Municipality
Karlstad
Residents
99,007
2026
Population, 5 years
+4.4%
10 years: +10.9%
Active places of business
11,686
118 per 1,000 residents
Opened / closed (12 mo.)
957 / –
3-yr change –
Population
Active businesses (all types)
Who lives here
Statistics Sweden · 2026
Children 0-14
15%
Young 15-24
14%
Adults 25-44
27%
Adults 45-64
23%
Seniors 65-79
14%
80 and older
7%
The line marks the average for Sweden.
Average age42.1 yrs · Sweden: 42.3
Average net income per person (20+)SEK 345k · Sweden: SEK 367k
Households with children24% · Sweden: 29%
Post-secondary education (age 25–65)55% · Sweden: 50%
Jobs located here58,193
Commute in / out every day18,094 / 9,543
Jobs per working resident1.17 · Sweden: 1.00
More people work here than live here, daytime demand (lunch, services) is higher than the resident count suggests.
Deeper numbers
Survival, trouble signs, competition and people in Karlstad.
Survival
Survival can't be calculated for Sweden yet: Statistics Sweden's Business Register keeps only some of the older closures, so closures are counted from 4 October 2026, when we started collecting.
Competition
Run by chains (3+ places)9% · Sweden: 6%
Share of the 3 largest operators0% · 11,226 owners
| 14 places | |
| 11 places | |
| 7 places | |
| 7 places | |
| 6 places |
Public bodies (municipalities, regions, the state, the church) are left out of this list.
New and established
Openings per 1,000 residents (12 months)9.67 · Sweden: 10.54
Average age of active businesses12.3 yrs · Sweden: 11.9
Younger than 2 years15% · Sweden: 15%
Older than 10 years53% · Sweden: 51%
A typical mix of new and established businesses.
Moving in and out
Moved here (3 years)2 · 12 months: 0
Moved away (3 years)2 · 12 months: 0
Net0
A move is a place of business closing and the same company opening one in another area within 90 days. Chains are left out. A business that moves and keeps its place-of-business number isn't counted here yet, so the real number of moves is higher.
When businesses open and close
Opened
Per calendar month, 2021–2025. Not available yet: closures are only known from 4 October 2026.
Highest opportunity here
Flooring
7421 today · similar areas would have ~33
Kiosk, Wine & beverage shop
739 today · similar areas would have ~13
Home care
7233 today · similar areas would have ~44
Petrol station
717 today · similar areas would have ~9
Architect
7119 today · similar areas would have ~25
Building contractor
71261 today · similar areas would have ~332
All business types
Click a column to sort| Business type | Group | Active | Per 10k | Similar areas | Opened 3 yrs | Closed 3 yrs | Change | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel | Accommodation | 26 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 5 | – | – | 62 |
| B&B & holiday accommodation | Accommodation | 23 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 4 | – | – | 51 |
| Campsite | Accommodation | 7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 3 | – | – | 32 |
| Car repair & service | Automotive | 129 | 13.0 | 12.5 | 28 | – | – | 64 |
| Petrol station | Automotive | 7 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0 | – | – | 71 |
| Car dealer | Automotive | 110 | 11.1 | 7.3 | 23 | – | – | 45 |
| Car parts & motorcycles | Automotive | 30 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 5 | – | – | 52 |
| Car rental | Automotive | 16 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 4 | – | – | 38 |
| Childcare | Education | 12 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0 | – | – | 32 |
| Driving school | Education | 12 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 5 | – | – | 67 |
| Courses & tutoring | Education | 236 | 23.8 | 22.2 | 81 | – | – | 55 |
| Café, coffee bar or bar | Food & drink | 13 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 3 | – | – | 59 |
| Restaurant | Food & drink | 214 | 21.6 | 19.0 | 44 | – | – | 53 |
| Pizzeria, grill or takeaway | Food & drink | 29 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 10 | – | – | 59 |
| Catering & canteen | Food & drink | 19 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 11 | – | – | 66 |
| Bakery | Food & drink | 24 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 9 | – | – | 66 |
| Supermarket & convenience store | Groceries | 244 | 24.6 | 22.2 | 120 | – | – | 59 |
| Butcher, fishmonger & deli | Groceries | 17 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 7 | – | – | 68 |
| Kiosk, Wine & beverage shop | Groceries | 9 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 4 | – | – | 73 |
