Cinisi: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Palermo, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Cinisi
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: Corso Umberto Primo 1, Cinisi.
Cinisi, Palermo's airport town between mountain and sea
Anyone who flies into Palermo lands in Cinisi. Falcone Borsellino airport, at Punta Raisi, lies within this municipality, squeezed between the sea and Monte Pecoraro about thirty kilometres west of the city. Cinisi is also known across Italy as the home of Peppino Impastato, the activist murdered by the Mafia in 1978; his family house is now a memorial open to visitors.
The town lives off this position. The motorway towards Trapani and Mazara del Vallo runs right past it and reaches Palermo quickly when traffic allows, and the airport employs many people from the area. Transport facilities come to 1.59 per 1,000 residents, against 0.08 across the province. Along the coast, towards Magaggiari, there are villas and summer houses; the town proper sits a little higher, below the mountain. If you are looking near the runways, factor in the noise of aircraft.
In 2023 there were 11,948 residents, down 0.7% on 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics institute. The population is slightly younger than the province's: estimated average age 44.0 against 44.7, with over-65s at 21.0% against 22.8%. Foreign residents make up 2.4%.
Of the 82 municipalities in the province of Palermo, 81 are in seismic zone 2, and Cinisi is one of them, in zone 2, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.139 g in the built-up area. For houses put up quickly during the building boom, check the structural design, the sign-off certificate and any amnesty applications for unauthorised work before signing.
Cadastral maps from the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) are available. At the foot of the mountain and along the gullies running down to the sea, landslide and flash flood hazard depends on the exact spot, and the report checks it for the address.
Key points
- Palermo airport and the Trapani motorway within the municipality.
- Transport facilities: 1.59 per 1,000 residents.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.139 g.
- Over-65s at 21.0%, below the provincial average.
Overview
Cinisi is a municipality in the province of Palermo, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 11,948 residents, ranked 12 of 82 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cinisi is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (81 of 82) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.139 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Cinisi, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 44 years, in line with the province. 21% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 2.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cinisi declared an average taxable income of 19,939 euros, below the provincial average (21,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Cinisi is in climate zone B, with 785 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 75 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cinisi has 6 schools and 5 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets, 6 healthcare facilities, 9 sports facilities and 1 green area.
There are 0.5 schools per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.9).
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 18.3% of the land in Cinisi, compared with 5.7% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.0 hectares.
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 no contaminated sites in Cinisi.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cinisi: 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 Cinisi 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 50 inhabited census areas in Cinisi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 61 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 15.1%
- fair 36.3%
- good 48.6%
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
- 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 082031. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.