Kärkölä: population and statistics
Kärkölä has a population of 4,052 (2025) across 256.7 km², or 15.8 people per km². It ranks 189 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −12.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 4,052 residents
- 256.7 km²
- 16 people/km²
- 104 m
Kärkölä in numbers
Key points
Among the 10 municipalities in Päijät-Häme, Kärkölä ranks No. 7 by population.
Largest business sector: Manufacturing, with 46.0% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 43° generates about 886 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Päijät-Häme for “Share of dwellings built before 1940”.
- Number 1 in Päijät-Häme for “Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses”.
- Its area is roughly equal to 35,950 football pitches.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Hausjärvi (7,862 residents), 16 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 3,544 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
Population of Kärkölä over time
Kärkölä had 4,604 residents in 2015 and 4,052 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 4,326 |
| 2021 | 4,245 |
| 2022 | 4,198 |
| 2023 | 4,114 |
| 2024 | 4,093 |
| 2025 | 4,052 |
All indicators for Kärkölä
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Kärkölä | Päijät-Häme | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 11.6% | 12.9% | 13.3% | ranked 215 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 30.7% | 29.0% | 31.2% | ranked 164 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 49.7 years | 47.2 | 48.5 | ranked 125 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.3% | ranked 90 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 4.7% | 5.6% | 3.4% | ranked 90 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kärkölä | Päijät-Häme | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 2,442 no. | 124,266 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 187 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 13.7% | – | 8.2% | ranked 55 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 8.7% | – | 14.5% | ranked 250 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 64.0% | – | 64.5% | ranked 157 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 7.4% | – | 11.1% | ranked 194 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 13.5% | – | 16.9% | ranked 208 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 72.3 /1,000 inh. | 110.6 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 216 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kärkölä | Päijät-Häme | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 1.7% | – | 3.9% | ranked 220 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 50.1% | – | 39.8% | ranked 35 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 3.2% | – | 5.5% | ranked 242 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 21.4% | – | 17.1% | ranked 78 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 23.5% | – | 29.1% | ranked 186 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kärkölä | Päijät-Häme | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 542 no. | 20,245 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 203 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 132.4 /1,000 inh. | 98.8 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 174 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 29,042 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 152 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 780 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 168 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 204 per 1,000 inh. | 10,533 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 191 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 50.3 per 1,000 inh. | 51.5 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 186 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.2 per 1,000 inh. | 3.3 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 199 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kärkölä | Päijät-Häme | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 1,500 no. | 75,266 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 168 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 13.6% | 14.6% | 10.8% | ranked 55 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 72.4% | 71.2% | 75.4% | ranked 225 of 302 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kärkölä | Päijät-Häme | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 607 /1,000 inh. | 494 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 79 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kärkölä | Päijät-Häme | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 14.4% | 16.1% | 14.3% | ranked 143 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kärkölä | Päijät-Häme | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 20.7% | 29.0% | 24.1% | ranked 237 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kärkölä
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Manufacturing46.0% ×3.7
- Health and social work11.7% ×0.6
- Wholesale and retail trade8.1% ×0.8
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing6.9% ×2.8
- Construction5.7% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services4.7% ×0.6
- Transport and storage4.2% ×0.8
- Education3.3% ×0.4
Sunshine and temperatures: Kärkölä
Where is Kärkölä?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kärkölä?
Kärkölä has 4,052 residents (2025), ranking 189 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kärkölä?
Kärkölä covers 256.7 km², with a density of 16 people per km².
Is the population of Kärkölä growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kärkölä went from 4,604 to 4,052, a change of −12.0%.
Where is Kärkölä?
Kärkölä is in Päijät-Häme. Latitude 60.868, longitude 25.278.
Share of residential buildings heated with electricity: what is the figure for Kärkölä?
In Kärkölä, “Share of residential buildings heated with electricity” stands at 50.1% (2025), ranking 35 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 39.8%.
Share of dwellings built after 2000: what is the figure for Kärkölä?
In Kärkölä, “Share of dwellings built after 2000” stands at 8.7% (2025), ranking 250 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 14.5%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kärkölä?
In Kärkölä, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 43° produces about 886 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kärkölä?
The nearest to Kärkölä are Hausjärvi (16 km), Hollola (18 km), Lahti (24 km), Orimattila (26 km), Mäntsälä (26 km).
Coat of arms: User:Care; Original design by Ahti Hammar., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
