Echallens
Encyclopedia
Echallens is a municipality
in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton
of Vaud
in Switzerland
.
foundry.
The first documentation dates from 1141 under the name of Charlens. Later forms of the name include Challeins, Escharlens (1177), Eschallens (1228), and Eschalleins (1279). The present form of the name first appears in 1315. The name comes from the personal name Charles.
The site belonged originally to the Bishop of Lausanne. At the end of the 12th century, the Burgundian Lords of Montfaucon established the territory of Echallens and built a castle there in the 13th century. In 1317, the rights of the house of Savoy were recognized. In 1350, Echallens was encircled by a wall and received city rights in 1351. From then until the 16th century, a weekly market was held.
In 1410, the government of Echallens passed to the house of Chalon, which originated in Burgundy. For this reason, the Eidgenossen took over after the Burgundian Wars
and put it under the administration of Fribourg
and Bern in 1476.
Because of the common administration of Catholic Fribourg and Protestant Bern, the Reformation
did not gain ground in Echallen, and it remained Catholic.
Echallens belonged from 1798 to 1803 to the canton of Léman
in the Helvetic Republic
, and was brought into the canton of Vaud by the mediation of Napoleon. It has been the capital of the district since 1798.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 2.0% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 12.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 6.2%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 1.1%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 50.6% is used for growing crops and 10.4% is pastures, while 2.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality was the capital of the Echallens District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Echallens became part of the new district of Gros-de-Vaud.
Echallens lies at an elevation of 617 m (2,024.3 ft) 14 km (8.7 mi) north of Lausanne
. The municipality stretches across the Gros de Vaud plateau, on both sides of the river Talent, on the northwest edge of the Jorat
, in central Vaud.
It includes a section of the rolling Gros de Vaud, the breadbasket of the canton of Vaud. The Talent runs from east to west across the municipality, from the highlands of the Jorat. In the southwest, it runs down to the Mortigue (a tributary of the Talent). The highest point in the municipality is at an elevation of 672 m (2,204.7 ft) in the municipality woods.
Echallens lies in the middle of its district. The surrounding minicipalities are Villars-le-Terroir
, Poliez-le-Grand
, Bottens
, Malapalud
, Assens
, Saint-Barthélemy, and Goumoens-la-Ville
, all in the same district.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Or, an Oak-tree eradicated Sable leaved and fructed proper.
Most of the population speaks French
(3,815 or 89.1%), with German
being second most common (122 or 2.8%) and Portuguese
being third (90 or 2.1%). There are 78 people who speak Italian
and 4 people who speak Romansh.
Of the population in the municipality 894 or about 20.9% were born in Echallens and lived there in 2000. There were 1,880 or 43.9% who were born in the same canton, while 615 or 14.4% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 800 or 18.7% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 28 live births to Swiss citizens and 6 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 33 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 3. There were 2 Swiss men and 3 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 18 non-Swiss men and 12 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 30 and the non-Swiss population increased by 40 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.2%.
The age distribution, , in Echallens is; 651 children or 12.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 761 teenagers or 14.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 651 people or 12.6% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 708 people or 13.8% are between 30 and 39, 930 people or 18.1% are between 40 and 49, and 605 people or 11.8% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 464 people or 9.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 242 people or 4.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 113 people or 2.2% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 22 people or 0.4% who are 90 and older.
, there were 1,848 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 2,036 married individuals, 204 widows or widowers and 193 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.68 which is more people per room than the cantonal average of 0.61 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 39.6% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 1,634 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. There were 448 households that consist of only one person and 122 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 1,658 households that answered this question, 27.0% were households made up of just one person and there were 5 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 391 married couples without children, 672 married couples with children There were 102 single parents with a child or children. There were 16 households that were made up of unrelated people and 24 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 486 single family homes (or 61.4% of the total) out of a total of 791 inhabited buildings. There were 135 multi-family buildings (17.1%), along with 120 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (15.2%) and 50 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (6.3%). Of the single family homes 19 were built before 1919, while 137 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (176) were built between 1981 and 1990. The most multi-family homes (27) were built before 1919 and the next most (25) were built between 1981 and 1990. There were 2 multi-family houses built between 1996 and 2000.
there were 1,747 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 493. There were 75 single room apartments and 427 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 1,582 apartments (90.6% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 141 apartments (8.1%) were seasonally occupied and 24 apartments (1.4%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 2.5 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.14%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 20.45% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(19.87%), the Green Party
(14.75%) and the FDP
(14.41%). In the federal election, a total of 1,343 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 44.4%.
