Monitor Municipios · por Unholster
Back to all municipalities

Ovalle

Coquimbo124.401 inhabitantsPoblación proyectada INE 20243.547 km² of area35 inh./km²$43.563M ingreso municipalSINIM · ingreso total percibido · 2025
Profile today2050
The comuna in context · among 346 comunas
Power
484 organizations
9th most organizations requesting lobby meetings with it
Explore
Economy
13.507 jobs
20th most jobs promised by investment projects
Explore
Population
+4,3%
Population would grow between now and 2050
Society
18%
Multidimensional poverty · 187th highest of 346
Finance
$350 thousand
per inhabitant per year · rank 285 of 346
Education
588,6 pts
above the national median in the PAES (576,9 pts)
Finance
197th
most dependent on the Common Fund of 340
Summary

What the comuna hasSource: OpenStreetMap

110 Schools
82 Squares and green areas
25 Health centers
15 Pharmacies
13 Kindergartens
7 Rodeo arenas (medialunas)
4 Fire stations
4 Carabineros
3 Hospitals
2 Institutes
2 Universities
1 Libraries

Liveability index · EIU style

62.6 /100
Ver el ranking y simular
#34 of 346 · most liveable in the country (EIU weighting)
Safety53
Health71
Culture and environment85
Education42
Infrastructure50
AuthoritiesWho leads the comuna, its council, sessions and lobbying requests

Mayor · 2024-2028Source: DecideChile · SERVEL

Héctor Vega C.
INDEPENDIENTE
33.691
votes (46.85%)
95.605
Electoral roll
86,58%
Turnout
Mayoral history · 7 terms
HV
Héctor Vega C.
2024-2028 · INDEPENDIENTE
33.691
votes
CF
Claudio Fermin Renteria Larrondo
2021-2024 · IND
13.601
votes
ML
Marta Lobos Inzunza
2008-2012 · PPD
14.215
votes
ML
Marta Lobos Inzunza
2004-2008 · IND
18.234
votes
AG
Alberto Gallardo Flores
2000-2004 · RN
15.878
votes
AG
Alberto Gallardo Flores
1996-2000 · RN
15.759
votes
SP
Sergio Peralta Morales
1992-1996 · DC
5.335
votes

SERVEL · TRICEL (1992-2008) · DecideChile (2024) · Wikidata (pre-1992)

Concejo MunicipalSource: DecideChile · SERVEL

FV
Fanny Vega A.
POR CHILE, SEGUIMOS · PARTIDO COMUNISTA DE CHILE
5.225
votes
DA
David Alvarez L.
CHILE VAMOS RENOVACIÓN NACIONAL - INDEPENDIENTES · RENOVACION NACIONAL
3.737
votes
VV
Victor Venegas A.
REPUBLICANOS E INDEPENDIENTES · PARTIDO REPUBLICANO DE CHILE
3.091
votes
CR
Cristian Rojas M.
CHILE MUCHO MEJOR · PARTIDO DEMOCRATA CRISTIANO
3.042
votes
TG
Teodosio Guerrero C.
CHILE VAMOS RENOVACIÓN NACIONAL - INDEPENDIENTES · RENOVACION NACIONAL
2.939
votes
AM
Armando Mondaca C.
CENTRO DEMOCRATICO · INDEPENDIENTE
2.461
votes
KP
Katharina Pavletich H.
POR CHILE, SEGUIMOS · INDEPENDIENTE
1.716
votes
VL
Victor Lara R.
CHILE VAMOS UDI-EVOPOLI E INDEPENDIENTES · INDEPENDIENTE
1.688
votes

Official council minutesSource: CPLT · Active Transparency inventory (Law 20.285)

What the council resolvesSource: Official minutes · AI extraction (ongoing)

Resolutions extracted
1.268
of 447 minutes read
Money involved
$138.620.869.635
sum of resolutions with amounts
ResolutionTypeAmountVote
Presentación del plan de trabajo anual de Senda Previene OvalleOther$76.000.000
Aprobación del Acta de Sesión Ordinaria N°02 del 7 de marzo de 2019Othermayoria
Puntos VariosOther
Correspondencia recibida.Other
Presentación Estado de avance actualización Plan de Desarrollo Comunal (PLADECO)Other
Presentación Informe Primer Encuentro Regional para Dirigentes de los Consejeros de la Sociedad Civil COSOC realizado por la SubdereOther

Resolutions voted by the council, automatically extracted from the official minutes (extraction ongoing: coverage grows as the 94.917 indexed minutes are processed). May contain reading errors; the official document is the municipality's PDF.

Comptroller auditsSource: CGR · Municipal Observatory

Findingstotal
231
Highly complex
72
Audit reports
0
YearFindingsAltam.Compl.Median.Reports
202411101
202215123
20212511311
202015339
2019422
201894502420

CGR severity classification · audit findings on the municipality and its corporations

Who requests meetings with the municipalitySource: InfoLobby · CPLT (Law 20,730)

