Schmiedrued

Entrance to Schmiedrued

Schmiedrued has an area, as of 2009, of 8.64 square kilometers (3.34 sq mi). Of this area, 5.55 square kilometers (2.14 sq mi) or 64.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.37 square kilometers (0.92 sq mi) or 27.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.67 square kilometers (0.26 sq mi) or 7.8% is settled (buildings or roads).[3]

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 4.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.8%. 25.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 25.1% is used for growing crops and 33.0% is pastures, while 6.1% is used for orchards or vine crops.[3]

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure a Hammer Sable headed Argent and in chief two Oars of the last in Saltire and in chief a Mullet of the same. This may be an example of canting, where the hammer (German: schmied) representing the first part of Schmiedrued and the second part of the name is illustrated by the oars (German: Ruder).[4]

Schoolhouse in Schiltwald village, part of Schmiedrued

Schmiedrued has a population (as of December 2020) of 1,160[5] As of June 2009, 7.8% of the population are foreign nationals.[6] Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 1.9%. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (94.3%), with Albanian being second most common ( 2.8%) and Spanish being third ( 0.7%).[7]

The age distribution, as of 2008, in Schmiedrued is; 116 children or 9.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 173 teenagers or 14.3% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 136 people or 11.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 119 people or 9.8% are between 30 and 39, 236 people or 19.5% are between 40 and 49, and 189 people or 15.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 95 people or 7.9% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 85 people or 7.0% are between 70 and 79, there are 50 people or 4.1% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 10 people or 0.8% who are 90 and older.[8]

As of 2000, there were 25 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 211 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 176 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.77 individuals.[9] As of 2000, there were 431 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.8 persons per household.[7] In 2008 there were 226 single family homes (or 44.2% of the total) out of a total of 511 homes and apartments.[10] There were a total of 5 empty apartments for a 1.0% vacancy rate.[10] As of 2007, the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.[7]

In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 52.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CSP (13%), the SP (8.5%) and the Green Party (6.9%).[7]

In Schmiedrued about 67.7% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).[7] Of the school age population (in the 2008/2009 school year), there are 104 students attending primary school, there are 54 students attending secondary school in the municipality.[9]

The historical population is given in the following table:[8]

As of  2007, Schmiedrued had an unemployment rate of 0.96%. As of 2005, there were 114 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 48 businesses involved in this sector. 122 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 7 businesses in this sector. 106 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 21 businesses in this sector.[7]

In 2000 there were 585 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 407 or about 69.6% of the residents worked outside Schmiedrued while 103 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 281 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality.[11] Of the working population, 6.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 56% used a private car.[7]

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From the 2000 census, 208 or 17.1% were Roman Catholic, while 854 or 70.1% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.[9]