Housing in Neuchâtel: the Littoral faces a shortage, with a 0.95% vacancy rate

⏱ 1 min 30 read

Background

The vacancy rate measures the share of empty homes on the market. Below 1.5%, there is considered to be a housing shortage. According to ArcInfo, saying the Neuchâtel market has run dry would be an exaggeration. The real estate consultancy Acanthe has nonetheless just published a detailed analysis by region.

The key points

According to Acanthe's 2026 Observatory, published on Tuesday 10 November 2026, the vacancy rate in the canton of Neuchâtel stands at 1,64 %. This average, above the shortage threshold, nevertheless conceals wide disparities between the canton's regions, according to ArcInfo.

The Neuchâtel Littoral has a vacancy rate of 0,95 %, which the study's authors consider close to Lake Geneva standards. Val-de-Ruz even drops to 0.71%. By comparison, the West Lausanne district stands at 0.67%. While the pressure on supply is comparable, rents remain markedly higher on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Key figures

• 1,64 % : average vacancy rate in the canton of Neuchâtel (Acanthe, 2026)
• 0,95 % : vacancy rate on the Neuchâtel Littoral
• 0,71 % : vacancy rate in Val-de-Ruz
• 0,67 % : vacancy rate in West Lausanne
• 1,5 % : threshold below which a housing shortage is declared

Further reading

• Pietro Santisi: 222 apartments between Valais and Les Paccots
• Vaud rents after renovation: the left challenges the government

Sources

• Acanthe – 2026 Observatory (official source)
• ArcInfo – Real estate: the Neuchâtel Littoral faces the same level of shortage as West Lausanne and Lavaux