Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Acate: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Ragusa, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Acate

The report looks at the exact point: landslide and flood risk, seismic zone, price per square metre for the area, services and nearby stops.

For example: Corso Indipendenza 1, Acate.

Acate, greenhouses and vineyards between Vittoria and Gela

The town used to be called Biscari, and the castle of the princes of Biscari still stands at its heart. Today Acate takes its name from the river that crosses its land, also known as the Dirillo. It lies on the plain between Vittoria and Gela, in the province of Ragusa, in one of the largest greenhouse farming areas in Europe and among the vineyards of Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine.

Farming also explains the population figures. Istat, the national statistics office, counts 10,400 residents, up 8.6% since 2011, against the trend in much of Sicily. Foreign residents make up 28.7%, a very high share, linked to work in the greenhouses and fields. The average age is low, 41.1 against 44.0 for the province, and 16.3% are over 65. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average.

The town itself is gathered on a rise, while towards the sea the countryside is covered with greenhouses, packing sheds and scattered houses. If you are buying in the countryside, check access, water supply, drainage and the planning status of rural buildings, which is not always in order. In low-lying areas and near the river the report checks the official flood maps.

South-eastern Sicily is a significant earthquake area: the 1693 earthquake destroyed the towns of the Val di Noto. In the province of Ragusa 5 municipalities are in zone 1 and 7 in zone 2; Acate is in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.168 g. For a house built before recent standards, ask for the structural design and any surveys carried out.

The climate is warm (climate zone C), with short winters. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report works from the address to the land parcel.

Key points

  • On the greenhouse plain between Vittoria and Gela.
  • Population up 8.6% since 2011.
  • Foreign residents 28.7%, linked to farm work.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.168 g.

Overview

Acate is a municipality in the province of Ragusa, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 10,400 residents, ranked 9 of 12 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Acate is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (7 of 12) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.168 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Acate, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 8.6%. The estimated average age is 41 years, lower than the province average (44). 16% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 28.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Acate declared an average taxable income of 13,854 euros, below the provincial average (17,930 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Acate is in climate zone C, with 1,006 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 199 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Acate has 6 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 1 healthcare facility, 7 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.1 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.6).

Public transport

We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 7.5% of the land in Acate, compared with 10.6% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 4.0 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Acate; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Acate: the report checks the address against the ISPRA maps.

House prices

The Revenue Agency's price ranges per square metre (OMI) apply to zones, not to whole municipalities: the report gives the range for the address's zone.

Land registry

The cadastral maps for Acate are public: from the address the report finds the sheet and parcel number.

Liveability area by area

The Vicinalia liveability index runs from 0 to 100 and looks at the place, not the people who live there: services within walking distance, transport, green space, natural hazards, air, quiet, buildings and connection. Here it is worked out at the centre of each of the 47 inhabited census areas in Acate. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 78 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.4%
  • fair 15.0%
  • good 62.7%
  • very good 21.8%

Vicinalia index by census area, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Data: IdroGEO ISPRA (2026), Istat, INGV, EEA, AGCOM, Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap.

The colour is the value at the centre of the area. For an exact address, search for it above: the free check looks at that exact point. How the index is worked out

Data sources

ISTAT code 088001. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.