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Chieti: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Chieti

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: Viale Benedetto Croce 1, Chieti.

Chieti, from the hilltop to the Pescara valley

Chieti, the ancient Teate, stands on a hill above the valley of the river Pescara, with the Majella massif on one side and the sea not far off on the other. The upper town keeps its Roman temples and historic centre, while down in the valley, along the railway and the roads to Pescara, lies the campus of the university named after Gabriele d'Annunzio.

What does the population look like? At the end of 2023 there were 48,532 residents, 5.7% fewer than at the 2011 census. Chieti is the most populous municipality in a very fragmented province of 104, holding 13.1% of its population. The estimated average age is 48.4, against 47.4 for the province, and over-65s make up 28.2% against 25.6% for Abruzzo. Foreign residents account for 5.7%.

Three seismic zones coexist in the province: 22 municipalities are in zone 1, 55 in zone 2 and 27 in zone 3. Chieti is in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.164 g, a medium-high value. Anyone buying in a palazzo in the old town, or in a block built before recent standards, should ask about the design date, any surveys and the structural work carried out.

For a town of this size, services are not lacking. Overture Maps data record 52 schools and education sites, 1.07 per 1,000 residents against 1.15 in the province, and 55 healthcare facilities (1.13 against 0.60). The Ministry of Health lists 16 pharmacies, 0.33 per 1,000 residents, below the provincial average of 0.46.

The land registry is published: using the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) maps, the report traces an address back to the building's plot. Conditions change a lot between hilltop and valley floor, so landslide and flood hazard and the local price range are read for the individual address rather than as an average for Chieti.

Key points

  • The ancient Teate, between the Majella and the sea.
  • Population down 5.7% since 2011; over-65s at 28.2%.
  • Seismic zone 2; the province has municipalities in zones 1, 2 and 3.
  • More schools and healthcare facilities per resident than the province.

Overview

Chieti is the capital of the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 48,532 residents, the most populous municipality in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Chieti is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (55 of 104) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.164 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Chieti, 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 5.7%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 5.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Chieti declared an average taxable income of 24,327 euros, above the provincial average (21,427 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Chieti is in climate zone D, with 1,556 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 330 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Chieti has 52 schools and 16 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 31 grocery shops and supermarkets, 55 healthcare facilities, 55 sports facilities and 9 parks and green areas.

There are 1.1 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 21.2% of the land in Chieti, compared with 6.4% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list 35 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Chieti, and 9 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 Chieti: 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 Chieti 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 615 inhabited census areas in Chieti. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 6.1%
  • fair 48.2%
  • good 45.8%

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 069022. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.