Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Augusta: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Augusta

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 Principe Umberto 1, Augusta.

Augusta, the island, the port and the industrial zone

Augusta's old town sits on an island linked to the mainland by two bridges, on the Ionian coast between Catania and Siracusa, facing a large natural harbour. Since the war a petrochemical complex has grown up beside it which, together with Priolo and Melilli, is among the largest in Europe: it has employed generations of local people and reshaped the coastline. The municipality also contains the remains of the ancient Greek city of Megara Hyblaea.

Earthquakes are a serious matter here. The Civil Protection Department places Augusta in seismic zone 1, the highest class, like 16 other municipalities in the province of Siracusa, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.233 g. The town was destroyed by the earthquake of 1693 and damaged again in December 1990. For any purchase, ask for the structural design, the final inspection certificate and later work; in the island houses, check the condition of walls and floors.

Buyers choose between the old town on the island, with older houses and narrow streets, and the newer districts on the mainland. Many ask about air quality near the plants: readings are available from the regional environment agency's monitoring stations, and the distance between the house and the industrial zone should be part of the decision.

Istat, the national statistics office, counted 34,703 residents in 2023, down 4.1% since 2011. The mean age of 46.7 is above the provincial one, and 24.6% are over 65. Declared incomes are higher than the provincial average, partly thanks to industry.

The climate is mild (climate zone B). The report checks flood hazard at the address, along the coast and in the small valleys, starting from the land parcel published by the Revenue Agency.

Key points

  • Old town on an island, petrochemical complex along the nearby coast.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.233 g.
  • 34,703 residents, down 4.1% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 24.6%, mean age 46.7.

Overview

Augusta is a municipality in the province of Siracusa, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 34,703 residents, the second most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Augusta is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (17 of 21) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.233 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Augusta, 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 4.1%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 3.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Augusta declared an average taxable income of 23,377 euros, above the provincial average (20,509 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Augusta is in climate zone B, with 821 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, Augusta has 27 schools and 10 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 22 grocery shops and supermarkets, 22 healthcare facilities, 25 sports facilities and 4 parks and green areas.

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 20.5% of the land in Augusta, compared with 9.2% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 56.4 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 no open contaminated sites in Augusta; 5 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Augusta: 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 Augusta 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 262 inhabited census areas in Augusta. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 3.7%
  • fair 96.3%

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 089001. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.