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Avezzano: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Avezzano

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 Venti Settembre 1, Avezzano.

Avezzano, the rebuilt town on the Fucino plain

On 13 January 1915 an earthquake almost completely destroyed Avezzano and killed most of its inhabitants. The town was rebuilt with wide, straight streets, which is why it looks modern today and has few old buildings. It is the largest town in the Marsica area and lies on the edge of the Fucino plain, a former lake drained in the nineteenth century and turned into a vast expanse of fields, mostly growing vegetables.

At almost 700 metres, with cold winters, heating costs weigh heavily: the energy rating, insulation and type of heating system are things to look at on every viewing. The A25 motorway links the town to Rome and Pescara, and the Rome-Pescara railway follows the same route. Avezzano serves the villages of the Marsica as a centre for work and services, including the area's main hospital.

In 2023 there were 40,842 residents, practically the same as in 2011 (up 0.2%), according to Istat, the national statistics office. Avezzano is younger than the rest of the province of L'Aquila, with 23.0% aged over 65 against 26.4%, and foreign residents make up 8.9%. There are 1.15 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, against 0.63 in the province.

Earthquakes are the first thing to understand here. Avezzano is in seismic zone 1 of the Civil Protection classification, the highest, like 103 municipalities in the province, and expected ground acceleration is about 0.243 g. Many apartment blocks date from the 1960s and 1970s, before current standards. Before buying, ask for the design year, any structural assessments and the work done after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, and find out whether the building has already had seismic upgrading.

On the plain, crossed by drainage channels, and on the surrounding mountain slopes, the report checks the official flood and landslide maps for the address.

Key points

  • Rebuilt after the 1915 earthquake, on the edge of the Fucino plain.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.243 g.
  • 40,842 residents, 23.0% aged over 65.
  • Almost 700 metres up, cold winters: the energy rating matters.

Overview

Avezzano is a municipality in the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 40,842 residents, the second most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Avezzano is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (103 of 108) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.243 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Avezzano, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 46 years, lower than the province average (48). 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 8.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Avezzano declared an average taxable income of 24,043 euros, in line with the province (22,903 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Avezzano is in climate zone E, with 2,561 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 695 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Avezzano has 40 schools and 13 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 26 grocery shops and supermarkets, 47 healthcare facilities, 38 sports facilities and 6 parks and green areas.

There are 1.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

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 13.7% of the land in Avezzano, compared with 3.2% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 7.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list 5 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Avezzano. 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 Avezzano: 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 Avezzano 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 486 inhabited census areas in Avezzano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.5%
  • fair 99.5%

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 066006. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.