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Cogoleto: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cogoleto

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 Gioiello 1, Cogoleto.

Cogoleto, the western Riviera below the Beigua mountains

Cogoleto is the westernmost municipality in the metropolitan area of Genoa: Arenzano lies to the east and Varazze, already in the province of Savona, to the west. It has a narrow coastal strip with the town centre and seafront, and behind it mountains climb steeply towards Monte Beigua, protected as a regional park. The town claims to be the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, and the house said to be his is one of the sights in the centre.

The station on the Genoa to Ventimiglia line takes you to Genoa, and the nearest A10 motorway junctions are at Arenzano and Varazze. Near the sea, homes are mostly post-war blocks of flats, while the inland hamlets such as Sciarborasca and Lerca have detached houses with land, quieter in summer. On the hillside, access, parking and winter sunshine all count.

The town is losing residents. In 2023 there were 8,408, 8.1% fewer than the 9,145 of 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The estimated average age is 50.5, above the metropolitan 49.0; over-65s make up 31.5% and households average 1.96 people. Foreign residents account for 3.4%. Sports facilities and places to eat per resident are above the provincial average.

For earthquakes, Cogoleto is an exception in Liguria. It is in zone 4, the lowest in the Civil Protection classification, like only 2 other municipalities in the metropolitan area, while the remaining 64 are in zone 3; expected acceleration is about 0.054 g. In seafront blocks, the state of façades and balcony steelwork, worn by salt air, and any major repairs already approved matter more.

The real risks come from the slopes and from the short, steep streams running from the Beigua to the sea. The report checks landslide and flood hazard at the exact address and, using the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps, identifies the plot.

Key points

  • Genoa's westernmost town, between Arenzano and Varazze.
  • Population down 8.1% since 2011, over-65s at 31.5%.
  • Seismic zone 4, rare in the province of Genoa.
  • Steep streams and slopes: landslides and floods read per address.

Overview

Cogoleto is a municipality in the province of Genova, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 8,408 residents, ranked 9 of 67 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cogoleto is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Only 3 of 67 municipalities in the province are in zone 4.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.054 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 8.1%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 31% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 3.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cogoleto declared an average taxable income of 26,674 euros, in line with the province (26,655 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cogoleto is in climate zone D, with 1,517 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 4 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cogoleto has 7 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities, 12 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.6 healthcare facilities 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 10.8% of the land in Cogoleto, compared with 8.0% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Cogoleto 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 open contaminated sites in Cogoleto; 3 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cogoleto: 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 Cogoleto 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 61 inhabited census areas in Cogoleto. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 84.2%
  • good 15.8%

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 010017. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.