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Bari: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Bari

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 Napoli 1, Bari.

The Basilica of San Nicola, which has held the relics of St Nicholas since they were brought from Myra in 1087, is the heart of Bari's old town, squeezed between the port and the seafront promenade. The regional capital of Puglia, Bari is a major passenger port for the Balkans and Greece, a university city and home to the Fiera del Levante trade fair.

The population is unchanged since 2011: 316,226 residents at the end of 2023 against 315,933 at the 2011 census (+0.1%). The city is home to 25.9% of the people in its metropolitan area. It is older than the surrounding territory, though, with an estimated average age of 47.2 against 45.8 and 25.7% of residents over 65 against 23.7%. Foreign residents account for 4.6%.

On earthquakes, Bari is in seismic zone 3, like 34 of the 41 municipalities in the metropolitan city; the other 7 are in zone 4. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.071 g, a moderate value. Anti-seismic rules still apply to new buildings, and for a period palazzo or a block a few decades old, documentation about the structure remains useful.

Among services, the Ministry of Health lists 99 pharmacies, 0.31 per 1,000 residents, matching the metropolitan average. Overture Maps data record 360 healthcare facilities (1.14 per 1,000 against 0.80) and 1,673 cafés and restaurants, while supermarkets are less dense than in the surrounding towns, at 0.39 per 1,000 residents against 0.58.

The land registry holds no surprises: the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the maps, and the report reaches the sheet and parcel (foglio and particella) from an address. From the old town by the sea to the districts further inland, flood hazard and local prices are read for each address, because they can change over short distances.

Key points

  • Regional capital of Puglia and a port for the Balkans and Greece.
  • Stable population: 316,226 residents (+0.1% since 2011).
  • Seismic zone 3; expected ground acceleration about 0.071 g.
  • Older than its metropolitan area: average age 47.2.

Overview

Bari is the capital of the province of Bari, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 316,226 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 26% of the province's residents live here.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Bari is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (34 of 41) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.071 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 4.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Bari declared an average taxable income of 26,066 euros, above the provincial average (21,788 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Bari is in climate zone C, with 1,185 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 5 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Bari has 204 schools and 99 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 124 grocery shops and supermarkets, 360 healthcare facilities, 225 sports facilities and 28 parks and green areas.

There are 0.4 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 43.4% of the land in Bari, compared with 9.7% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 21.1 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Bari is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Puglia in 2025. 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 19 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Bari, and 13 more have been cleaned up or closed. 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 Bari: 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 Bari 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 1,503 inhabited census areas in Bari. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 74 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 2.0%
  • fair 26.6%
  • good 39.5%
  • very good 29.7%
  • excellent 2.2%

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 072006. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.