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Argusto: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Argusto

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 Vittorio Emanuele Terzo 1, Argusto.

Argusto, a hill village inland from the Ionian coast

Argusto is a small hill village in the province of Catanzaro, at about five hundred metres, in the hinterland that rises from the Ionian coast towards the Serre mountains. The village is compact, with narrow streets and some newer buildings on the edges. The Ionian coast is where people go for the sea and shops, and Catanzaro for hospitals, offices and the university.

Many local families emigrated during the twentieth century, and some houses change hands between heirs who live far away. Buyers should check that the paperwork is in order (inheritance transfers, any extensions, whether the actual building matches the land registry) and have a surveyor assess the roof, floors and services. Climate zone D means winters that are not harsh but damp, so insulation matters.

In 2023 there were 423 residents, down 20.0% from 529 at the 2011 census. The estimated average age is 51.1, against 46.1 for the province, and over-65s make up 30.5%. Foreign residents are very few, at 0.9%. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average.

Earthquake hazard is high. Argusto is in seismic zone 1, the most severe class in the national scheme run by the Civil Protection Department, like 44 other municipalities in the province of Catanzaro, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.226 g. For a reinforced concrete house, ask for the design year; for a masonry one, what strengthening it has had: these are the facts that most affect value and future work.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes Argusto's cadastral maps, and the report traces the address back to its land parcel. Landslides and floods along the gullies are checked on the official maps for the exact spot.

Key points

  • Hill village inland from the Ionian coast, towards the Serre.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.226 g.
  • Population down 20.0% since 2011, now 423.
  • Check inheritance papers and that the house matches the registry.

Overview

Argusto is a municipality in the province of Catanzaro, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 423 residents, among the smallest in the province (77 of 80).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Argusto is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (45 of 80) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.226 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Argusto, 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 20.0%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (46). 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 0.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Argusto declared an average taxable income of 15,113 euros, below the provincial average (19,667 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Argusto is in climate zone D, with 1,773 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 530 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Argusto has 1 pharmacy.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.3 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 9.8% of the land in Argusto, compared with 6.6% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

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 contaminated sites in Argusto.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Argusto: 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 Argusto 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 13 inhabited census areas in Argusto. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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 079007. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.