The Valles Occidental region presents a demographic reality marked by population concentration within a limited territory. Recent data from Idescat, based on a grid of one-kilometer square cells, describes the territory's urban-rural landscape according to population size, density, and contiguity.
According to this study, 81.1% of Valles Occidental's population lives in high-density urban centers or clusters (over 1,500 inhabitants/km² and a minimum aggregation of 50,000 residents). Only Barcelonès (99.57%) surpasses this figure in Catalonia. Gironès (72.02%) completes the podium. Within the region, 17.2% live in moderate-density urban agglomerations (minimum 300 inhabitants/km² and 5,000 aggregated residents), while only 1.70% reside in low-density rural areas (under 300 inhabitants/km²).
The data reveal a clear division within the region. Municipalities near Barcelonès, such as Sabadell (97.87%) and Terrassa (92.93%), along with Barberà (99.97%), Ripollet (97.07%), Montcada i Reixac (94.16%), Sant Cugat (92.72%), and Cerdanyola (91.44%), show high density. Badia (100%) is an exceptional case of high concentration. Conversely, municipalities further east, like Castellar (94.49%), Sentmenat (91.45%), Polinyà (93.42%), Palau-solità i Plegamans (94.78%), and Santa Perpètua de Mogoda (99.38%), exhibit a higher proportion of urban agglomerations with lower population concentration. Sant Llorenç Savall and Gallifa stand out with 100% of residents in rural cells.
At the Catalonia level, 61.4% of the population lives in urban centers (1.38% of the territory), 28.2% in urban agglomerations, and 10.5% in rural cells (22.85% of the territory). The average density in Catalonia is 253 inhabitants/km², significantly lower than in Valles Occidental (around 1,664 inhabitants/km²). The distribution is uneven: 50.6% of the population lives in cells with over 10,000 inhabitants/km², which occupy only 0.57% of the territory.
