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Carcare: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Carcare

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 Anton Giulio Barrili 1, Carcare.

Carcare, the Val Bormida beyond the Cadibona pass

Twenty kilometres or so from Savona, over the Cadibona pass, you find a different Liguria. Carcare lies in the Val Bormida, on the side of the Apennines that faces Piedmont, at over 350 metres. The rivers here flow north to the Po rather than down to the sea, and the climate follows suit: climate zone E, with cold winters, sometimes snow, and summers that are less sticky than on the coast. Together with neighbouring Cairo Montenotte, it forms the most populated part of the valley.

The town is a road junction between the coast, the Langhe hills and the lower valley, and many residents commute to Savona or nearby towns. The Val Bormida has a long industrial history, and the housing shows it: post-war blocks of flats, village houses and a few detached homes on the edges. Prices are generally a long way below those on the Riviera. The Bormida river runs through the municipality, so for a property in the lower part of town, close to the riverbed, read the official flood maps carefully; the report checks them for the address.

In 2023 there were 5,291 residents, 5.6% fewer than in 2011, with an average age of 50.0 (province: 49.7) and over-65s at 30.3%. Households average 1.97 people and foreign residents make up 8.7%. Average declared incomes are above the provincial figure.

Carcare is where the surrounding villages come to shop. The data count 7 supermarkets, 1.32 per 1,000 residents against 0.98 in the province.

Earthquake hazard is low. Carcare is in seismic zone 4, the lowest in the national classification set by the Civil Protection Department, like 18 other municipalities in the province, while 46 are in zone 3. Expected ground acceleration is about 0.057 g. Given the winters, insulation, windows and the boiler matter more when you buy. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps here, so the report can trace an address to its plot.

Key points

  • In the Val Bormida, beyond Cadibona: inland climate, cold winters.
  • Average age 50.0, over-65s at 30.3%.
  • 1.32 supermarkets per 1,000 residents.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration about 0.057 g.

Overview

Carcare is a municipality in the province of Savona, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 5,291 residents, ranked 14 of 69 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Carcare is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Only 19 of 69 municipalities in the province are in zone 4.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.057 g, a moderate 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 5.6%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 8.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Carcare declared an average taxable income of 25,678 euros, in line with the province (24,469 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Carcare is in climate zone E, with 2,295 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 365 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Carcare has 4 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 7 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities and 8 sports facilities.

There are 1.3 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 15.9% of the land in Carcare, compared with 6.7% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.8 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Carcare is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Liguria 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Carcare, and 4 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 Carcare: 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 Carcare 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 34 inhabited census areas in Carcare. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 67 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 4.3%
  • fair 39.8%
  • good 55.9%

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 009018. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.