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Balmuccia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Balmuccia

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 Roma 1, Balmuccia.

Balmuccia, where the Sermenza meets the Sesia

Balmuccia is the Valsesia village where the Sermenza stream flows into the river Sesia. The river here is well known to canoeists, kayakers and rafters, and in summer the village fills with people on the water. The centre lies at around five hundred and sixty metres, on the road that climbs the valley from Varallo towards Alagna and Monte Rosa.

Its population has grown: Istat, Italy's national statistics office, counted 115 residents in 2023, up 22.3% on the 94 of 2011. The age profile is younger than in the rest of the province too: the estimated average age is 47.0, below the 48.4 of the province of Vercelli, and over-65s make up 25.2%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

For a buyer, its position on the valley-floor road makes Balmuccia handier than villages higher up, with Varallo within reach for services, secondary schools and the hospital. Winters are still those of climate zone F, so insulation and heating need a careful look. Houses close to the water should also be assessed for flood hazard.

Earthquakes are not a big concern. Of the 82 municipalities in the province, 81, Balmuccia included, are in seismic zone 4, the lowest on the Civil Protection Department's scale, and the expected ground acceleration here is about 0.054 g.

Where two mountain watercourses meet, flood hazard varies a great deal between a house on the bank and one higher up. The report reads it from the official maps at the address, together with landslide hazard. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published.

Key points

  • Valsesia village where the Sermenza meets the Sesia.
  • 115 residents in 2023, up 22.3% since 2011.
  • Average age 47.0, below 48.4 in the province.
  • Seismic zone 4; near the river, flood hazard matters.

Overview

Balmuccia is a municipality in the province of Vercelli, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 115 residents, among the smallest in the province (76 of 82).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Balmuccia is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. 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 0.054 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 22.3%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 7.0% of the population. On average, a household has 1.7 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Balmuccia declared an average taxable income of 19,963 euros, below the provincial average (24,991 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Balmuccia is in climate zone F, with 3,032 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 560 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Balmuccia has 1 school.

The data shows no pharmacies within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.5 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 1.3% of the land in Balmuccia, compared with 5.0% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Balmuccia is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte in 2023. 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 Balmuccia.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Balmuccia: 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 Balmuccia 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 2 inhabited census areas in Balmuccia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 61 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

ISTAT code 002008. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.