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Vaala

Vaala had 2,581 residents at the end of 2024. Median disposable income of adults was €22,487 in 2024, 12% below the regional level. 21% of households rented and 77% owned their home. The population has fallen by 16% since 2015.

Municipality · Code 785 · Statistics Finland · Updated 24 October 2026
2,581residents31 December 2024
€22,487median incomeadults, 2024
21%of households rentingtenure
31%green within 500 maverage
Vaala by postcode area
Map of Vaala: Share of land within 500 m that is green space
0%30%+
Share of land within 500 m that is green space

Sources: Statistics Finland, Paavo open data by postal code area 2026 (CC BY 4.0) · Statistics Finland, municipal and regional boundaries 2026 (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

All 12 postcode areas.

Colour shows where each one sits among the others in the table, from lowest to highest.

Postcode areaResidentsMedian incomeRentingOwning65+Avg. ageUnemploymentGreen 500 mServices 15 min
88340 Manamansalo73€18,4712%91%55%6445.8%47%5
91700 Vaala Keskus - Oterma1,349€22,14034%64%43%5417.2%25%29
91710 Jylhämä43€20,595––47%5814.3%71%0
91720 Oterma50€22,8880%100%42%6426.9%0%0
91730 Kankari97€22,0110%100%52%6111.1%89%0
91740 Jaalanka - Liminpuro93€18,8914%96%45%5935.1%69%1
91750 Liminpuro61€21,308––31%4916.0%38%0
91760 Säräisniemi224€23,5495%92%46%5811.2%17%3
91780 Neittävä87€25,7582%95%28%4711.1%58%0
91790 Nuojua116€25,1456%88%23%4414.3%73%1
92810 Pelsonsuo135€22,8513%93%30%489.1%10%2
92830 Veneheitto206€24,9122%95%37%5112.5%9%3

Sources: Statistics Finland, Paavo open data by postal code area 2026 (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

People.

Age at the end of 2024, next to the figure for North Ostrobothnia.

12%
aged under 16
6%
aged 16–24
15%
aged 25–44
27%
aged 45–64
41%
aged 65 and over
54
years, average age

Main activity

Employed32%
Unemployed7%
Students4%
Pensioners45%
Children aged 0–1411%
Others2%

Population at the end of each year

20153,074
20163,040
20172,941
20182,869
20192,792
20202,737
20212,673
20222,626
20232,589
20242,581

Source: Statistics Finland, Paavo open data by postal code area 2026 (CC BY 4.0)

Income and education.

Disposable income in 2024 and education at the end of 2024.

€22,487
median income, adults
€25,034
mean income, adults
17.0%
unemployment rate

Education of adults

No qualification after basic education26%
Matriculation examination3%
Vocational qualification50%
Lower university or polytechnic degree16%
Higher university degree5%

Income is the disposable money income of residents aged 18 and over in 2024: taxable and tax-free income minus taxes and contributions. The median is the middle value, so a few high earners do not pull it up.

Source: Statistics Finland, Paavo open data by postal code area 2026 (CC BY 4.0)

Homes.

1,413 households and 1,929 homes at the end of 2024.

1.8
people per household
51.6 m²
floor area per person
85.7 m²
average home size
5%
of homes in blocks of flats

Households by tenure

Owner-occupied77%
Rented21%
Other tenure3%

Households

One-person households51%
Young one-person households5%
Households with children12%
Pensioner households56%

Household groups overlap: young one-person households, for example, are also counted as one-person households.

766jobs located hereworkplaces
1,660summer cottages and other leisure homesleisure homes
92%of homes in housesdetached, semi-detached, terraced

Statistics Finland withholds a figure when fewer than 30 people are behind it (fewer than 10 for workplaces). Missing figures are shown as a dash and never estimated.

Source: Statistics Finland, Paavo open data by postal code area 2026 (CC BY 4.0)

Everyday life.

16 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk; 31% green space within 500 metres.

3schoolsOpenStreetMap
1day-care centreOpenStreetMap
1resident per km²1,758.1 km²

Services and green space are measured from each postcode area’s service centre: the point inside the area with the most shops and services within 500 metres. Municipal and regional figures are averages weighted by population.

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

Around here.

Photographs taken near Vaala, shared on Wikimedia Commons under free licences.

Vaalankurkku railway bridge
i
Vaalankurkku railway bridge
Photo: Teemu Vehkaoja (TeVe) · CC BY 2.5
View on Wikimedia Commons
Vaala, Finland (Unsplash)
i
Vaala, Finland (Unsplash)
Photo: Arto Marttinen wandervisions · CC0
View on Wikimedia Commons
Ahmalan matkailuhotellin mmerkki
i
Ahmalan matkailuhotellin mmerkki
Photo: Leokeke · CC BY-SA 4.0
View on Wikimedia Commons

Postcode areas.

 

Other municipalities in North Ostrobothnia.