Balestrate: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Palermo, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Balestrate
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 Liberta' 1, Balestrate.
Balestrate, beaches on the Gulf of Castellammare
On the Gulf of Castellammare, at the western tip of the province of Palermo where it meets the province of Trapani, Balestrate is a seaside town with a small municipal area that is almost entirely built up. Sandy beaches run along the town, and behind it the countryside climbs inland through vineyards and olive groves. Palermo is less than an hour's drive away, and Alcamo and Partinico are the nearest larger towns.
In summer the population swells, because many homes are holiday houses, often owned by families from Palermo. Buyers will find flats and small villas near the sea, one- or two-storey houses in the centre and newer buildings at the edges. Before buying, check that the property complies with planning rules, especially for houses built close to the shore. Climate zone B means very mild winters; declared incomes are well below the provincial average.
In 2023 Istat, the national statistics office, counted 6,283 residents, down 2.0% on 2011. Balestrate is older than the provincial average: an average age of 47.1 against 44.7, over-65s at 26.9% against 22.8%. Foreign residents make up 2.9%. Services follow the tourist trade: Overture Maps counts 49 cafés and restaurants, 7.80 per 1,000 residents against 4.27 in the province.
Almost the whole province of Palermo, 81 municipalities out of 82, is in seismic zone 2 according to Italy's Civil Protection Department, and Balestrate is no exception. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.131 g. In houses near the sea, salt air corrodes steel reinforcement and concrete, so balconies, cornices and pillars deserve a close look, along with the structural paperwork.
Along the coast, beach erosion and the small streams that reach the sea both matter; the report checks flood and landslide hazard for the address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, so the address leads to the plot.
Key points
- Seaside town on the Gulf of Castellammare, on the Trapani border.
- Over-65s at 26.9%, against 22.8% in the province.
- 49 cafés and restaurants, many geared to summer.
- Seismic zone 2; near the sea, salt air affects balconies.
Overview
Balestrate is a municipality in the province of Palermo, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 6,283 residents, ranked 27 of 82 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Balestrate is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (81 of 82) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.131 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Balestrate, 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 2.0%. The estimated average age is 47 years, higher than the province average (45). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 2.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Balestrate declared an average taxable income of 16,341 euros, below the provincial average (21,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Balestrate is in climate zone B, with 650 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 35 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Balestrate has 5 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 3 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.
There are 1.0 grocery shops and supermarkets 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 30.6% of the land in Balestrate, compared with 5.7% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.5 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. 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 Balestrate.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Balestrate: 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 Balestrate 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 62 inhabited census areas in Balestrate. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 73 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 3.6%
- fair 8.7%
- good 58.8%
- very good 28.9%
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 082007. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.