The municipality became slowly industrialized, with machining, metalworking, and textiles being the major industries.
Most jobs (almost 70 percent) are in the service sector. Many people now commute to Lausanne.
, Echallens had an unemployment rate of 4.3%. , there were 50 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 17 businesses involved in this sector. 291 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 39 businesses in this sector. 1,593 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 213 businesses in this sector. There were 2,206 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.8% of the workforce.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 1,566. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 38, of which 31 were in agriculture and 7 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 279 of which 53 or (19.0%) were in manufacturing and 224 (80.3%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,249. In the tertiary sector; 382 or 30.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 105 or 8.4% were in the movement and storage of goods, 69 or 5.5% were in a hotel or restaurant, 13 or 1.0% were in the information industry, 85 or 6.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 130 or 10.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 126 or 10.1% were in education and 141 or 11.3% were in health care.
, there were 980 workers who commuted into the municipality and 1,535 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.6 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 15.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 63% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 179 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 4.18% of the population), and there were 292 individuals (or about 6.82% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 4 individuals (or about 0.09% of the population) who were Jewish
, and 81 (or about 1.89% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 4 individuals who were Buddhist
and 9 individuals who belonged to another church. 464 (or about 10.84% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 127 individuals (or about 2.97% of the population) did not answer the question.
. The wettest month is June during which time Echallens receives an average of 99 mm (3.9 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 11.2 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 12.3, but with only 89 mm (3.5 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 69 mm (2.7 in) of precipitation over 10.1 days.
). Of the 481 who completed tertiary schooling, 62.4% were Swiss men, 25.6% were Swiss women, 6.7% were non-Swiss men and 5.4% were non-Swiss women.
In the 2009/2010 school year there were a total of 830 students in the Echallens school district. In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts. During the school year, the political district provided pre-school care for a total of 296 children of which 96 children (32.4%) received subsidized pre-school care. The canton's primary school program requires students to attend for four years. There were 443 students in the municipal primary school program. The obligatory lower secondary school program lasts for six years and there were 373 students in those schools. There were also 14 students who were home schooled or attended another non-traditional school.
Echallens is home to 1 museum, the Maison du blé et du pain (House of wheat and bread). In 2009 it was visited by 11,087 visitors while the average in previous years was 11,438.
, there were 344 students in Echallens who came from another municipality, while 201 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
play in the town. The team currently plays in Liga 1.
, the third highest tier in the Swiss football pyramid
. Their home stadium is Sportplatz 3 Sapins
which is situated on the outskirts of Echallens.
and Yverdon-les-Bains
. The entrance to the A1 motorway at La Sarraz
opened in 1981 and is only about 7 km from the center.
In 1874, the railway from Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne to Echallens opened a small-gauge line Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher (LEB). There are bus lines to Chavornay
, Yverdon, und Thierrens
.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
History
The territory of the municipality was already settled very early. There are remains of a Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
foundry.
The first documentation dates from 1141 under the name of Charlens. Later forms of the name include Challeins, Escharlens (1177), Eschallens (1228), and Eschalleins (1279). The present form of the name first appears in 1315. The name comes from the personal name Charles.
The site belonged originally to the Bishop of Lausanne. At the end of the 12th century, the Burgundian Lords of Montfaucon established the territory of Echallens and built a castle there in the 13th century. In 1317, the rights of the house of Savoy were recognized. In 1350, Echallens was encircled by a wall and received city rights in 1351. From then until the 16th century, a weekly market was held.
