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Cavaglià: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cavaglià

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 Vercellone Cesare 1, Cavaglià.

Cavaglià, where Biella's hills meet the rice plain

At the southern tip of the province of Biella, Cavaglià sits where the moraine hills of the Serra, a long glacial ridge, give way to the plain towards Vercelli and its rice fields. The landscape changes within a few kilometres: wooded rises and vineyards on one side, flat fields on the other. Biella remains the provincial capital, but for many residents Vercelli, Ivrea and Turin are also workplaces within driving distance.

The centre is compact around its main streets, with traditional masonry houses, often built around a courtyard, and districts of detached homes around them. It suits buyers looking for space and a garden, though older houses need a careful look, as roofs and systems often have to be redone.

In 2023 there were 3,492 inhabitants, down 3.7% since 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The province of Biella is among the oldest in Italy, and Cavaglià a little less so: an average age of 48.1 against 49.7, with over-65s at 27.4% against 30.1%. Foreign residents are 9.0%.

Earthquake risk is low: Cavaglià is in seismic zone 4, like most municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.039 g. For a house here, insulation and heating carry more weight, since winters are cold and damp.

The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps. On the flat part of the municipality, ditches and irrigation channels can rise during prolonged rain, and the report checks the official maps for the exact address.

Key points

  • Southern Biella, between a glacial ridge and the rice plain.
  • Average age 48.1, in an older province (49.7).
  • Seismic zone 4, low expected acceleration of about 0.039 g.
  • Population down 3.7% since 2011.

Overview

Cavaglià is a municipality in the province of Biella, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 3,492 residents, ranked 10 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cavaglià is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (50 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.039 g, a low 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 3.7%. The estimated average age is 48 years, lower than the province average (50). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 9.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cavaglià declared an average taxable income of 23,467 euros, below the provincial average (25,111 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cavaglià is in climate zone E, with 2,657 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 271 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cavaglià has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities and 4 sports facilities.

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 14.2% of the land in Cavaglià, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.8 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Cavaglià is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte in 2023. 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 Cavaglià, and 2 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 Cavaglià: 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 Cavaglià 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 46 inhabited census areas in Cavaglià. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 40.6%
  • good 59.4%

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 096016. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.