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Cetraro: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cetraro

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: Localita' Arvara 1, Cetraro.

Cetraro, hilltop old town and harbour on the Tyrrhenian coast

Cetraro comes in two distinct parts. The old town sits on a rise a short way inland, with stone houses, lanes and flights of steps; the marina has grown along the coast around the harbour and the SS18 main road. Next to the road runs the Tyrrhenian railway, the line between Reggio Calabria, Salerno and Naples. Behind the town the coastal mountains rise steeply, and a few minutes' drive takes you from the sea to the hills.

Buyers have to choose between two ways of living. In the old town houses are old and often need work, with access on foot and little parking, but prices are lower. Down at the marina, flats are more practical and closer to services, but in summer they sit in the middle of holiday traffic, since many coastal homes are second homes. The climate zone is C, with mild winters.

At the end of 2023 there were 9,356 residents, down 8.8% on 2011. Cetraro is older than the province of Cosenza as a whole: an average age of 47.3 against 46.1, and people over 65 at 27.0% compared with 24.4%. It still ranks 15 in the province by population. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Calabria is one of Italy's most earthquake-prone regions. In the province of Cosenza, 65 municipalities are in seismic zone 1 and 85 in zone 2 under the Civil Protection Department's classification, Cetraro among the latter, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.160 g. Masonry houses in the old town should be inspected by an engineer or surveyor, especially if floors have been added or houses joined together over the years.

With the mountains so close to the sea and slopes this steep, landslides and flash floods in the streams are real issues. The report checks them on the official maps for the exact address, after finding the land parcel on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Hilltop old town and a marina with a harbour.
  • SS18 road and Tyrrhenian railway along the coast.
  • 9,356 residents, 27.0% aged over 65.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.160 g.

Overview

Cetraro is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 9,356 residents, among the most populous in the province (15 of 150).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cetraro is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (85 of 150) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.160 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Cetraro, 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 8.8%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 3.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cetraro declared an average taxable income of 17,064 euros, below the provincial average (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cetraro is in climate zone C, with 1,117 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 120 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cetraro has 19 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 3 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.6).

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 5.1% of the land in Cetraro, compared with 4.4% in the province and 5.1% 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 no open contaminated sites in Cetraro; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cetraro: 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 Cetraro 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 90 inhabited census areas in Cetraro. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 53 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 18.9%
  • fair 72.5%
  • good 8.6%

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 078040. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.