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Caulonia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Caulonia

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 Vincenzo Niutta 2, Caulonia.

Caulonia, the hill town and its marina on the Ionian coast

Caulonia has two sides, and buyers have to choose between them. The historic town, once called Castelvetere, stands on a rise inland at around three hundred metres, with steep lanes and stone houses. Caulonia Marina, by contrast, grew up on the Ionian coast along the SS106 coast road and the railway, with small apartment blocks and summer houses. This is the Locride, on the eastern side of the province of Reggio Calabria. The present name was taken from the ancient Greek colony of Kaulon, whose remains actually lie further north, at Monasterace Marina.

At the marina much of the market is made up of holiday homes, and shops and services follow the season. In the upper town a number of houses are old or have stood empty for years, so budget for work on roofs, walls and systems before you buy.

There were 6,704 residents at the end of 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 5.0% on 2011. The estimated average age is 46.7, above the provincial 45.2, and over-65s make up 26.3%. Foreign residents account for 6.0%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

All 97 municipalities in the province of Reggio Calabria are in seismic zone 1, the highest-hazard category in the Civil Protection classification. In Caulonia the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.155 g. For a stone house in the old town and a 1970s block at the marina alike, the question is the same: when was the structure designed, what earthquake strengthening has been done, and what paperwork proves it.

Between the fiumare, the wide seasonal riverbeds running down to the sea, and the slopes of the upper town, landslide and flood hazard depend on the exact spot, and the report checks them for the address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, so the plot can be traced.

Key points

  • Hill town and seaside marina in the Locride.
  • Seismic zone 1 across the province, acceleration about 0.155 g.
  • Population down 5.0% since 2011.
  • Many holiday homes at the marina; old-town houses often need work.

Overview

Caulonia is a municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 6,704 residents, ranked 16 of 97 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Caulonia 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 0.155 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Caulonia, 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 5.0%. The estimated average age is 47 years, higher than the province average (45). 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 6.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Caulonia declared an average taxable income of 15,701 euros, below the provincial average (19,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Caulonia is in climate zone C, with 1,091 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 300 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Caulonia has 8 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities, 2 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.5).

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 4.4% of the land in Caulonia, 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

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Caulonia.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Caulonia: 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 Caulonia 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 108 inhabited census areas in Caulonia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 12.5%
  • fair 87.5%

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 080025. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.