In 1410, the government of Echallens passed to the house of Chalon, which originated in Burgundy. For this reason, the Eidgenossen took over after the Burgundian Wars
Burgundian Wars
The Burgundian Wars were a conflict between the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France, later involving the Old Swiss Confederacy, which would play a decisive role. Open war broke out in 1474, and in the following years the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the...
and put it under the administration of Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
and Bern in 1476.
Because of the common administration of Catholic Fribourg and Protestant Bern, the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
did not gain ground in Echallen, and it remained Catholic.
Echallens belonged from 1798 to 1803 to the canton of Léman
Canton of Léman
Léman was the name of a canton of the Helvetic Republic from 1798 to 1803, corresponding to the territory of modern Vaud. As a former subject territory of Bern, Vaud had been independent for only four months in 1798 as the Lemanic Republic before it was incorporated in the centralist Helvetic...
in the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
, and was brought into the canton of Vaud by the mediation of Napoleon. It has been the capital of the district since 1798.
Geography
Echallens has an area, , of 6.66 square kilometres (2.6 sq mi). Of this area, 4.25 km² (1.6 sq mi) or 63.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.87 km² (0.335908877975505 sq mi) or 13.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.48 km² (0.571431194716952 sq mi) or 22.2% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.05 km² (12.4 acre) or 0.8% is either rivers or lakes and 0.02 km² (4.9 acre) or 0.3% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 2.0% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 12.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 6.2%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 1.1%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 50.6% is used for growing crops and 10.4% is pastures, while 2.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality was the capital of the Echallens District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Echallens became part of the new district of Gros-de-Vaud.
Echallens lies at an elevation of 617 m (2,024.3 ft) 14 km (8.7 mi) north of Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
. The municipality stretches across the Gros de Vaud plateau, on both sides of the river Talent, on the northwest edge of the Jorat
Jorat (Switzerland)
The Jorat is the area of the Canton of Vaud located between the Gros-de-Vaud, West and the Broye, East.-Geography:It is a mountain range that stretches from above Lausanne at the South and stretches toward Payerne at the North...
, in central Vaud.
It includes a section of the rolling Gros de Vaud, the breadbasket of the canton of Vaud. The Talent runs from east to west across the municipality, from the highlands of the Jorat. In the southwest, it runs down to the Mortigue (a tributary of the Talent). The highest point in the municipality is at an elevation of 672 m (2,204.7 ft) in the municipality woods.
Echallens lies in the middle of its district. The surrounding minicipalities are Villars-le-Terroir
Villars-le-Terroir
Villars-le-Terroir is a municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Villars-le-Terroir has an area, , of . Of this area, or 77.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 14.4% is forested...
, Poliez-le-Grand
Poliez-le-Grand
Poliez-le-Grand is a former municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.The municipalities of Dommartin, Naz, Poliez-le-Grand and Sugnens merged on 1 July 2011 into the new municipality of Montilliez.-History:...
, Bottens
Bottens
Bottens is a municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Bottens is first mentioned in 1142 as Botens.-Geography:...
, Malapalud
Malapalud
Malapalud was a former municipality in the district of Echallens in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. On 1 January 2009, it was merged with the municipality of Assens.-Coat of arms:...
, Assens
Assens, Switzerland
Assens is a municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Assens is first mentioned in 1228 as Ascens.The community decided to merge their commune with Malapalud, with effect from 1 January 2009....
, Saint-Barthélemy, and Goumoens-la-Ville
Goumoens-la-Ville
Goumoens-la-Ville is a former municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.The municipalities of Eclagnens, Goumoens-la-Ville and Goumoens-le-Jux merged on 1 July 2011 into the new municipality of Goumoëns.-Geography:...
