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Cannobio: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piemonte. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cannobio

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 Madonna delle Grazie 1, Cannobio.

Cannobio, Lake Maggiore and the Swiss border

Cannobio is the last Piedmont municipality on the western shore of Lake Maggiore: just beyond it lies the Swiss canton of Ticino, starting with Brissago. The town stretches along the water, with a lakeside promenade, the tall, narrow houses of the old centre and the Pietà sanctuary right on the shore. Behind it opens the Valle Cannobina, a narrow wooded valley cut by the Cannobino torrent.

Tourism matters a lot. The town fills up in summer, the Sunday market draws visitors from Switzerland too, and some of the housing stock is holiday homes. A number of residents commute across the border to work in Ticino. Buyers have to choose between the lakeside centre, with flats in old buildings and little parking, and the hamlets on the hillside or up the valley, quieter but reached by steep, narrow roads. Average declared incomes in the municipality are below the provincial average.

In 2023 there were 5,043 residents, up 1.0% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 48.0, against 49.0 in the province, and 26.2% of residents are over 65. Foreign nationals make up 6.8% and households have 2.06 members on average.

Cannobio is in seismic zone 4, like 45 other municipalities in Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, and the expected ground acceleration is about 0.044 g. On the lakeshore, damp and the condition of roofs, walls and cellars in stone houses usually matter more than earthquakes.

Between lake and mountains there are two things to check: high water on Lake Maggiore and the Cannobino in low-lying areas, and landslides on the valley slopes. The report looks at both for the individual address and, using the cadastral maps published by the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate), also finds the land parcel of the building.

Key points

  • Last Piedmont town on Lake Maggiore before Switzerland.
  • 5,043 residents, up 1.0% since 2011.
  • Average age 48.0, over-65s at 26.2%.
  • Seismic zone 4; lake flooding and landslides to check.

Overview

Cannobio is a municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 5,043 residents, among the most populous in the province (6 of 74).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cannobio is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (46 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.044 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 grown by 1.0%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 6.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cannobio declared an average taxable income of 15,922 euros, below the provincial average (23,146 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cannobio is in climate zone E, with 2,583 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 214 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cannobio has 4 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 10 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities and 5 sports facilities.

There are 2.0 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (1.0).

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 2.9% of the land in Cannobio, compared with 2.8% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.1 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Cannobio is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Piemonte 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 Cannobio; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cannobio: 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 Cannobio 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 66 inhabited census areas in Cannobio. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.0%
  • fair 53.4%
  • good 46.6%

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 103017. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.