| Dentist | Health | 36 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 7 | – | – | 62 |
| Doctor & medical clinic | Health | 141 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 27 | – | – | 56 |
| Physio, chiro & therapy | Health | 187 | 18.9 | 13.8 | 45 | – | – | 57 |
| Veterinarian | Health | 12 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1 | – | – | 66 |
| Home care | Health | 33 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 1 | – | – | 72 |
| Gym & fitness centre | Leisure | 19 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2 | – | – | 68 |
| Sports facility & club | Leisure | 190 | 19.2 | 11.3 | 22 | – | – | 44 |
| Cinema & entertainment | Leisure | 74 | 7.5 | 5.0 | 10 | – | – | 53 |
| Travel agency | Leisure | 19 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 3 | – | – | 53 |
| Hairdresser & barber | Personal services | 169 | 17.1 | 15.0 | 37 | – | – | 53 |
| Beauty salon & spa | Personal services | 194 | 19.6 | 18.4 | 43 | – | – | 62 |
| Laundry & dry cleaning | Personal services | 4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0 | – | – | 63 |
| Repairs (electronics, shoes, watches) | Personal services | 44 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 9 | – | – | 53 |
| Funeral services | Personal services | 6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2 | – | – | 64 |
| Accountant & bookkeeping | Professional services | 189 | 19.1 | 21.4 | 35 | – | – | 65 |
| Law firm | Professional services | 66 | 6.7 | 4.8 | 11 | – | – | 50 |
| Bank & insurance | Professional services | 22 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1 | – | – | 55 |
| Real estate agent | Professional services | 55 | 5.6 | 4.3 | 12 | – | – | 58 |
| Architect | Professional services | 19 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 3 | – | – | 71 |
| Engineering consultancy | Professional services | 386 | 39.0 | 36.8 | 71 | – | – | 60 |
| IT & software services | Professional services | 421 | 42.5 | 39.1 | 144 | – | – | 58 |
| Marketing & advertising agency | Professional services | 87 | 8.8 | 10.4 | 25 | – | – | 68 |
| Design & photography | Professional services | 145 | 14.6 | 14.1 | 46 | – | – | 65 |
| Staffing & recruitment | Professional services | 81 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 31 | – | – | 66 |
| Clothing store | Retail | 84 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 16 | – | – | 58 |
| Shoe & leather goods store | Retail | 13 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 4 | – | – | 36 |
| Pharmacy & health store | Retail | 16 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0 | – | – | 60 |
| Cosmetics & perfume store | Retail | 18 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 7 | – | – | 60 |
| Florist, garden & pet shop | Retail | 20 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3 | – | – | 68 |
| Jewellery & watches | Retail | 17 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2 | – | – | 66 |
| Optician | Retail | 14 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2 | – | – | 58 |
| Furniture & interior store | Retail | 53 | 5.4 | 4.0 | 10 | – | – | 53 |
| Electronics & phone store | Retail | 34 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 11 | – | – | 57 |
| Hardware & DIY store | Retail | 33 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2 | – | – | 47 |
| Books & stationery | Retail | 15 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 6 | – | – | 59 |
| Sports & bike shop | Retail | 49 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 7 | – | – | 48 |
| Toy & hobby shop | Retail | 33 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 16 | – | – | 63 |
| Gifts, art & specialty shops | Retail | 16 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 4 | – | – | 63 |
| Second-hand & antiques | Retail | 28 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 11 | – | – | 46 |
| Online store | Retail | 15 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 5 | – | – | 44 |
| Electrician | Trades | 84 | 8.5 | 10.8 | 9 | – | – | 66 |
| Plumber & heating | Trades | 83 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 15 | – | – | 66 |
| Carpenter & joiner | Trades | 155 | 15.7 | 18.3 | 27 | – | – | 70 |
| Painter & decorator | Trades | 51 | 5.2 | 6.5 | 12 | – | – | 67 |
| Bricklayer & mason | Trades | 65 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 8 | – | – | 64 |
| Flooring | Trades | 21 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 2 | – | – | 74 |
