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Caines: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Caines

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 Caines 1, Caines.

Caines, above Merano at the mouth of the Val Passiria

Just above Merano, where the Val Passiria opens out, Caines (Kuens in German) is a small municipality in both population and area, with its town hall at around 590 metres. The village sits on the hillside among meadows and woods climbing towards the mountains, and looks to Merano for work, schools and shops.

Buying in South Tyrol means knowing a few rules. Land registration follows the tavolare system, with a land book, and the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) does not publish cadastral maps here: the report starts from the address but cannot reach the land parcel. Many new homes are reserved for residents or built under price agreements, and any restriction should be checked before making an offer. The area is in climate zone F, with cold winters, though shorter than higher up.

Without a car, there are scheduled buses; the report shows the distance from the address to the nearest stop.

In 2023 there were 389 residents, 5.8% fewer than in 2011. Households average 2.49 people and the estimated average age is 44.5 (43.4 in the province). Over-65s are 20.1% and foreign residents 2.3%. Declared incomes are below the South Tyrol average.

Earthquake hazard is low: Caines is in seismic zone 4 on the Civil Protection Department's national scale, like all 116 municipalities in the province of Bolzano, with expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.043 g. On a hillside like this, the official maps of landslides, rockfall and torrent debris flows matter more, and the report reads them at the exact spot.

Key points

  • Small municipality above Merano, at the mouth of the Val Passiria.
  • Tavolare land registry: no Revenue Agency cadastral maps.
  • 389 residents, households of 2.49 people on average.
  • Seismic zone 4, like all 116 municipalities in South Tyrol.

Overview

Caines is a municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. At the end of 2023 it had 389 residents, among the smallest in the province (113 of 116).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Caines is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 116 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.043 g, a low 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 fallen by 5.8%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 20% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 22%). Foreign residents make up 2.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.5 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Caines declared an average taxable income of 23,785 euros, below the provincial average (28,222 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Caines is in climate zone F, with 3,304 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 592 metres above sea level.

Services

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.2 per 1,000 residents.

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 10 public transport stops, served by 5 bus lines. That is about 25.7 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 8.1% of the land in Caines, compared with 2.7% in the province and 2.9% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Caines is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Provincia autonoma di Bolzano 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 no open contaminated sites in Caines; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Caines: 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

For Caines the Revenue Agency does not publish cadastral maps: the land registry here uses the tavolare (land book) system. The report cannot give a parcel reference, but it still checks risks, services and transport at the address and states this clearly.

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 8 inhabited census areas in Caines. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 12.6%
  • good 87.4%

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 021014. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.