  • SI
    Sociedad Inmobiliaria Ovacor
    Lobby / interest management · 10 audiencias · 2022–2023
  • IS
    Insversiones San Martino
    Lobby / interest management · 8 audiencias · 2015–2019
  • JD
    Junta de Vecinos Huamalata
    Lobby / interest management · 6 audiencias · 2016–2022
  • CD
    Colegio de Profesoras y Profesores de Chile Rm
    Lobby / interest management · 6 audiencias · 2015–2019
  • JD
    Junta de Vecinos Patreicio Zeballos, Pb. Jto
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2016–2021
  • CS
    Corporacion Sistema Colectivo de Gestion de Envases y Embalajes Resimple
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2023–2024
  • AC
    Asociacion Chilena de Seguridad
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2017–2026
  • JD
    Junta de Vecinos Sotaque de la Localidad de Sotaqui
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2015–2017
  • AD
    Aguas del Valle S. A.
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2015–2022
  • CD
    Club Deportivo y Social Limari
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2016–2021
  • JE
    Junta e Vecinos Camarico Viejo
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2017–2021
  • UC
    Unión Comunal de Adultos Mayores Visión de Futuro
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2015–2021
  • JD
    Junta de Vecinos Julio Medalla I y II
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2019–2022
  • CC
    Caja Compesacion la Araucana
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2015–2021
  • JV
    Jta. Vecinos Pedro Aguirre Cerda - Limari
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2016–2025
  • AD
    Asoc. de Futbol Amateur de Ovalle (Anfur)
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2017–2021
  • AH
    Acifc Hydro Chile S.A.
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2018–2022
  • AG
    Asoc. Gremial de Comerciantes Mayoristas Feria Modelo de Ovalle
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2018–2021
  • AO
    Afusam Ovalle
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2019–2022
  • JD
    Junta de Vecinos 10 de Octubre
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2018–2021
and 460 more organizations that requested meetings

Organisations that registered Lobby Law meetings with this municipality. Registering the meeting is mandatory for the official, so the list shows who asked to be heard, not whether they got anything.

PopulationWho lives here, how they study, their healthcare and more

Population and living conditionsSource: INE · CENSO · MINEDUC · ADIS

Population trend

102.164
inhabitants
125.046
inhabitants
20022025

How it has changedSource: Official INE series 2002–2026 (2017 base).

See the full trajectory to 2050
Since 2002
+23%
inhabitants
Estimated population 2050
131.025
+1% vs. 2035 (130.019)
Over 60 · 2050
35,25%
26,43% in 2035 · +9 pts of ageing

INE projects comuna population only through 2035; the 2050 values are an own estimate by the monitor, anchored to the official INE 2050 national total (21,626,079 inhab, 32.1% aged 60+). Not an official comuna figure.

IndicatorValueSource
Homes with public water supply (2017 Census)91,8 %CENSO 2017 2017
School disengagement (leaves the system)0,8 %MINEDUC 2023
School enrollment1.672 studentsMINEDUC · aggregated by hexagons 2024
Municipal enrollment36,8 %MINEDUC · aggregated by hexagons 2024
PAES reading comprehension (DEMRE)588,6 ptsDEMRE · MINEDUC datos abiertos 2026
PAES mathematics M1 (DEMRE)610 ptsDEMRE · MINEDUC datos abiertos 2026
poblacion_censo118.696 inh.2024 Census 2024
Income poverty (CASEN 2022)9,5 %CASEN 2022 · SAE Observatorio MDSF 2022
Pobreza multidimensional (CASEN 2022)18 %CASEN 2022 · SAE Observatorio MDSF 2022
Indigenous peoples15,25 %2024 Census 2024

The PAES year is that of the admission process: the test is sat in November of the previous year. The average covers only those who registered to apply to university —not every secondary-school graduate— and groups them by the comuna of the school they graduated from, not by where the student lives. Here it rests on 1.816 students registered for the PAES.

Registro Social de Hogares

People in the RSH
116.129
61.626 households
Households in the most vulnerable 40%
34.792
56% of RSH households
Female-headed households
51%
31.199
Elderly (60+)25.87722%
Children and adolescents (<18)24.79521%
Foreign nationals3.1893%
Belonging to indigenous peoples4.6354%
People with moderate/severe dependency1.5321%
Single-person households31.20051%

A monthly administrative snapshot of the Social Household Registry (self-registration to access benefits), as of abril 2026. The "bracket 40" is the socioeconomic rating of the most vulnerable 40%. It is a registry, not a survey: it complements CASEN (biennial) with fresh data, but well-off comunas under-register. Source: ADIS, Ministry of Social Development and Family.

School educationSource: MINEDUC Open Data 2025

School enrollment
25.455
122 schools
Students per teacher
11,9
2.144 teachers
national median: 10,15
Average attendance
88,6%
national median: 89,8%
Priority studentsSEP
61,6%
socioeconomic vulnerability
national median: 66,8%
Where they study · by provider
Public (municipal + SLEP) 48%Private subsidized 45%Private paid 5%
Pass rate
97,3%
national median: 98,2%
Dropoutschool withdrawal
1,56%
dropout during the year
national median: 1,77%

Aggregate of all the comuna's schools (RBD → comuna). Pass/withdrawal and attendance are from the 2025 school year. SIMCE is not published as open data (managed by the Quality Agency, by request only); the available quality proxy is passing, dropout and attendance. The PAES result appears in the social section.

Municipal healthcare (primary care)Source: SINIM · MINSAL / FONASA

CESFAM
5
Clinics
0
Rural health posts
9
FONASA enrollees
115.095
93% of the population
Doctors employed
58
Health staff by contract type
Permanent staff: 579Contract staff: 364Fee contracts: 0
Primary-care medical visits · per year
79.784
206.196
20102025
Medical specialties served · 41 in the comuna (public system)
Internal MedicineAdult Orthopedics and TraumaOtorhinolaryngologyAdult GynecologyAdult General SurgeryPediatricsOphthalmologyAdult PsychiatryAdult UrologyObstetricsPediatric NeurologyAdult NeurologyAdult NephrologyAdult Respiratory MedicineDermatologyAdult EndocrinologyPediatric Respiratory MedicinePediatric Surgery+19 more
surgery:Orthopedics and TraumaObstetrics and GynecologyGeneral SurgeryUrology

Specialties with services recorded at the comuna's public facilities (REM DEIS, 2024). These are services performed, not doctor headcount. Excludes the private network.

