what comes after – and, if you wish, guidance into your next home. Our fee only falls due now, with the notarised deed.
The full process in detail What is your property in Rapperswil-Jona worth?
What do owners in Rapperswil-Jona want to know before selling?
How do I find the right estate agent in Rapperswil-Jona?
Ask about the comparable sales behind the suggested price. I handle sales across the Canton of Zurich and German-speaking Switzerland. Anyone valuing in Rapperswil-Jona should know St. Gallen tax law and be able to place the proximity to Zurich. The 12 checking questions help you in the first meeting.
Does the low tax rate reduce my property gains tax?
No. The 179 per cent applies to income and wealth tax. Your property gain is taxed at 325 per cent, the same as in every other St. Gallen municipality. The low tax rate affects your ongoing taxes, not the sale.
Is the substitute value worth it if I bought more than 20 years ago?
That depends on the market value back then. Instead of the purchase price, you may use the official market value from 20 years ago. Then only investments from those 20 years count, and the reduction is based on 20 years of ownership. Work through both routes in the calculator.
Inherited house in Rapperswil-Jona: which purchase counts on sale?
Generally the purchase by the deceased, with its price and date. No property gains tax is charged on the inheritance itself; it is deferred. If your parents' purchase was more than 20 years ago, the substitute value is also an option. In depth on the inheritance page.
Must I expect a value capture levy in Rapperswil-Jona?
If your land was newly zoned for building, yes: the canton charges 20 per cent of the increase in land value, due on sale or once the new use begins. Conversions and upzonings carry no statutory levy. Ask the city before the sale whether a contract on planning gains exists for your plot.
Who notarises the purchase contract in Rapperswil-Jona?
The city's land registrar, at the land registry office at St. Gallerstrasse 23 in Jona. An independent notary is not responsible for this in the Canton of St. Gallen. The See-Gaster notary's office handles marriage, inheritance and company law.
Sources
- Tax Act of the Canton of St. Gallen (StG, sGS 811.1), Art. 1, 2, 6–8, 130–141, 215, 241–245, in German · version as of 1.1.2026, retrieved 24.10.2026
- Planning and Building Act of the Canton of St. Gallen (PBG, sGS 731.1), Art. 58–65, in German · version in force since 1.6.2026, retrieved 24.10.2026
- Canton of St. Gallen: tax-rate overview for all SG municipalities, 2026, in German · tax year 2026, retrieved 24.10.2026
- Federal Statistical Office: permanent resident population by municipality and age group (STAT-TAB px-x-0102010000_103) · as of 31.12.2025, retrieved 24.10.2026
- Canton of St. Gallen, Office for Statistics: vacant-housing stock and vacancy rate by municipality, in German · reference dates 1.6.2025 and 1.6.2026, published 28.9.2026, retrieved 24.10.2026
- City of Rapperswil-Jona: «Grundbuchamt» page (with the division of tasks with the See-Gaster notary's office), in German · retrieved 24.10.2026
- 2026 timetable: Rapperswil SG – Zürich HB and Rapperswil SG – St. Gallen, fastest connection (queried via transport.opendata.ch, verifiable in the SBB timetable) · 2026 timetable, queried 24.10.2026 for 27 and 29.10.2026
- Introductory Act to the Civil Code of St. Gallen (EG ZGB, sGS 911.1), Art. 15, 177, 178, in German · as of 1.4.2019, retrieved 24.10.2026
- City of Rapperswil-Jona: «StadtLebensRaum 2040» project page (local planning revision), in German · ongoing, retrieved 24.10.2026
- Südostschweiz: why most parties oppose the tax increase in Rapperswil-Jona (preview, media report), in German · article of 2.12.2025, retrieved 24.10.2026
General information without guarantee, not individual advice. The law, the tax assessment and advice from professionals for your situation are what count. Terms of use