, all in the same district.
| Goumoens-la-Ville Goumoens-la-Ville Goumoens-la-Ville is a former municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.The municipalities of Eclagnens, Goumoens-la-Ville and Goumoens-le-Jux merged on 1 July 2011 into the new municipality of Goumoëns.-Geography:... |
Villars-le-Terroir Villars-le-Terroir Villars-le-Terroir is a municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Villars-le-Terroir has an area, , of . Of this area, or 77.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 14.4% is forested... |
Villars-le-Terroir Villars-le-Terroir Villars-le-Terroir is a municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Villars-le-Terroir has an area, , of . Of this area, or 77.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 14.4% is forested... |
| Saint-Barthélemy |  |
Poliez-le-Grand Poliez-le-Grand Poliez-le-Grand is a former municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.The municipalities of Dommartin, Naz, Poliez-le-Grand and Sugnens merged on 1 July 2011 into the new municipality of Montilliez.-History:... |
| Assens Assens, Switzerland Assens is a municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Assens is first mentioned in 1228 as Ascens.The community decided to merge their commune with Malapalud, with effect from 1 January 2009.... |
Malapalud Malapalud Malapalud was a former municipality in the district of Echallens in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. On 1 January 2009, it was merged with the municipality of Assens.-Coat of arms:... |
Bottens Bottens Bottens is a municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Bottens is first mentioned in 1142 as Botens.-Geography:... |
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Or, an Oak-tree eradicated Sable leaved and fructed proper.
Demographics
Echallens has a population of . , 18.2% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of 25.7%. It has changed at a rate of 20.7% due to migration and at a rate of 4.9% due to births and deaths.Most of the population speaks French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(3,815 or 89.1%), with German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
being second most common (122 or 2.8%) and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
being third (90 or 2.1%). There are 78 people who speak Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and 4 people who speak Romansh.
Of the population in the municipality 894 or about 20.9% were born in Echallens and lived there in 2000. There were 1,880 or 43.9% who were born in the same canton, while 615 or 14.4% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 800 or 18.7% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 28 live births to Swiss citizens and 6 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 33 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 3. There were 2 Swiss men and 3 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 18 non-Swiss men and 12 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 30 and the non-Swiss population increased by 40 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.2%.
The age distribution, , in Echallens is; 651 children or 12.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 761 teenagers or 14.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 651 people or 12.6% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 708 people or 13.8% are between 30 and 39, 930 people or 18.1% are between 40 and 49, and 605 people or 11.8% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 464 people or 9.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 242 people or 4.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 113 people or 2.2% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 22 people or 0.4% who are 90 and older.
, there were 1,848 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 2,036 married individuals, 204 widows or widowers and 193 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.68 which is more people per room than the cantonal average of 0.61 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 39.6% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 1,634 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. There were 448 households that consist of only one person and 122 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 1,658 households that answered this question, 27.0% were households made up of just one person and there were 5 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 391 married couples without children, 672 married couples with children There were 102 single parents with a child or children. There were 16 households that were made up of unrelated people and 24 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 486 single family homes (or 61.4% of the total) out of a total of 791 inhabited buildings. There were 135 multi-family buildings (17.1%), along with 120 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (15.2%) and 50 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (6.3%). Of the single family homes 19 were built before 1919, while 137 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (176) were built between 1981 and 1990. The most multi-family homes (27) were built before 1919 and the next most (25) were built between 1981 and 1990. There were 2 multi-family houses built between 1996 and 2000.
there were 1,747 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 493. There were 75 single room apartments and 427 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 1,582 apartments (90.6% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 141 apartments (8.1%) were seasonally occupied and 24 apartments (1.4%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 2.5 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.14%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 20.45% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(19.87%), the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(14.75%) and the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(14.41%). In the federal election, a total of 1,343 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 44.4%.
Economy
Echallens is a regionally important commercial center of the Gros de Vaud. Until the end of the 19th century, it was primarily agricultural. Today, agriculture is quite marginal.The municipality became slowly industrialized, with machining, metalworking, and textiles being the major industries.
Most jobs (almost 70 percent) are in the service sector. Many people now commute to Lausanne.