Comprehensive home visits · per year
5.377
4.193
20192025

REM-26 section A (DEIS/MINSAL): comprehensive family visits, summed across the comuna's facilities. The last year is partial while DEIS consolidates monthly reports.

Comuna's primary-care centers · FONASA 2025 enrollees (115.061 in total)
CenterTypeProvider typeEnrollees% brackets A-B
Centro de Salud Familiar Marcos MacuadaFamily Health Center (CESFAM)Municipal28.85855%
Centro de Salud Familiar Jorge Jordán DomicFamily Health Center (CESFAM)Municipal26.59556%
Cesfam Fray JorgeFamily Health Center (CESFAM)Municipal22.76557%
Consultorio Cerrillos TamayaFamily Health Center (CESFAM)Municipal6.54863%
Centro de Salud Familiar SotaquíFamily Health Center (CESFAM)Municipal6.20461%
Centro Comunitario de Salud Familiar San José de la DehesaCommunity Family Health Center (CECOSF)Municipal5.30162%
Centro Comunitario de Salud Familiar LimaríCommunity Family Health Center (CECOSF)Municipal3.55660%
Centro Comunitario de Salud Familiar los CopihuesCommunity Family Health Center (CECOSF)Municipal3.31163%
Centro Comunitario de Salud Familiar Colonia LimaríCommunity Family Health Center (CECOSF)Municipal2.69765%
Posta de Salud Rural LimaríRural Health Post (PSR)Municipal1.53349%
Posta de Salud Rural HuamalataRural Health Post (PSR)Municipal1.38663%
Posta de Salud Rural RecoletaRural Health Post (PSR)Municipal1.30065%
Posta de Salud Rural Camarico (Ovalle)Rural Health Post (PSR)Municipal1.18862%
Posta de Salud Rural BarrazaRural Health Post (PSR)Municipal95667%
Posta de Salud Rural las SossasRural Health Post (PSR)Municipal93464%

Showing the 15 centers with most enrollees of 19.

FONASA brackets A-B ≈ lowest incomes (A: without resources). Source: FONASA, as of Dec 31, 2025, DEIS code.

Costs · 2025
Health spending accrued: $34.855.018.000 ($302.837/enrollee)MINSAL per capita: $20.904.394.000Municipal contribution: $630.484.000

Indigenous peoplesSource: 2024 Census (INE) · CONADI via IDE SMA

Indigenous population
18.102
15.3% of the census population (Census 2024)
Indigenous communities
6
RNAI CONADI registry · Mar 2024
PeoplePeople% of total
Diaguita13.54874.8%
Mapuche2.44613.5%
Aymara1.0235.7%
Atacameño o Lickanantay2111.2%
Quechua2101.2%
Colla1911.1%
Chango1630.9%
Otro1410.8%
Yagán1110.6%

2024 Census: people who consider themselves as belonging to an indigenous people (small counts are suppressed for confidentiality at the source and not shown). Communities: CONADI national registry as of March 2024 — Araucanía and Los Lagos not refreshed in that update, the count is a floor. Land grants: 2022 registry.

Community organizationSource: RPJSFL Civil Registry (Law 20.500/19.418) · as of Jun 2026

Active neighborhood councils
10
Councils per 1,000 inhabitants
0.1
density of territorial organization
Non-profit organizations
212
the entire active civil fabric
Committees (water, housing, progress)
61
Sports
37
Cultural
20
Social and aid
15
For the elderly
11
Foundations and corporations
9
Fire brigades
1

All the comuna's active non-profit legal entities (Law 20.500 / 19.418), classified by organization name. It portrays the civil fabric: not just neighborhood councils, also committees, sports clubs, cultural and elderly groups, foundations and fire brigades.

25 Local media · 1 AM · 3 Comunitaria · 20 FM · 1 Digital pressSource: SUBTEL · broadcasting licences · Regional Media Survey (MSGG)

Local mediaTypedial
AACTIVAFM90.1 FM
ARADN RADIOFM98.1 FM
AALEGREFM91.3 FM
CCARIBEFM95.5 FM
CCARNAVALFM101.7 FM
CCOMUNICATIVAFM93.7 FM
CCORPORACIONFM97.3 FM
EESTILOFM88.5 FM
MRMI RADIOFM94.3 FM
MMONTECARLOFM102.3 FM
NVNORTE VERDEAM620 AM
NMNUEVO MUNDOFM88.9 FM
PPARAISOFM92.1 FM
PPOSITIVAFM93.1 FM
RFRADIO FUEGOComunitaria107.9 FM
SBSAN BARTOLOMEFM95.9 FM
UUNIVERSOFM99.7 FM
wwww.laperladellimari.clDigital press
ACAlondra Comunicaciones SpA · holderFM90.7 FM
CCCentro Cultural Radiofonico de Ovalle · holderComunitaria107.1 FM
CCCentro Cultural Redentor · holderComunitaria107.5 FM
RFRadioemisoras Fernando Zambra E.I.R.L. · holderFM106.1 FM
SCServicios Cristian Hernan Toro Alliende E.I.R.L. · holderFM103.7 FM
STServicios Tecnicos Telmar Ltda. · holderFM89.5 FM
SRSoc. Radiodifusora Cerro Grande Ltda. · holderFM100.7 FM

The dial (frequency) of every FM, AM and community radio with a studio in the comuna (SUBTEL, active sound broadcasting concessions). National networks appear in their headquarters' comuna, not necessarily where they broadcast. When SUBTEL records no brand name, its holder (the concession holder).

