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Biella: what to know before buying a home

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

Search for an address in Biella

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 Dante 7, Milan.

Biella, wool town at the foot of the Alps

Biella lies where the Alpine valleys of northern Piedmont open onto the plain, and for centuries its name has been linked with wool: the Biella textile district is known internationally for high-quality cloth. The town has a modern lower part and a historic hilltop quarter, the Piazzo, which can also be reached by funicular. Higher up, within the municipal boundaries, stands the Sanctuary of Oropa, a long-standing place of pilgrimage.

The population figures describe an older town in an even older province. The estimated average age is over 49, and 29.6% of residents are over 65, against 26.6% for Piedmont as a whole and 30.1% in the province. Households are small, averaging 1.94 people. In 2023 Biella had 42,850 residents, 2.2% fewer than the 43,818 recorded at the 2011 census; foreign nationals make up 9.7%. It is the largest of the province's 74 municipalities, with 25.4% of its population.

For a town of this size, services are plentiful. Overture's open map data count 55 healthcare sites, more than twice the provincial rate per resident, and 57 sports facilities, also well above average, as well as 283 cafés and restaurants. Supermarkets (34) are proportionally more widespread too.

Earthquake risk is low. Biella is in seismic zone 3, like 24 municipalities in the province, while the other 50 are in zone 4, the lowest class. Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.042 g. With a low seismic hazard, the state of repair, the heating and wiring, and the energy performance of a building weigh heavily in any purchase.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the municipality, and the report finds the land parcel starting from the address. With mountain streams coming down the valleys and slopes around the hill, landslide and flood risk can only be checked at the exact address.

Key points

  • 29.6% of residents over 65; households average 1.94 people.
  • 42,850 residents in 2023, down 2.2% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 3, low expected ground acceleration (about 0.042 g).
  • Healthcare and sports provision well above the provincial rate per resident.

Overview

Biella is the capital of the province of Biella, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 42,850 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 25% of the province's residents live here.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Biella is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 24 of 74 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.042 g, a low 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.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood risk changes from one street to the next, even within the same municipality: for this reason we do not summarise it as a single figure for the whole of Biella.

The report checks the exact address against the ISPRA national maps and tells you in plain words whether the building falls within an at-risk area. The official map is also available on IdroGEO.

House prices

We do not publish price tables by municipality. The report gives the minimum and maximum price per square metre for the address's zone, from the Revenue Agency's OMI valuations, with the reference half-year. It is a range for the zone, not the value of a specific home.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 2.2%. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 9.7% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Biella has 46 schools and 16 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 34 grocery shops and supermarkets, 55 healthcare facilities, 57 sports facilities and 9 parks and green areas.

There are 1.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

This data is gathered from several providers: services may be missing or closed businesses may still appear. The report counts services within 500 metres and 1 kilometre of the address.

Public transport

We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.

Land registry

The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps for Biella: the report finds the building's parcel, that is its sheet and parcel number, starting from the address.

Data sources

ISTAT code 096004. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.