, Echallens had an unemployment rate of 4.3%. , there were 50 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 17 businesses involved in this sector. 291 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 39 businesses in this sector. 1,593 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 213 businesses in this sector. There were 2,206 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.8% of the workforce.
the total number of full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
jobs was 1,566. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 38, of which 31 were in agriculture and 7 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 279 of which 53 or (19.0%) were in manufacturing and 224 (80.3%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,249. In the tertiary sector; 382 or 30.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 105 or 8.4% were in the movement and storage of goods, 69 or 5.5% were in a hotel or restaurant, 13 or 1.0% were in the information industry, 85 or 6.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 130 or 10.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 126 or 10.1% were in education and 141 or 11.3% were in health care.
, there were 980 workers who commuted into the municipality and 1,535 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.6 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 15.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 63% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 1,667 or 38.9% were Roman Catholic, while 1,595 or 37.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 179 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 4.18% of the population), and there were 292 individuals (or about 6.82% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 4 individuals (or about 0.09% of the population) who were Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 81 (or about 1.89% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There were 4 individuals who were Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and 9 individuals who belonged to another church. 464 (or about 10.84% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 127 individuals (or about 2.97% of the population) did not answer the question.
Weather
Echallens has an average of 121.6 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 972 mm (38.3 in) of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
. The wettest month is June during which time Echallens receives an average of 99 mm (3.9 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 11.2 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 12.3, but with only 89 mm (3.5 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 69 mm (2.7 in) of precipitation over 10.1 days.
Education
In Echallens about 1,654 or (38.6%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 481 or (11.2%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the 481 who completed tertiary schooling, 62.4% were Swiss men, 25.6% were Swiss women, 6.7% were non-Swiss men and 5.4% were non-Swiss women.
In the 2009/2010 school year there were a total of 830 students in the Echallens school district. In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts. During the school year, the political district provided pre-school care for a total of 296 children of which 96 children (32.4%) received subsidized pre-school care. The canton's primary school program requires students to attend for four years. There were 443 students in the municipal primary school program. The obligatory lower secondary school program lasts for six years and there were 373 students in those schools. There were also 14 students who were home schooled or attended another non-traditional school.
Echallens is home to 1 museum, the Maison du blé et du pain (House of wheat and bread). In 2009 it was visited by 11,087 visitors while the average in previous years was 11,438.
, there were 344 students in Echallens who came from another municipality, while 201 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Sport
FC EchallensFC Echallens
FC Echallens is a Swiss football club from Echallens, canton Vaud. The team currently plays in Liga 1., the third highest tier in the Swiss football pyramid. The club was formed in 1921.-Stadium:...
play in the town. The team currently plays in Liga 1.
Swiss 1. Liga (football)
1. Liga is the third tier of the Swiss Football League. The division is split into three groups of 16 teams, by geographical region.-Regional Format:...
, the third highest tier in the Swiss football pyramid
Swiss Football League
The Swiss Football League is organised in several leagues.-Proposed system from 2012-13 season onwards:-External links:* * * * *...
. Their home stadium is Sportplatz 3 Sapins
Sportplatz 3 Sapins
Sportplatz 3 Sapins is a stadium in Echallens, Switzerland. It is currently used for football matches and is the home ground of FC Echallens. The capacity is 2000 and is the opposite of the modern all seater stadiums in that it is standing-room only....
which is situated on the outskirts of Echallens.
Transportation
Echallens lies on the main highway between LausanneLausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
and Yverdon-les-Bains
Yverdon-les-Bains
Yverdon-les-Bains is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord vaudois of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is the seat of the district...
. The entrance to the A1 motorway at La Sarraz
La Sarraz
La Sarraz is a municipality of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, located in the district of Morges.-Geography:La Sarraz has an area, , of . Of this area, or 48.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 39.0% is forested...
opened in 1981 and is only about 7 km from the center.
In 1874, the railway from Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne to Echallens opened a small-gauge line Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher (LEB). There are bus lines to Chavornay
Chavornay, Vaud
Chavornay is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Chavornay is first mentioned in 927 as Cavorniacum. In 1228 it was mentioned as Chavornai.-Geography:...
, Yverdon, und Thierrens
Thierrens
Thierrens is a municipality in the district Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Thierrens has an area, , of . Of this area, or 71.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 22.6% is forested...
.