Foreign-born populationSource: 2024 Census · INE

Foreign nationals
5.834
4,9% of the census population (Census 2024)
Main origin
Venezuela
2.120 people · 36% of the foreigners
Main countries of origin
2.120 Venezuela
1.325 Bolivia
934 Colombia
459 Perú

International immigrants per the 2024 Census (people born outside Chile living in the comuna). Nationwide they are 1,608,650 people, 8.8% of the population.

Housing and housing deficitSource: MINVU (Encampment Registry + 2024 Census deficit + subsidies) · INE

Families in informal settlements
218
6 encampments (2024 Registry)
Housing deficit
2.826
6,7% of the comuna's households
Housing permits · 2024
732
50.073 m² · new construction
Subsidies Integrated System · DS01
3.282
paid · 2011–2025
Subsidies Solidarity Fund · DS49
2.368
beneficiaries · 2012–2025
Subsidies Rental · DS52
206
paid · 2014–2024

Encampments: MINVU National Registry 2024 (irregular settlements and the families living in them). Quantitative deficit: homes missing per the 2024 Census (doubling-up + unrecoverable overcrowding). Permits: new homes authorized by the Works Directorate in 2024 (INE) — measures future construction, not stock. Subsidies: MINVU by application comuna — DS49 accrues beneficiaries by resolution year; DS01 and DS52 accrue payments by application cohort (national totals in the source file differ ~1–6% from the comuna sum; the comuna series is published).

What the homes are like

83.190homes · by type (2017)
House
38.937 · 92.6%
House
38.156 · 92.7%
Apartment
2.584 · 6.3%
Apartment
1.578 · 3.8%
Shack/hut/shanty
1.097 · 2.6%
Room in old house/tenement
203 · 0.5%
Other private
192 · 0.5%
Other private
173 · 0.4%
Shack/improvised dwelling
118 · 0.3%
Room in old house/tenement
107 · 0.3%
Mobile
25 · 0.1%
Mobile
8 · 0%
Indigenous dwelling
7 · 0%
Traditional/indigenous dwelling
5 · 0%
75%owner-occupied · tenure (2002)
Owned outright
14.287 · 55.3%
Owned, being paid off
4.953 · 19.2%
Rented
3.552 · 13.8%
Provided for work
1.717 · 6.6%
Free of charge
1.313 · 5.1%

Housing type: 2017 Census · tenure: 2002 Census (INE).

Elderly careSource: Chile Cuida · National Assets / SENAMA

Long-stay residencesELEAM
2
Beds
40
1,5 per 1,000 over-60s

Long-stay facilities for the elderly registered in Chile Cuida. Comunas without ELEAM send their elders to other comunas. With projected ageing (see Demographic projection), this capacity defines whether one can age in one's own comuna.

ResourcesBudget, spending, municipal procurement and more

Benefits under special regimesSource: Laws/SII/BCN/MTT/Treasury · deep-research verified

Fiscal or economic treatments that apply only to this comuna or its zone, not the rest of Chile. The chip color shows who it reaches: municipality, community, residents, companies or workers.

Others
Asignación de zona 15% (DL 249)workerspreliminary data
DL 249/1974 art. 7 · DL 3.551/1980 art. 25 · Ley 19.354

Sobresueldo mensual a funcionarios públicos según aislamiento/costo de vida: 15% del sueldo base (art. 7 DL 249). A los funcionarios municipales llega vía art. 25 del DL 3.551/1980 y el monto se aumenta en 40% (Ley 19.354) — salud primaria municipal (Ley 19.378) la percibe sin ese aumento; asistentes de la educación y personal de corporaciones no la perciben (Código del Trabajo). El %/territorio usa la división de 1974: dentro de una comuna pueden regir % mayores en localidades específicas (retenes, islas, cordillera) no reflejados acá; la CGR resuelve caso a caso. Comunas sin asignación no aparecen.

15% del sueldo base (municipal: ×1,4 por Ley 19.354)· vigente (art. 7 versión 22-dic-2021, verificado 2026-07-02)Source

Budget and revenue sourcesSource: SINIM · SUBDERE

Total revenue · 2025
$43.563.426.000
Own revenue
$10.892.379.000
25% of the total
Municipal Common Fund
$21.289.019.000
49% of the total
State transfers
$8.141.904.000
19% of the total
Ingreso total y desglose de ingresos propios

Total revenue · trend (2001–2025)

$4.183.886.000
$43.563.426.000
20012025

Own revenue breakdown (IPP) · 2025

25.4%
23.0%
14.5%
33.5%
Property tax$2.765.471.000
Business licenses$2.508.453.000
Vehicle permits$1.575.031.000
Cleaning fees$394.883.000
Other own revenue$3.648.541.000
Special-law revenues · 2025
Casinos (Law 19.995): $523.759.000Mining licenses (Law 19.143): $147.242.000

Distributed by law to specific comunas; they arrive via transfers.

Revenue by sector · 2025
33.8%
41.5%
24.7%
Municipal$43.563.426.000
Education$53.387.636.000
Health$31.820.099.000
Municipal Common Fund balance · 2025
Net recipient: it receives $18.606.546.000 more than it contributes.
Evolución por fuente de ingreso

Permanent own revenue (IPP) · trend

$1.363.122.000
$10.892.379.000
20012025

FCM received · trend

$2.099.330.000
$21.289.019.000
20012025

State transfers · trend

$154.438.000
$8.141.904.000
20012025

Municipal spending and budget executionSource: SINIM · SUBDERE

Current budget · 2025
$49.247.163.000
Accrued spending · 2025
$45.794.764.000
Execution rate
93.0%
Unexecuted: $3.452.399.000
Medium execution: it executed 93.0%. Left unspent: $3.452.399.000.

