Chiaravalle Centrale: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Catanzaro, Calabria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Chiaravalle Centrale
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 Francesco Spasari 1, Chiaravalle Centrale.
Chiaravalle Centrale, uplands between the Serre and the Ionian
The name sets it apart from Chiaravalle in the Marche. This one is in Calabria, on the high ground inland from the Gulf of Squillace, above five hundred metres, with the Serre mountains behind it and the coast at Soverato lower down to the east. For the smaller villages around, it serves as a local centre: Overture Maps lists 10 schools and education sites.
The population has been falling for years. At the end of 2023 there were 5,105 residents according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 13.2% on 2011, or 778 fewer people. The average age is 48.3, against 46.1 in the province of Catanzaro; over-65s make up 30.1% compared with 24.6% provincially, and foreign residents 3.2%.
Buyers will find the market typical of inland Calabria: many houses left empty by people who moved away, often inherited by several siblings, and wide differences in condition from one building to the next. Before negotiating, make sure all the owners agree to sell and that the house matches what is recorded in the land registry. Average incomes are well below the provincial figure. The climate is that of the hills, with winters cooler and damper than on the coast.
Earthquake hazard is high. The Civil Protection Department places Chiaravalle in seismic zone 1, together with 44 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.233 g. Central Calabria has had destructive earthquakes over the centuries. For an old masonry house, get an engineer to look at the structure before making an offer, and budget for any strengthening work alongside the price.
The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps, and the report traces the land parcel from the address. Landslides are a recurring issue on the inland slopes, and the report checks the official maps for the exact spot.
Key points
- Local centre on the uplands between the Serre and the Gulf of Squillace.
- 5,105 residents, down 13.2% since 2011.
- Over-65s at 30.1%, against 24.6% in the province.
- Seismic zone 1: have the structure checked.
Overview
Chiaravalle Centrale is a municipality in the province of Catanzaro, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 5,105 residents, ranked 11 of 80 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Chiaravalle Centrale is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (45 of 80) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.233 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Chiaravalle Centrale, 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 13.2%. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (46). 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 3.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Chiaravalle Centrale declared an average taxable income of 15,324 euros, below the provincial average (19,667 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Chiaravalle Centrale is in climate zone D, with 1,804 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 545 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Chiaravalle Centrale has 10 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities and 2 sports facilities.
There are 1.0 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more 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 14.2% of the land in Chiaravalle Centrale, compared with 6.6% 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 low. 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 Chiaravalle Centrale. 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 Chiaravalle Centrale: 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 Chiaravalle Centrale 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 63 inhabited census areas in Chiaravalle Centrale. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.1%
- fair 99.9%
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 079029. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.