Arvika
Standing still is the same as going backwards – and Arvika is a municipality on the move forwards. From a population point of view, Arvika municipality is the second largest municipality in Värmland county, with around 26,000 inhabitants.
Facts about the municipality
Population numbers
26025
Size by area
1956 km²
More than half the inhabitants live in Arvika, the main population centre. In Arvika you will find great quality of life, where closeness between people provides security and balance in life.
Housing
There are both private and municipal housing companies in Arvika municipality. Here you can choose between living in a flat, terraced house or detached house, irrespective of whether you want to buy or rent your home. The municipal company Arvika Fastighets AB is the largest manager of housing, with almost 3,000 flats in its portfolio.
Language groups in the locality
There are lots of different language groups represented in Arvika municipality. This is because the municipality has received refugees for many years, but also because the natural surroundings of the municipality are so beautiful that many have come here for that reason. The largest language groups are Somali, Arabic, Albanian, Bosnian, Persian, Dari, Urdu, Spanish, German and Dutch.
Associations and organisations
There are around 370 different associations within leisure, culture and religion. There are plenty of sports and exercis facilties around the municipality, walking paths in beautiful natural surroundings, a rich and varied music scene that engages both young and old. Art and culture are prominent in the area. There is a Somali and Keldan association, and also an Islamic centre, as well as churches such as the Church of Sweden, Mission Church, Pentecostal Church and Jehova's Witnesses.
What is available in the immediate area
Arvika is a municipality where many different interests exist side by side., There are well-stocked food shops, traditional open-air market, restaurants serving Swedish classics and food from other cultures, cafés, clothes shops selling the latest fashions or second-hand.
There is a citizens' office, library, employment service, social insurance office, tax office and social services office. The shops are varied, from small boutiques in town to rather larger DIY shops some way outside the centre. Furniture and household goods are available in all price classes, and there are a number of second-hand shops in the town centre. Arvika is around one hour's car journey from Karlstad, where there is an IKEA.
Childcare
Childcare is available throughout the municipality, and consists of nursery schools, pedagogic care, general nursery schools for 4–5 year olds, open nursery schools and holiday care.
Comprehensive and upper secondary schools
Arvika has 17 comprehensive schools and two municipal upper secondary schools, offering most of the national programmes. There is also an independnet school at lower and upper secondary level with a focus on aesthetics. If you like to sing or play an instrument in your spare time, you can apply to the municipal music school.
Education opportunities
Arvika business centre offers opportunities for adults to study. There is a learning centre, where you can study various further education and distance learning courses, occupational further education and specially designed courses. There is Swedish for Immigrants, special education for adults and upper secondary education for adults. Arvika also has Ingesund folk high school and Ingesund musik college.
Read more about adult education in the municipality.
Health and medical care
There are two medical centres in Arvika associated with Hälsoval Värmland; Vårdcentralen Verkstaden and Kinnekullehälsan. The hospital in Arvika has most specialisms and is one of three hospitals in Värmland.
Interpreter assistance
As there is a mutual need for understanding, we engage interpreters when necessary. This may be for contacts with work, schools, visits to public authorities and in healthcare. Most interpreter services are provided via telephone.
Public transport
In Arvika, far away is close by. Arvika's location on the railway line from Stockholm to Oslo provides good connections with both capitals. From Arvika bus station, you can travel locally in Arvika, but also further on by long-distance buses to Stockholm, Göteborg and Örebro, among other places.
Work and entrepreneurship
With around 11,000 jobs, Arvika is a municipality where manufacturing industry dominates, with large companies such as Volvo, Thermia and Swegon, but there are also a number of smaller companies with great leading-edge competency. Healthcare, education and trade are other activities that offer many jobs. Around 1,500 persons commute from municipalities close by to work in Arvika.