Accrued spending · trend

$4.861.073.000
$45.794.764.000
20012025

Distribution by management area · 2025

49.4%
35.1%
9.4%
Internal management$22.622.755.000
Community services$16.067.079.000
Social programs$4.309.547.000
Municipal activities$1.177.105.000
Recreational programs$1.055.056.000
Cultural programs$563.222.000

What the budget is spent on · 2025

Spending lineAmount% of spending
Municipal healthcare (primary care) · comuna health-sector spending$34.855.018.00076.1%
Goods and services (operations) · supplies, contracts, maintenance$16.950.167.00037.0%
Investment (works and projects)$7.971.418.00017.4%
Municipal personnel · municipal wages and fees$5.401.710.00011.8%
Cleaning, garbage and landfills · waste collection and disposal$5.301.152.00011.6%
Transfers to education$2.483.352.0005.4%
Electricity (facilities)$2.457.266.0005.4%
Transfers to health$630.484.0001.4%
Water (facilities)$368.047.0000.8%
Councillor stipends$110.024.0000.2%
Travel allowances$85.484.0000.2%
Commissions and representation$1.662.0000.0%

Share of total accrued spending. Lines overlap (personnel sits inside several areas), so they don't add to 100%. Source: SINIM.

Personal y dotación municipal

Spending composition · 2025

11.8%
37.0%
51.2%
Personnel (Subt. 21)$5.401.710.000
Goods and services (Subt. 22)$16.950.167.000
Others$23.442.887.000

Personnel by contract type · 2025

30.2%
14.2%
51.9%
Permanent staff$3.477.658.000
Contract staff$1.635.083.000
Fee contracts$288.969.000
Labor Code$141.532.000
Community progs.$5.971.538.000

Municipal headcount · 2023

36.1%
27.9%
36.1%
Permanent staff128
Contract staff99
Fee contracts128
Total: 355 staffFee contracts: 36.1% of the headcountWomen: 40.5%Professionalization: 35.2%
Cost/staffer permanent: $28.671.125/yearCost/staffer contract: $15.545.505/yearCost/staffer fees: $2.085.984/year

Municipal staff by contract status (SINIM, 2023). Cost per staffer = annual spending of the type ÷ same-year headcount.

Inversión, servicios básicos y obras

Investment and authorities' expenses · 2025

Municipal investment: $7.971.418.000 (17.4% of spending)Councillor stipends: $110.024.000Travel allowances: $85.484.000Commissions and representation: $1.662.000

Basic and general services · 2025

Garbage and landfills: $5.301.152.000Electricity: $2.457.266.000Water: $368.047.000

Final works approvals (DOM) · per year

404
323
20012025

Building permits issued · per year

103
209
20122025

What it buys · Mercado PúblicoSource: ChileCompra · open data

Open profile in Monitor Mercado Público
Historic amount
$265.373.140.806
Purchase orders
99.265

Purchase-order amount · trend

$1.282.194.177
$7.771.413.050
20072026
Top suppliersAmountPOs
Nucleo Paisajismo S.A.$18.832.634.43725
Soloverde S.A.$14.846.159.96529
Soc Profesionales de la Seguridad Ltda.$9.740.125.78241
Sergio Ernesto Ovando Barrios$5.856.918.22610
Paisajismo Cordillera S a$4.661.577.31726
Servicios Tasui S.A.$4.659.791.97522
Arnaldo Rivera Lazo$4.372.007.96719
H. G. y B. Servicios Asociados Limitada$3.883.504.33026

Purchase mechanism · 2026

Tender $5.928.039.48776%
Agile Purchase $1.270.477.00616%
Framework Agreement $489.791.0276%
Direct award discretionary$83.105.5291%

Companies and economic activitySource: SII · company statistics and roster (domicile/HQ)

Registered companies
8.134
domiciled in the comuna
Dependent workers
31.979

Pyramid by sales bracket

66.4%
13.2%
18.6%
Micro (≤2,400 UF)5.400 companies
Small (≤25k UF)1.071 companies
Medium (≤100k UF)113 companies
Large (>100k UF)38 companies
No sales/no info1.512 companies

Largest companies domiciled in the comuna

CompanyLine of businessSales bracketWorkers
Selim Dabed SpACOMERCIO AL POR MAYOR Y AL POR MENOR; REPARACLarge 4 (>1M UF)446
Soc Comercial Mallorca LimitadaCOMERCIO AL POR MAYOR Y AL POR MENOR; REPARACLarge 3281
Soc Constructora Rio Limari LimitadaCONSTRUCCIONLarge 2476
Comercial Agricola y Transportes Toledo Gianzo y Compania LimitadaTRANSPORTE Y ALMACENAMIENTOLarge 2191
Soc Agricola Angostura SpAAGRICULTURA, GANADERIA, SILVICULTURA Y PESCALarge 2154
Sociedad Agrícola Provalle SpAAGRICULTURA, GANADERIA, SILVICULTURA Y PESCALarge 2131
Soc Agricola y Avicola Santa Carmen Ltda.AGRICULTURA, GANADERIA, SILVICULTURA Y PESCALarge 2130
Agricola Cerrillos de Tamaya S.A.AGRICULTURA, GANADERIA, SILVICULTURA Y PESCALarge 279
Vina Francisco de Aguirre S aINDUSTRIA MANUFACTURERALarge 277
Comercial Gabe LimitadaCOMERCIO AL POR MAYOR Y AL POR MENOR; REPARACLarge 265

SII roster of legal entities (public). Due to tax secrecy sales come in brackets, never amounts. The comuna is that of the domicile/HQ: operations may be elsewhere.

