Benevento: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Benevento, Campania. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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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: Contrada Piano Cappelle 1, Benevento.
Benevento, where earthquake risk is high
In Benevento, the first thing a buyer needs to know is about earthquakes. The municipality is in seismic zone 1, the highest hazard class used by Italy's Civil Protection Department, as are 48 of the 78 municipalities in the province (the other 30 are in zone 2). The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.254 g, a high value: it is the level with a 10% chance of being exceeded in 50 years, measured on rock.
What does that mean in practice? That the building matters more than the street. For a home built after Italy's 2008 anti-seismic building standards came into force, ask to see the structural design; for an older building, ask whether it has been assessed and whether it has had seismic improvement or upgrading work, with documents to prove it. The building's seismic risk class, where one has been calculated, is also useful to know.
The city was founded by the Samnites and later became Roman, at the confluence of the rivers Calore and Sabato on the ancient Via Appia and Via Traiana roads. Trajan's Arch and the Roman theatre survive, and the Lombard-era church of Santa Sofia is part of the UNESCO site dedicated to the Lombards in Italy.
At the end of 2023 there were 56,048 residents, 8.8% fewer than at the 2011 census and 21.4% of the provincial population. The estimated average age is 46.8, over-65s make up 24.9%, and the average household has 2.34 people. Foreign residents account for 3.8%.
Overture Maps data record 52 healthcare facilities, 0.93 per 1,000 residents against 0.44 in the province, and 58 schools. The Ministry of Health lists 16 pharmacies, 0.29 per 1,000 residents, below the provincial average of 0.41.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps cover the municipality, and the report uses them to find the sheet and parcel (foglio and particella). Landslide and flood hazard and local prices, between the two rivers and the hills, are read at the precise address.
Key points
- Seismic zone 1; expected ground acceleration about 0.254 g.
- 48 of the 78 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.
- Population down 8.8% since 2011.
- Trajan's Arch and Santa Sofia, a UNESCO Lombard site.
Overview
Benevento is the capital of the province of Benevento, in Campania. At the end of 2023 it had 56,048 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 21% of the province's residents live here.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Benevento is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (48 of 78) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.254 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Benevento, 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 8.8%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 21%). Foreign residents make up 3.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Benevento declared an average taxable income of 23,679 euros, above the provincial average (19,496 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Benevento is in climate zone C, with 1,316 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 135 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Benevento has 58 schools and 16 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 30 grocery shops and supermarkets, 52 healthcare facilities, 57 sports facilities and 4 parks and green areas.
There are 0.9 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.4).
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 15.8% of the land in Benevento, compared with 7.4% in the province and 10.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 14.1 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Official databases list 6 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Benevento, and one more has 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 Benevento: 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 Benevento 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 619 inhabited census areas in Benevento. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 9.4%
- fair 90.6%
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 062008. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.