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Africo: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Africo

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: Via San Leo 2, Africo.

Africo, a village on the Ionian coast below Aspromonte

Africo has two histories. The old village stood high up in the Aspromonte mountains, while today's town is on the Ionian coast of Reggio Calabria province, built in the 1950s when the inhabitants moved down towards the sea. So the built-up area is recent, with regular streets, concrete houses on two or three floors and the coast road close by. Behind the town, wide stony riverbeds, the fiumare, run up into the mountains.

For buyers, Africo offers low-priced houses near the sea in a mild climate, climate zone B. Before signing, have a surveyor check planning compliance and the condition of the structure. For the hospital, public offices and secondary schools people drive along the coast.

Istat, Italy's national statistics office, counts 2,701 residents (2023), down 15.9% since 2011. It is a young population, though: an average age of 42.9 against 45.2 in the province, and 22.6% over 65. Foreign nationals make up 1.3%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

All 97 municipalities in the province of Reggio Calabria are in seismic zone 1, the highest, and in Africo the expected ground acceleration is 0.188 g. This is the key issue in any purchase: ask for the year of design, the structural sign-off certificate and whether any seismic strengthening has been carried out.

The fiumare come down from Aspromonte to the sea and can carry a lot of water in winter. The report checks the official flood and landslide maps for the address.

Key points

  • Town on the Ionian coast, built in the 1950s
  • Seismic zone 1 like the whole province, acceleration 0.188 g
  • Average age 42.9, younger than the province
  • 2,701 residents, down 15.9% since 2011

Overview

Africo is a municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 2,701 residents, ranked 40 of 97 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Africo is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. All 97 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.188 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Africo, 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 fallen by 15.9%. The estimated average age is 43 years, lower than the province average (45). 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 1.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.7 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Africo declared an average taxable income of 17,396 euros, below the provincial average (19,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Africo is in climate zone B, with 664 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 15 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Africo has 5 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 healthcare facility.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 per 1,000 residents.

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 1.5% of the land in Africo, compared with 5.8% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Africo.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Africo: 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 Africo 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 21 inhabited census areas in Africo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.1%
  • fair 99.9%

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 080001. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.