Västernorrlands län

Last updated: 2/12-2022

Welcome to Västernorrland, a county with dramatic natural surroundings and plenty of culture. Around 240,000 residents live here in seven municipalities: Sundsvall, Timrå, Härnösand, Sollefteå, Kramfors, Ånge and Örnsköldsvik. The county has extensive forests, a long coastline on the Gulf of Bothnia and three large rivers: the Ljungan, Indalsälven and Ångermanälven.

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Municipalities in Västernorrlands län

Choose the municipality in Västernorrlands län that you want to read more about below.

Housing situation

The accommodation situation is relatively good as the county has experienced a reduction in its population over the last ten years. There is a certain lack of flats with right of tenancy in central areas and in all municipalities there is a need for maintenance and upgrading of accommodation. An aging population means that the need for adapted accommodation will increase. The Bothnia Line is very important for communications and interchange in the county. Commuting between Umeå and Örnsköldsvik has increased, as has commuting to Sundsvall. These are also the two locations where the construction of accommodation has increased the most.​

Business and employers

There are many different types of businesses in Västernorrland. These include long-established, large companies in the forestry and power generation industries such as SCA an Eon. But there re also many new businesses working in IT and telecoms, such as Com Hem and Telia. Municipalities and the region are major employers, with responsibilities in care, nursing and transportation. Increasing numbers of small businesses are establishing themselves in the county and are often providers of services to companies and private individuals.

Associations and organisations – civil society

Thanks to our newly arrived citizens, the number of residents in Västernorrland is growing. This the first occasion this has happened in a long time. There is a lot of work in progress to make it easier for those born overseas to live and work here. Together with values-based organisations, the economy, municipalities and county council, the county administrative board is working to accept new arrivals in a worthy, lawful and brotherly way. On example is that in 2011 Västernorrland was the first in the country to be a county where all its municipalities accepted refugee children without their parents.

Schools and education

Sweden's youngest university, Mid Sweden University, is situated in Västernorrland. It was established in 2005 and has campuses situated in Sundsvall, Östersund, Härnösand and Örnsköldsvik. Here you'll find lecturers, researchers and students from Sweden and other countries. The university offers top-class education within sports science, eco-technology, photo journalism and an international masters degree in economics. Also offered are courses in social sciences, natural sciences, technology and the humanities. Mid Sweden University is one of Sweden's leading seats of learning when it comes to distance learning. Some distance learning involve conferences, while others are based just on modern IT support.

Medical care

The region is responsible for medical care in the county. There are three hospitals in Västernorrland: the County Hospital in Sundsvall, with wards in Härnösand as well, Sollefteå Hospital and Örnsköldsvik Hospital. The hospitals have various wards, departments and activities.

Culture and leisure

Västernorrland is rich in culture and there are plenty of options for pursuing an active leisure time. In Härnösand there is the world-famous dance company Norrdans, while Scenkonst Västernorrland produces music, theatre, dance and film Västernorrland is also known for its beautiful and extensive natural surroundings, with large expanses of woodland, stretches of crystal clear river and old cultural landscape. The unique Höga coastline is one of Sweden's world heritage sites. There is a good number of nature reserves and an archipelago with many different types of animal and vegetation.