Investment in SEIA projects

Under review
8
US$ 688 M declared
Approved last 5 years
19
US$ 1.307 M declared
Construction jobsunder review
1.346
+ 63 in operations
Construction jobsapproved 5 yrs
2.507
peak labor
ProjectOwnerStatusInvestment (US$M)Constr. jobs
Línea de Transmisión Eléctrica HVDC Kimal - Lo AguirreEIAConexión Kimal Lo Aguirre S.A.Approved1.4809.535
Parque hibrido AmolanasDIAPacific Hydro Chile S.A.Approved340625
PARQUE EÓLICO CARICAEIASonnedix Parque Eolico Carica SpAUnder Review290,088280
Optimización Línea de Transmisión y Nueva Subestación Seccionadora delDIATerrazas Solar SpAApproved29090
PARQUE FOTOVOLTAICO SOLES DEL NORTEDIASoles del Norte SpAApproved228,511200
Parque Fotovoltaico Las TerrazasDIATerrazas Solar SpAApproved220350
Parque Eólico Cerro Los LorosEIAEnel Green Power Chile S.A.Under Review150570
Parque Fotovoltaico Lagunillas 94,5 MW y Línea Eléctrica Lagunillas - DIAPfv Limarí Solar SpAApproved150160
Parque Fotovoltaico La ChupallaDIALa Chupalla Solar SpAApproved95380
Proyecto Parque Fotovoltaico La VerdionaDIACentral Eléctrica el Peumo SpAUnder Review88,1150
Ampliación y Modificaciones Parque Fotovoltaico Soles del NorteDIASoles del Norte SpAUnder Review78,489200
Sistema de Almacenamiento de Energía Eléctrica BESS Los ÑisñilesDIAGrupotec Chile SpAUnder Review64,10950

Investment DECLARED by the owner upon entering SEIA (not necessarily materialized; the RCA expires after 5 years without works). Multi-comuna projects: prorated investment, jobs counted in full. Jobs = declared peak labor (source PRISMA/SOFOFA). Source: e-SEIA + PRISMA.

TerritoryClimate, biodiversity, national heritage, SEIA-approved projects and more

Roads and motorwaysSource: OpenStreetMap · 2026 snapshot

Kilometres of trunk road
295 km
Motorways and trunk roads crossing the comuna

Road infrastructure of the MOP and concession holders, not the municipality: it measures how much highway crosses the territory, not municipal management. Only comunas with roads of this category are counted.

Environment and air qualitySource: MMA · SINCA + PPDA + RETC

No air monitoring station (SINCA) in the comuna.

Air emissions from industrial sources · tons/year (RETC 2020)
186 t Material particulado
41 t MP10
21 t MP2,5
0 t SO₂

Air quality observed at MMA's SINCA stations within the comuna (2020); when there are several, the worst is shown. The scale compares the annual average with the WHO 2021 guideline (PM2.5 = 5 · PM10 = 15 µg/m³, international health reference) and the Chilean annual primary standard (PM2.5 = 20 · PM10 = 50 µg/m³): green within the WHO guideline, amber between guideline and standard, red above the national standard. "Days above standard" use the 24-h daily standard (PM2.5 = 50 · PM10 = 150 µg/m³). RETC emissions = declared point sources (industry/energy), excludes diffuse sources like residential firewood.

Biodiversity and protected areasSource: SNASPE · SEIA baselines

State protected wilderness areas (SNASPE) in the comuna
Bosque Fray JorgeNational Park8.954 ha

Species of flora, fauna and funga documented in the baselines of the projects evaluated by SEIA in the comuna — what their environmental studies recorded in the territory. Conservation status (RCE/IUCN) and Chilean endemism are flagged.

316
Species
199
Flora
100
Fauna
17
Funga
78
In conservation status
60
Endemic to Chile
Species in conservation category
GuayacánPorlieria chilensisVUSandillón, asiento de la suegraEriosyce aurataVUBelloto del norte, belloto (genérico)Beilschmiedia miersiiVUBelloto del surBeilschmiedia berteroanaENQueuleGomortega keuleENRuilNothofagus alessandriiENPitaoPitavia punctataENUvilloMonttea chilensisENSapo de ruloRhinella aruncoVUChinchilla costinaChinchilla lanigeraENPalma chilena, palmera chilena, palmera de coquitos, palma de miel, palma de vino de chile, can – canJubaea chilensisENHuillipatagua, naranjillo, pataguaCitronella mucronataVUAñañucaPhycella scarlatinaVUSapo de atacamaRhinella atacamensisVURoble de santiago, roble blanco, roble, hualle, pellín,hualoNothofagus macrocarpaVUParamela de til-tilAdesmia resinosaENLagarto gruñidor de álvaroPristidactylus alvaroiCRVaquita del desierto de paposoGyriosomus angustusENPancoraAegla laevisENVaquita de la isla choros, vaquita del desiertoGyriosomus granulipennisVULagartija de schröederLiolaemus schroederiVUPochaCheirodon pisciculusVUPatagua, patahuaCrinodendron pataguaVUDragón de oído cubiertoLiolaemus audituvelatusVUCascarudo de las docasCallyntra multicostaENGruñidor de valeriaPristidactylus valeriaeEN-Loasa multifidaVUBagre grandeNematogenys inermisENTollo de agua dulceDiplomystes chilensisENAraucaria, pehuén, piñonero, pino piñonero, pino chileno, pino araucaria, pewen, guiliuAraucaria araucanaENZorro colorado, zorro culpeo, zorro coloradode tierra del fuego, zorro culpeo de tierra del fuegoLycalopex culpaeusVUTricahueCyanoliseus patagonusENRatón topo del matorralChelemys megalonyxVUCanelo, boique, voigue, fuñe, choólDrimys winteriENGuanacoLama guanicoeVUOlivillo, teque, tique, palo muerto, aceitunilloAextoxicon punctatumVUAlerceFitzroya cupressoidesENPiuquén, piquén, guayataChloephaga melanopteraENLinguePersea lingueVUGüiñaLeopardus guignaVUTarántula chilena rosada, araña pollitoGrammostola roseaVUBallena sei, rorcual bacalao, rorcual de rudolphiBalaenoptera borealisCRGolondrina de mar de collar, ringed storm petrel (inglés)Hydrobates hornbyiVUAbejorro, abejorro colorado, moscardón, duillin, diwmeñ, abejorro gigante de la patagonia, don basilioBombus dahlbomiiENGolondrina de mar negra, markham’s storm-petrelHydrobates markhamiENGaviota garumaLeucophaeus modestusVUBallena de aleta, rorcual comúnBalaenoptera physalusCRChinchilla cordilleranaChinchilla chinchillaCRComadrejita trompudaRhyncholestes raphanurusVUPuyeGalaxias maculatusVUCarbonillo, mendozaCordia decandraNTLagarto nítidoLiolaemus nitidusNTIguanaCallopistes maculatusNT-Copiapoa coquimbanaNTLagartija de manchaLiolaemus nigromaculatusNTHitigu, arrayán de hoja rojaMyrceugenia rufaNTSapo arrieroAlsodes nodosusNTDragón de torres-muraLiolaemus torresiNTJagartija de velosoLiolaemus velosoiNTHualoNothofagus glaucaNT
and 18 more

