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Altofonte: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Altofonte

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 dei Mille 1, Altofonte.

Altofonte, in the mountains above Palermo

Head south out of Palermo and, after some fifteen kilometres of bends, you reach Altofonte, at around 350 metres on the slopes of the mountains that close off the Conca d'Oro, the plain around the city. The town looks down on Palermo, with Monreale on one side and the roads towards Piana degli Albanesi on the other. Many residents work in Palermo and drive in every day: people live here more than they work here.

The advantages over the city are prices and cooler summer air; the drawback is the road, with journey times that grow a lot at rush hour. The centre has steep streets and terraced houses built against each other, while on the edges there are newer small blocks and detached houses, some on sloping ground. For those, check retaining walls, rainwater drainage and the state of the access roads.

At the end of 2023 there were 9,775 residents, 4.8% fewer than in 2011. It is a young town by Italian standards: estimated average age 44.0 (the province has 44.7) and over-65s at 21.3%. Foreign residents are only 1.0%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

The town is in seismic zone 2 on the Civil Protection scale, like 81 of the 82 municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration is about 0.184 g. In the masonry houses of the centre, often altered several times, ask what work has been done on floors and roofs and whether storeys have been added.

With slopes like these, landslides are the most useful check. The report finds the land parcel using the cadastral maps published by the Revenue Agency and reads the official ground instability maps for that address, as well as flood hazard along the gullies.

Key points

  • In the hills above Palermo, near Monreale: a commuter town.
  • Average age 44.0, foreign residents at 1.0%.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.184 g.
  • Homes on sloping ground: check retaining walls and landslides.

Overview

Altofonte is a municipality in the province of Palermo, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 9,775 residents, ranked 19 of 82 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Altofonte is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (81 of 82) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.184 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Altofonte, 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 4.8%. The estimated average age is 44 years, in line with the province. 21% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.5 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Altofonte declared an average taxable income of 19,887 euros, below the provincial average (21,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Altofonte is in climate zone C, with 948 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 350 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Altofonte has 4 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility, 4 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.1 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 Altofonte, compared with 5.7% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Altofonte.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Altofonte: 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 Altofonte 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 43 inhabited census areas in Altofonte. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 65 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 48.1%
  • good 40.2%
  • very good 11.7%

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 082005. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.