Cava de' Tirreni: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Salerno, Campania. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Cava de' Tirreni
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 Venticinque Luglio 1, Cava de' Tirreni.
Cava de' Tirreni, the arcaded Borgo and the valley towards Salerno
The main street of Cava de' Tirreni, the Borgo Scacciaventi, is lined with arcades along its entire length, and for many people it is the image of the town. Cava lies in a valley between the Lattari mountains and the hills that separate it from Salerno, on the road between the Nocera area and the provincial capital. On the heights nearby stands the Abbey of the Holy Trinity, known as the Badia, founded in the early eleventh century.
The municipality is split into many hamlets scattered over the slopes, each with its own character; some are small hill villages with narrow streets and little parking. The Naples-Salerno railway and the motorway both have a stop and an exit at Cava, and Salerno is very close; over the mountains, on the Vietri sul Mare side, the Amalfi Coast begins. That is why many people live here and work in Salerno or on the coast.
At the end of 2023 Cava had 50,223 residents, 6.8% fewer than in 2011, a noticeable fall. It is among the most populous towns in a very large province of 158 municipalities. The average age is 46.0 and over-65s are 23.9%, above the provincial average. Foreign residents are few, at 2.0%, and declared incomes are above the provincial average.
Compared with the rest of the province of Salerno, which has 18 municipalities in zone 1 of the Civil Protection map, seismic hazard is moderate: Cava is in zone 3, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.110 g. The 1980 Irpinia earthquake was felt strongly here too, so for older blocks ask whether repairs or structural checks have been carried out.
The slopes deserve the most attention. The hills around Cava are covered with loose volcanic soils that can slide in very heavy rain, as happens in other valleys between Salerno and the Lattari mountains. The report checks the official landslide and flood maps for the address and, using the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps, finds the plot.
Key points
- The arcaded Borgo, the Badia abbey and hamlets on the slopes.
- Train and motorway to Salerno and Naples, Amalfi Coast over the hills.
- 50,223 residents, down 6.8% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 3; on the hillsides, check landslide hazard.
Overview
Cava de' Tirreni is a municipality in the province of Salerno, in Campania. At the end of 2023 it had 50,223 residents, the second most populous in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cava de' Tirreni is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 43 of 158 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.110 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 6.8%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 21%). Foreign residents make up 2.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.5 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cava de' Tirreni declared an average taxable income of 21,683 euros, above the provincial average (19,912 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Cava de' Tirreni is in climate zone C, with 1,274 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 180 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cava de' Tirreni has 57 schools and 13 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 36 grocery shops and supermarkets, 37 healthcare facilities, 48 sports facilities and 6 parks and green areas.
There are 0.3 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.4).
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 23.0% of the land in Cava de' Tirreni, compared with 8.0% in the province and 10.6% 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 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Cava de' Tirreni, 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 Cava de' Tirreni: 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 Cava de' Tirreni 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 362 inhabited census areas in Cava de' Tirreni. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 3.9%
- fair 40.9%
- good 55.2%
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
- 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 065037. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.