CR critically endangered · EN endangered · VU vulnerable · NT near threatened (Species Classification Regulation / IUCN). ★ endemic to Chile. Extracted from SEIA studies by kingdom; presence reflects what baselines characterized, not a census.

14 Wetlands · 13 urban · 1.887 haSource: National Wetlands Inventory · SIMBIO (MMA)

CodeWetlandHectares
HUR-04-07Sist. Rio Limari y triburban588 /659
HUR-04-44Embalse Recoletaurban588
HUR-04-08Quebrada El Ingeniourban260
HUR-04-54Qda. San Pedrourban157 /259
HUR-04-45Des. Rio Limariurban114
H-04-39Humedal Quebrada Pachingo56 /69
HUR-04-46Embalse Concepciónurban37
HUR-04-47Embalse San Antoniourban22
HUR-04-50Qda. Los Lorosurban20
HUR-04-53Humedal San Pedrourban15
HUR-04-49Qda. Talinayurban14
HUR-04-51Quebrada La Cebadaurban13

+ 2 more wetlands

Area = hectares of wetland within the comuna boundary (apportioned using the DPA table of each record). For wetlands shared between comunas, "portion / total" is shown. "Urban" = urban wetland (HUR code). Official source migrated to the SBAP (Law 21,600).

Large projects approved by SEIASource: SEIA · approved projects

Projects with an environmental permit (RCA) approved by SEIA and declared investment above US$ 10 million, located in the comuna according to the case file and grouped by sector. Every sector with at least one project is listed: this is not a ranking or a selection. 47 projects totaling US$ 5.502 million, approved between 1998 and 2026. When a project spans several comunas, its investment is split among them.

Energy35 projects · US$ 5.342 M · 2007–2026
Conexión Kimal Lo Aguirre S.A.Línea de Transmisión Eléctrica HVDC Kimal - Lo Aguirre · Parque Eólico Talinay II
Transport Infrastructure1 project · US$ 63 M · 1998
Dirección General de Concesiones de Obras Públicas del Ministerio de Obras PúblicasConcesión Internacional Ruta 5 Tramo Los Vilos - La Serena
Mining2 projects · US$ 55 M · 2008–2011
Empresa Nacional de MineríaProyecto Delta · Explotación Antiguos Desmontes de la Mina El Dorado
Agriculture and livestock1 project · US$ 30 M · 2021
Emilio Silva, Hijos S.A.Plantel Fundo Pachingo de Avícola Santa Elvira
Others8 projects · US$ 12 M · 2006–2020
Enaex Servicios S.A.Ampliación de la Actividad de Transporte de Sustancias Peligrosas de ENAEX Servicios S.A. · TRANSPORTES DE SUSTANCIAS PELIGROSAS REGIONES XV, I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, RM, TRANSPORTES BELLO E HIJOS LTDA.

Approved is not the same as built or operating: the RCA authorises the project, but some were never carried out and others have since closed.

Source: projects with an RCA approved by SEIA (investment declared by the developer, split among the comunas the project spans). Under each sector are its two largest projects by investment. It is the best public proxy for large industrial sites; SERNAGEOMIN’s registry of active mining operations (by mineral and type of operation) is a layer not yet incorporated.

Basic utilitiesSource: SISS · CNE · MINEDUC

Distribuidora eléctrica
CGE
Empresa sanitaria (agua y alcantarillado)
Aguas del Valle
Higher education
4 campuses in the comuna

Almost no comuna has its own utility: it is served by a major regional concession holder. Water = urban operational territory (SISS; rural goes via APR); electric = concession distributor per the tariff decree (CNE); higher education = university, IP and CFT campuses (MINEDUC/SIES), with the nearest comuna when there are none.

