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Caltanissetta: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Caltanissetta

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 Redentore 1, Caltanissetta.

Caltanissetta, in the heart of inland Sicily

Caltanissetta is one of the few Sicilian provincial capitals with no coastline. It lies in the middle of the island, among wheat-growing hills and inland villages. For a long time its economy was tied to the sulphur mines of the surrounding area; today the city relies mainly on public offices, healthcare, education and retail.

One fact sets it apart from Sicily's other provincial capitals: it is classified in seismic zone 3, while all the others are in zone 1 or 2. Across the province, 18 municipalities share zone 3 and 4 are in zone 2. Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is also modest, at about 0.073 g. Zone 3 means a moderate hazard, not an absent one: anti-seismic building rules still apply, and for any given building its age, structure and upkeep still count.

Caltanissetta is not the largest municipality among the 22 in its province; by population it comes second, after Gela. In 2023 it had 58,343 residents, 23.6% of the provincial total, compared with 61,711 in 2011, a fall of 5.5%. The estimated average age is 45.7, 24.1% of residents are over 65 (23.3% in the province) and 5.3% are foreign nationals. Households average 2.26 people.

Its role as a provincial capital shows in the services. Overture's open map data count 58 healthcare sites, 55 education sites and 48 sports facilities; for healthcare and sport, provision per resident is well above the provincial rate. Supermarkets (33) are also proportionally more common.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the municipality, so the report can pinpoint the land parcel starting from an address. On hilly terrain cut by valleys and slopes, landslide and flood risk has no single answer for the whole city and needs checking at the precise address.

Key points

  • The only Sicilian provincial capital in seismic zone 3; about 0.073 g.
  • Second largest municipality in the province after Gela: 58,343 residents.
  • Population down 5.5% since 2011.
  • Healthcare and sports provision per resident well above the provincial rate.

Overview

Caltanissetta is the capital of the province of Caltanissetta, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 58,343 residents, the second most populous in the province. 24% of the province's residents live here.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Caltanissetta is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (18 of 22) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.073 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 resident population has fallen by 5.5%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 5.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Caltanissetta declared an average taxable income of 21,652 euros, above the provincial average (19,090 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Caltanissetta is in climate zone D, with 1,550 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 568 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Caltanissetta has 55 schools and 18 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 33 grocery shops and supermarkets, 58 healthcare facilities, 48 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.

There are 1.0 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more 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 5.9% of the land in Caltanissetta, compared with 4.8% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 7.8 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list 3 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Caltanissetta, and 8 more have 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 Caltanissetta: 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 Caltanissetta 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 879 inhabited census areas in Caltanissetta. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 81 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.3%
  • fair 11.9%
  • good 33.4%
  • very good 54.4%

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 085004. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.