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Carini: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Carini

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 Don Luigi Sturzo 1, Carini.

Carini, the hilltop castle and the coast towards Punta Raisi

Carini's historic centre sits on a hill, gathered around the medieval castle tied to the legend of the Baroness of Carini, and its land runs down to the sea along the coast west of Palermo, towards Punta Raisi airport. Between the hill and the beach are the industrial zone, the newer districts and coastal villages such as Villagrazia di Carini, once summer retreats and now lived in all year round.

The town has grown a great deal in recent years, with families moving out from Palermo in search of more space. The motorway to Trapani and the airport runs along the coast and gets you into Palermo quickly, traffic permitting. In the coastal strip, where many houses were built as summer homes, check planning compliance, sewer connections and building condition before signing the preliminary contract.

In 2023 there were 40,254 residents, up 12.8% on 2011, or 4,573 people, according to Istat, the national statistics office. Carini ranks number 3 in the province by population. The population is young, with an average age of 41.3 against 44.7 and 17.8% aged over 65, while healthcare facilities are scarce: 0.30 per 1,000 residents against 0.71 in the province. Average declared incomes are slightly below the provincial figure.

The climate is among the mildest in Italy, but earthquakes need to be taken into account. Carini is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.164 g, and the sea off Palermo has produced noticeable earthquakes, as in 2002. For a 1970s or 1980s reinforced concrete building, ask for the structural design and the inspection certificate; for self-built villas, ask for the paperwork on the works too. On the hillsides and in the gullies running down to the sea, the report also checks landslides and flooding.

Key points

  • Hilltop old town with its castle, coastal villages towards Punta Raisi.
  • 40,254 residents, up 12.8% on 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.164 g.
  • Former summer homes: check permits and sewer connections.

Overview

Carini is a municipality in the province of Palermo, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 40,254 residents, the third most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Carini is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (81 of 82) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.164 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Carini, 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 grown by 12.8%. The estimated average age is 41 years, lower than the province average (45). 18% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Carini declared an average taxable income of 19,748 euros, below the provincial average (21,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Carini is in climate zone B, with 788 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 170 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Carini has 31 schools and 12 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 19 grocery shops and supermarkets, 12 healthcare facilities, 22 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 19.5% of the land in Carini, compared with 5.7% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 5.5 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

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 Carini; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Carini: 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 Carini 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 88 inhabited census areas in Carini. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 6.4%
  • fair 48.5%
  • good 35.9%
  • very good 9.2%

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 082021. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.