Environmental conflictsSource: SNIFA · SMA + Environmental Search · Environmental Courts

Appeals before the Environmental Courts

Appeals
2
on projects in the comuna
Upheld
1
the court sided with the claimant
Case no.Parties / projectSubjectDecision
R-88-2023
1TA
Sociedad Comercializadora y Exportadora Dicave Limitada con Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental
Proyecto Minero San Cayetano
Environmental assessment - Citizen participationUpheld
R-240-2020
2TA
Organización Comunitaria Funcional Vecinos Los Nogales / Director Ejecutivo del Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental
Plan de Expansión Chile LT 2x500 kv Cardones-Polpaico
Administrative invalidationRejects

Appeals resolved by the Environmental Courts (Law 20.600) on the comuna's projects or facilities, geolocated by the associated project (SEIA) or sanctioned facility (SMA). Partial coverage: Supreme Court appeals and cases without a locatable act are excluded. Source: 1st Environmental Court's Environmental Search.

Green areasSource: SINIM · SUBDERE (2025)

Green space per capita
9 m²
90% of the CNDU standard
standard 10 m²

Municipally maintained green area per inhabitant (SINIM). The National Urban Development Council recommends a minimum of 10 m²/inhab (WHO, ~9). Self-reported by municipalities, with quality varying across comunas.

National heritageSource: National Monuments Council (Feb 2026)

National monuments
6
Historic monuments
4
Heritage zones
1
Nature sanctuaries
1

Monuments declared by decree (official CMN roster). Excludes archaeological and public monuments. Declaration entails legal protection and intervention restrictions.

Territorial burdensSource: SUBDERE (waste, Jun 2023) · Gendarmería (Jun 2025) · SISS (WWTP)

Infrastructure this comuna carries — often serving others.

FacilityTypeDetail
Vertedero El InciensoVertedero66.127 t/year · receives from 2 comunas
C.D.P. OvallePrison (CDP)363 inmates · 246 convicted · 117 awaiting trial · 221% occupancy
PTAS - OVALLEPTAS · lagunas aireadasAGUAS DEL VALLE S.A. · discharges into río limarí
PTAS - SOTAQUIPTAS · lodos activadosAGUAS DEL VALLE S.A. · discharges into río limarí
Where this comuna's waste goes
Vertedero El Incienso (Ovalle) · 65.137 t/year

Official registries: they exclude illegal dumps and rural WWTPs (no consolidated public registry).

Forest firesSource: CONAF · Occurrence and damage statistics (2023-2024)

Wildfires · 2023-2024
26
Area affected
41 ha
mostly shrubland
Cumulative last 5 seasons
279 ha
includes the 2022-2023 mega-season

Occurrence and area affected by wildfires (CONAF). The 5-season cumulative gives a fairer picture than a single year: fire is episodic and big catastrophes concentrate in few seasons. The area is comuna-wide, not just urban.

Winter riskSource: SENAPRED · winter critical points 2026 (via FAU U. de Chile)

Critical points registered
88
At high or very high risk
30
4 very high
Main threat
Colapso colectores de aguas …
Colapso colectores de aguas lluvia/alcantarillados

Points in the comuna where SENAPRED identifies winter-rain risk (channel overflows, flooding, collector collapse, landslides, mudflows, snow), with risk level and the agency responsible for the fix.

Water scarcitySource: DGA · MOP (scarcity-zone decrees)

Under water-scarcity decreeDecreto MOP N°74 07-07-2025 · in force until 09-07-2026
Years under decree since 2008
10
latest: 2026 · drought chronicity

DGA water-scarcity zone decrees (by comuna, province or region; basin decrees are not counted here, so chronicity is a floor). The decree enables extraordinary water redistribution measures. At the megadrought's peak (2021) 286 comunas were under decree; today 26.

Climate and climate changeSource: ARClim · MMA + CR2/UC (CMIP6 modeling)

Mean annual temperature
14,74°C
2035-2065 projection: +1,17°C
Annual precipitation
167 mm
projection: -12%
Hot days>30°C
2
projection: +8 days
Frost days
0

Modeled climatology (CMIP6 downscaling ~5 km): present ≈ 1980-2010, projection ≈ 2035-2065 middle scenario. Not recent weather observation.

SafetyCrime, road crashes and municipal security infrastructure

Crimes (police cases)Source: CEAD · Ministry of Public Security

Police cases · 2025
6.645
all crimes
Rate per 100,000 inhab.
5.342
Police cases · trend
5.645
6.645
20102025
By crime type · 2025
CrimeCasesRate/100k
Threats814654
Larceny800643
Property damage732588
Domestic violence677544
Alcohol and drug use in public spaces655527
Burglary of an inhabited place510410
Burglary of an uninhabited place478384
Minor injuries368296
Theft of items from vehicles238191
Robbery with violence or intimidation228183
Weapons-related crimes188151
Crimes and offenses under the arms law144116

Showing the 12 crimes with most cases of 30.

Police cases (reports + arrests) recorded by Carabineros and PDI. Not victimization (ENUSC measures the real figure, higher due to underreporting). The rate uses INE 2024 population. Source: CEAD, Ministry of Public Security.

What the municipality does

Municipal security infrastructure and staff declared to SINIM (since 2016). Excludes Carabineros and PDI, which are national.

Surveillance cameras
420
Guards and inspectors
0
1 per 124.401 hab
Patrol fleet
9
cars, pickups, motorcycles, bikes
Patrol fleet by type
Cars: 5Pickups: 4
Surveillance cameras · trend
32
420
20202025

Road crashesSource: CONASET · Data Observatory (2024)

Crashes · 2024
286
Deaths
16
12,9 per 100,000 inhab.
Injured
197
34 serious
Pedestrian collisions
34
4 pedestrians killed

Crashes georeferenced by CONASET (urban + highway) during 2024. The only per-comuna source; covers ~70% of the country's deaths (non-geolocatable ones are excluded), so it slightly underestimates the total. Pedestrian collision is the leading cause of pedestrian death.