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Cengio: 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 Cengio

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 Padre Garello 1, Cengio.

Cengio, the Bormida valley where Liguria meets Piedmont

Cengio is the last Ligurian municipality as you go up the Bormida valley towards Piedmont: the province of Savona ends here, and the Cuneo area begins beyond. The town sits on the valley floor and the wooded slopes, at close to four hundred metres, with a winter climate that has little of the Riviera about it: climate zone E in the Italian heating classification, fog and cold. The sea at Savona is on the other side of the Apennines, a drive away.

The Bormida valley has a long manufacturing history, and the housing reflects it: workers' houses, blocks from the fifties and sixties, newer detached homes and old stone houses in the hamlets. Prices are far lower than on the coast, which can suit people working in the valley or willing to accept a longer commute. In older buildings, check the wiring, insulation and boiler.

In 2023 there were 3,325 residents, down 9.6% on 2011. The average age of 49.3 is similar to that of a very elderly province (49.7), and over-65s make up 30.4%. The share of foreign residents is high, at 16.2%. Average declared incomes are below the Savona provincial average.

Seismic hazard is low: Cengio is in zone 4 of the Civil Protection classification, like 18 other municipalities in the province, with an expected acceleration of about 0.056 g. For houses on the valley floor and the slopes, the report checks the official flood and landslide maps for the address.

Key points

  • Last Ligurian municipality up the Bormida valley towards Piedmont.
  • Residents down 9.6% since 2011.
  • Foreign residents at 16.2%, over-65s at 30.4%.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration 0.056 g.

Overview

Cengio is a municipality in the province of Savona, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 3,325 residents, ranked 19 of 69 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cengio 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 0.056 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 9.6%. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 16.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cengio declared an average taxable income of 22,888 euros, below the provincial average (24,469 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cengio is in climate zone E, with 2,421 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 409 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cengio has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets and 1 green area.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.9 per 1,000 residents.

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 10.2% of the land in Cengio, compared with 6.7% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Cengio 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 no contaminated sites in Cengio.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cengio: 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 Cengio 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 25 inhabited census areas in Cengio. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 57 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 83.6%
  • good 16.4%

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 009023. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.