Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Boretto: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Reggio nell'Emilia, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Boretto

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 Enrico Vecchi 1, Boretto.

Boretto, behind the Po embankment in the Bassa Reggiana

Boretto lies on the south bank of the Po, in the flat farming country north of Reggio Emilia known as the Bassa, between Brescello and Gualtieri. Here the river marks the border with Lombardy and shapes the town: the main embankment runs just behind the centre, and beyond it lies the floodplain, with poplar plantations and a landing stage for boats. Reggio Emilia and Parma are both around thirty kilometres away by road across the plain.

If you are looking at a property here, the first question is which side of the embankment it stands on. The town sits behind the protection of the levees, while buildings on the floodplain are exposed when the river is high. The report reads the official flood maps for the exact address, which tells you far more than a viewing on a dry day. Outside the centre most homes are detached houses or small villas, with the odd restored farmhouse in the countryside.

In 2023 there were 5,314 residents, up 1.0% on 2011. The province has 42 municipalities and Boretto holds 1.0% of its people. The average age is 44.6, against 45.3 for the province, and over-65s make up 21.7%. Foreign residents account for 14.5%, and average declared income is in line with the rest of the province.

As for earthquakes, Boretto is in seismic zone 3 of the national classification drawn up by the Civil Protection Department, like 33 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.091 g. The silts and sands laid down by the river can amplify shaking, so in older brick houses, often extended at different times, have the connections between walls and floors checked, along with any cracks around doors and windows.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the whole municipality, so the report can trace an address to its plot and building.

Key points

  • Riverside town on the Po, its centre sheltered behind the embankment.
  • 5,314 residents, 14.5% of them foreign nationals.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.091 g.
  • Po flood zones to be checked for each individual address.

Overview

Boretto is a municipality in the province of Reggio nell'Emilia, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 5,314 residents, ranked 31 of 42 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Boretto is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (34 of 42) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.091 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 45 years, in line with the province. 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 14.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Boretto declared an average taxable income of 27,043 euros, in line with the province (27,273 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Boretto is in climate zone E, with 2,435 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 23 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Boretto has 4 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 2 healthcare facilities and 4 sports facilities.

There are 0.2 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 17.3% of the land in Boretto, compared with 11.1% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Boretto is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Emilia-Romagna in 2026. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Boretto. 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 Boretto: 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 Boretto 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 37 inhabited census areas in Boretto. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.7%
  • fair 83.6%
  • good 14.7%

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 035005. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.