Caraffa del Bianco: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Caraffa del Bianco
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 Francesco Mezzatesta 1, Caraffa del Bianco.
Caraffa del Bianco, a Locride hill village above the Ionian coast
On the hills rising from the Ionian coast of the province of Reggio Calabria, in the Locride area, Caraffa del Bianco occupies a rise at around 350 metres, not far from the sea. The climate is mild, zone C, with long summers and short winters. The coast, with the SS106 road and the Ionian railway, is close by; for the hospital, offices and secondary schools people look to the larger towns of the Locride and, further away, to Reggio.
The village is made up of houses packed together on the slope, often on several levels, many built or extended at different times. Buyers should ask which parts were added and whether they are authorised, look at roofs and floors, and check that water supply and drainage work properly. In the valleys of the seasonal torrents (the fiumare typical of this coast) flood hazard varies a great deal from one point to another, and the report reads it for the address, along with landslide hazard.
In 2023 there were 451 residents, against 532 in 2011, a fall of 15.2%. The estimated average age is 50.5, compared with 45.2 for the province, and over-65s make up 32.6% (23.6% provincially). Foreign residents account for 3.8%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
All 97 municipalities in the province of Reggio Calabria are in seismic zone 1, the most hazardous class on the scale kept by the Civil Protection Department, and in Caraffa expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.209 g. For an older house this is the figure that matters most: ask when it was built, whether any structural work has been done and whether the design and inspection certificates exist.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are available, so the report can trace the address back to its land parcel.
Key points
- Hill village in the Locride, inland from the Ionian coast.
- 451 residents in 2023, down 15.2% since 2011.
- All 97 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 1.
- Expected acceleration about 0.209 g: have the structure checked.
Overview
Caraffa del Bianco is a municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 451 residents, among the smallest in the province (89 of 97).
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Caraffa del Bianco is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. All 97 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.209 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Caraffa del Bianco, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 15.2%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (45). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 3.8% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Caraffa del Bianco declared an average taxable income of 17,819 euros, below the provincial average (19,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Caraffa del Bianco is in climate zone C, with 1,344 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 355 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Caraffa del Bianco has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.
The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
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 3.3% of the land in Caraffa del Bianco, compared with 5.8% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
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 no contaminated sites in Caraffa del Bianco.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Caraffa del Bianco: 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 Caraffa del Bianco 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 6 inhabited census areas in Caraffa del Bianco. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 1.9%
- fair 98.1%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 080021. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.