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Assoro: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Assoro

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 Balzo 1, Assoro.

Assoro, the hilltop town above the Dittaino valley

Assoro sits on top of a hill at around 850 metres, north-east of Enna, looking down on the Dittaino valley. The old town is packed around the mother church of San Leone, with climbing lanes and houses built right up against each other. Down on the valley floor run the Palermo-Catania motorway and the roads to Enna and Leonforte, and that is where many residents go for work and shopping.

Anyone thinking of buying here should weigh two things. The first is altitude: winters are cool (climate zone D), fog and wind are more common than on the plain, and the road up from the valley is winding and steep. The second is the age of the houses in the centre, which are often stone-built, on several floors and reached through narrow entrances. Roofs, damp and stairs deserve a careful look before you make an offer.

The town is losing people, like much of inland Sicily. In 2023 there were 4,776 residents, 590 fewer than at the 2011 census, a fall of 11.0% according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 46.8, slightly above the provincial figure of 46.4, and over-65s make up 25.8%. Foreign residents are just 0.7%, and declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Assoro is in seismic zone 2, like 17 other municipalities in the province of Enna, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.097 g. For a stone building in the old centre, ask whether any strengthening work has been done and on which parts. On the steep slopes around the town, the report also checks the official landslide maps for each address.

Key points

  • Hilltop town above the Dittaino valley and the Palermo-Catania motorway.
  • 4,776 residents, down 11.0% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 25.8%, foreign residents at 0.7%.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.097 g.

Overview

Assoro is a municipality in the province of Enna, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 4,776 residents, ranked 12 of 20 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Assoro is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (18 of 20) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.097 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Assoro, 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 11.0%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 0.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Assoro declared an average taxable income of 16,747 euros, below the provincial average (18,393 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Assoro is in climate zone D, with 1,952 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 850 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Assoro has 6 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 healthcare facility and 2 sports facilities.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 4.0% of the land in Assoro, compared with 3.2% in the province and 6.6% 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Assoro. 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 Assoro: 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 Assoro 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 38 inhabited census areas in Assoro. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 68 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.6%
  • fair 31.2%
  • good 68.2%

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 086003. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.