| Building contractor | Trades | 261 | 26.4 | 33.5 | 54 | – | – | 71 |
| Gardener & landscaping | Trades | 32 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 8 | – | – | 69 |
| Cleaning services | Trades | 109 | 11.0 | 12.1 | 47 | – | – | 69 |
| Taxi | Transport | 68 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 29 | – | – | 66 |
| Removals & haulage | Transport | 104 | 10.5 | 12.4 | 15 | – | – | 69 |
Towns and neighbourhoods in Karlstad
| Area | Type | Residents | Pop. 5 yrs | Businesses | Businesses 3 yrs | Closed 12 mo. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karlstad | Town | 69,615 | – | 7,600 | – | – |
| Skåre | Town | 5,415 | – | 491 | – | – |
| Älvåker och Råtorp | Town | 3,144 | – | 306 | – | – |
| Vålberg | Town | 2,764 | – | 162 | – | – |
| Skattkärr | Town | 1,960 | – | 186 | – | – |
| Molkom | Town | 1,887 | – | 199 | – | – |
| Alster | Town | 822 | – | 86 | – | – |
| Edsvalla | Town | 701 | – | 45 | – | – |
| Vallargärdet | Town | 580 | – | 68 | – | – |
| Väse | Town | 566 | – | 63 | – | – |
| Edsvalla Övre bruket | Town | 230 | – | 12 | – | – |
| Norsbron | Town | 208 | – | 11 | – | – |
| Viken-Tyggårdsviken-Tullholmen (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 6,184 | +46.2% | 689 | – | – |
| Tingvallastaden-Haga (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 5,430 | +6.6% | 1,362 | – | – |
| Alster-Skattkärr-Skattkärrs omland (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 4,289 | +3.4% | 550 | – | – |
| Kvarnberget-Sommarro-Marieberg (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 4,264 | +6.8% | 316 | – | – |
| Rud nordöstra (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 4,044 | +0.4% | 105 | – | – |
| Hultsberg-Gustavsberg (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 4,042 | -2.6% | 319 | – | – |
| Kronoparken norra (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 4,040 | +5.0% | 173 | – | – |
| Färjestad-Järpetan-Rud sydvästra (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,848 | +0.2% | 300 | – | – |
| Sundsta-Hagaborg (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,809 | – | 292 | – | – |
| Väse-Karlstads östra landsbygd (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,757 | +3.2% | 800 | – | – |
| Våxnäs (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,747 | +4.5% | 338 | – | – |
| Skåre centrala-Ilanda-Stodene (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,684 | -0.5% | 392 | – | – |
| Kronoparken centrala (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,585 | +1.4% | 112 | – | – |
| Kroppkärr-Lorensberg-Välsviken (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,572 | +3.4% | 283 | – | – |
| Herrhagen sydöstra-Yttre hamn (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,524 | -2.2% | 298 | – | – |
| Norrstrand (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,484 | -2.0% | 268 | – | – |
| Herrhagen nordvästra-Lamberget-Sjöstad (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,322 | -2.1% | 937 | – | – |
| Vålberg-Norsbron (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 3,085 | -5.9% | 192 | – | – |
| Stockfallet-Edsgatan södra-Steffensminne (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 2,870 | +14.4% | 200 | – | – |
| Råtorp (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 2,670 | -4.5% | 264 | – | – |
| Zakrisdal-Bergvik-Björkås (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 2,340 | +11.6% | 524 | – | – |
| Skåreberget-Älvåker (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 2,251 | -4.1% | 173 | – | – |
| Molkom-Blombacka (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 2,130 | -1.9% | 238 | – | – |
| Edsvalla-Karlstads västra landsbygd (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 2,094 | -1.8% | 305 | – | – |
| Klara-Sandbäcken-Sanna (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 2,015 | – | 663 | – | – |
| Gruvlyckan (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 1,960 | +0.2% | 111 | – | – |
| Orrholmen (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 1,889 | +0.6% | 67 | – | – |
| Kronoparken östra (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 1,879 | +15.6% | 90 | – | – |
| Edsgatan norra-Vallargärdet-Vallargärdets omland (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 1,861 | +0.7% | 292 | – | – |
| Romstad-Strand (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 1,852 | -3.6% | 241 | – | – |
| Skåre omland (Karlstad) | Neighbourhood | 1,478 | +4.2% | 299 | – | – |