Västmanlands län

Last updated: 2/12-2022

Västmanland county is one of Sweden’s smaller counties with 10 municipalities and around 260,000 residents, of which just over half live in Västerås. Västmanland is situated in the middle of the Mälar region and is relatively close to large cities such as Stockholm, Uppsala, Örebro and Eskilstuna. Västmanland county is a part of the Västmanland countryside, the county includes the eastern part of the countryside.

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Municipalities in Västmanlands län

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

Housing situation

The accommodation market situation in the county varies between municipalities. Most municipalities report either equilibrium or excess on the accommodation market. But even in those municipalities which report equilibrium or a deficit, there is a need for certain types of accommodation. The number of municipalities which report an excess has also decreased. For this reason, discussions have been commenced across a broad front regarding what is required to speed up the building of accommodation in the county's municipalities and new construction is now being planned.

Population

Västmanland has ten municipalities: Arboga, Fagersta, Hallstahammar, Kungsör, Köping, Norberg, Sala, Skinnskatteberg, Surahammar and Västerås. Skinnskatteberg is the county's smallest municipality with just over 4,000 residents and Västerås is Sweden's sixth largest city with just over 142,000 residents. The number of residents in the county has increased over recent years and now stands at around 260,000 residents. It is primarily Västerås municipality which is growing, although other municipalities in the country can also point to a positive population development.

Business and employers

Västmanland county has many major world-leading companies within fields such as automation, railways, energy, welfare and health. For a long time, the county has had an industry which has been active on the international market and created jobs. In the large companies there is a lot of research and development activity which means that there is a strong demand for engineers.

The municipalities and the region are the biggest employers in the county. The number of people of working age in the county is decreasing, particularly among those born in Sweden. This means that those born abroad are an important resource in ensuring the county's access to labour.

Associations and organisations – civil society

An active collaboration is ongoing between public authorities, the county's municipalities, businesses and voluntary organisations to create good conditions in the community for the county's inhabitants – private individuals, business owners and new arrivals. A declaration of intent has been drawn up between the county administrative board, the region and the municipalities for creating and maintaining long-term and sustainable forms of cooperation, and this has resulted in fixed forums for a dialogue on integration issues.

Schools and education

Mälardalen College is one of Sweden's largest colleges with campuses in Västerås and Eskilstuna. The college has 13,000 students, 900 employees and offers a wide selection of courses concentrating on the four areas of economics, health and nursing, teaching and technology. There are also colleges such as Skogsmästar College in Skinnskatteberg and Rid School in Strömsholm. The county's central location and short distances make it easy to study as other colleges in neighbouring counties.

Links to other websites

Medical care

There are four hospitals in Västmanland County. The region owns the hospitals in Västerås, Köping and Sala. The hospital in Fagersta is privately run. In addition to the hospitals there are many public and private medical care centres. In Västmanland County you can choose which medical care centre to turn to.

Links to other websites

Culture and leisure

The county has a diverse landscape with numerous interesting industrial environments and castles. In the south is situated Lake Mälaren with its archipelago and expansive landscape. In the north, the terrain is more undulating with mountains, long valleys and forests. The distances are short and it is easy to get outside into the countryside to swim, fish, take a walk in the forests, go boating and pursue other leisure activities. There are 90 or so nature reserves and 50 or so historic buildings in Västmanland county. There is a wide variety of cultural activities for those of you who are interested in history, sport, art, music and theatre.