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Cairate: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cairate

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 Edmondo de Amicis 1, Cairate.

Cairate, a Lombard-era monastery in the Olona valley

Cairate is in the province of Varese, in the Olona valley, halfway between Varese and the Gallarate and Busto Arsizio area. It is known for the monastery of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in the Lombard period of the early Middle Ages, which overlooks the river. The municipality is split between the valley floor, where the Olona runs, and the higher terraces, where the hamlets of Bolladello and Peveranza also lie.

The valley has a long industrial past: spinning mills and textile works once lined the river, and some are now closed or converted. Buyers mostly find small detached houses, semi-detached homes and old courtyard houses; flats are less common. There is no railway station in the municipality, and trips to Varese, Gallarate, Busto Arsizio or Malpensa airport are nearly always made by car.

At the end of 2023 there were 7,806 residents, down 0.3% since 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office, so the numbers are almost flat. The average age is 45.9, slightly below the province (46.5); over-65s are 23.7% and foreign residents 5.7%, fewer than the Lombardy average. Average declared incomes are a little below the provincial level.

All 136 municipalities in the province of Varese are in seismic zone 4, the lowest class on the scale set by the Civil Protection Department (Protezione Civile), and in Cairate expected ground acceleration is about 0.038 g. In older properties the wiring and heating, the roof and insulation count for far more, in climate zone E with its cold, damp winters.

The valley floor deserves the closest look. The river has burst its banks in the past, and flood hazard differs a great deal between homes near the water and those up on the terraces. The report reads the official maps for the address, together with the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Olona valley, with a monastery from the Lombard period.
  • 7,806 residents in 2023, much as in 2011.
  • Whole province in seismic zone 4.
  • Homes near the Olona: flood hazard to be checked.

Overview

Cairate is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 7,806 residents, ranked 30 of 136 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cairate is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 136 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.038 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 5.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cairate declared an average taxable income of 25,739 euros, below the provincial average (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cairate is in climate zone E, with 2,525 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 276 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cairate has 6 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility, 4 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.1 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

Public transport

The open timetables available for the area do not list any stops within the territory of Cairate.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 23.9% of the land in Cairate, compared with 21.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Cairate is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. 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 Cairate; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cairate: 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 Cairate 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 68 inhabited census areas in Cairate. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 28.7%
  • good 71.3%

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 012029. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.