Arquata del Tronto: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Ascoli Piceno, Marche. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Arquata del Tronto
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: Frazione Spelonga 1, Arquata del Tronto.
Arquata del Tronto, the upper Tronto between two ranges
Arquata del Tronto covers the upper valley of the River Tronto, where the ancient Via Salaria leaves the Marche and climbs towards Lazio. On one side are the Sibillini mountains, on the other the Laga range, and the municipality, made up of many hamlets, lies within both national parks. Ascoli Piceno is the provincial capital, down the valley.
For a buyer, the first thing to know concerns the condition of the buildings. Arquata is in seismic zone 1, the highest class set by the Civil Protection Department, while 32 municipalities in the province are in zone 2; the expected ground acceleration in the village is 0.249 g. Across the area many properties were damaged and are being repaired or rebuilt. For any house ask for the occupancy certificate, plans, the status of the grant application and the structural sign-off, and have a surveyor read them before you sign.
The population figures are stark: 955 residents in 2023, 332 fewer than in 2011, a fall of 25.8%. The average age is 53.4, against 47.8 in the province, and over-65s make up 36.3%. Foreign residents account for 2.0%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
These are real Apennine mountains, with the town hall at around 780 metres and cold winters. On steep slopes and along the river the report checks the official landslide and flood maps for the address and measures the gradient.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastre is published, so you can trace the street address to the land parcel, a step that also helps establish what remains of a building and who owns the land.
Key points
- Upper Tronto valley on the Via Salaria, between two ranges.
- Seismic zone 1: check certificates and rebuilding paperwork.
- Population down 25.8% since 2011.
- Over-65s at 36.3%, average age 53.4.
Overview
Arquata del Tronto is a municipality in the province of Ascoli Piceno, in Marche. At the end of 2023 it had 955 residents, ranked 27 of 33 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Arquata del Tronto is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. It is the only municipality in the province in zone 1.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.249 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Arquata del Tronto, 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 25.8%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (48). 36% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 2.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Arquata del Tronto declared an average taxable income of 20,032 euros, below the provincial average (22,837 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Arquata del Tronto is in climate zone E, with 2,549 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 777 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Arquata del Tronto has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets.
The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.8 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 2.0% of the land in Arquata del Tronto, compared with 6.5% in the province and 7.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.9 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Arquata del Tronto. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Arquata del Tronto: 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 Arquata del Tronto 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 32 inhabited census areas in Arquata del Tronto. 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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 044006. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.