Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Colico: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Colico

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 Nazionale 1, Colico.

Colico, at the top of Lake Como where two valleys meet

Colico sits at the northern end of Lake Como, where roads and railway split towards the Valtellina and the Valchiavenna valleys. Monte Legnone rises behind it; in front, where the Adda flows into the lake, lies the Pian di Spagna nature reserve. The municipality includes the Forte di Fuentes, built by the Spanish, Forte Montecchio Nord from the First World War and, on the Olgiasca peninsula, the abbey of Piona.

It is a transport hub. The official timetables list 2 stops served by 3 rail lines, including those to Lecco and Milan, Sondrio and Chiavenna, and the SS36 dual carriageway reaches Lecco quickly. That is why Colico works both as a place to live and as a holiday base: the steady lake wind draws sailors, windsurfers and kitesurfers, and there are many second homes along the lakefront and in the hamlets.

The population is growing: 8,155 residents in 2023, up 9.1% on 2011, or 682 more people. The estimated average age is 46.2 against 46.6 in the province of Lecco, over-65s make up 23.5% and foreign residents 9.3%. There are 6.87 bars and restaurants per 1,000 residents, far more than the provincial rate, a sign of tourism.

Earthquake hazard is low. Colico is in seismic zone 4 of the national classification, like 20 municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration is among the lowest in Lombardy, about 0.043 g. For a lakeside home, damp, exposure and the roof matter more.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published, so the report reaches the plot. Geography matters a great deal here: the streams running off Monte Legnone have laid down fans of debris at the foot of the slopes, and the plain towards the Adda is low. Landslides, debris flows and flooding are read for each address.

Key points

  • 2 stops and 3 rail lines to Lecco, Sondrio and Chiavenna.
  • Population up 9.1% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, very low acceleration: about 0.043 g.
  • Mountain streams and the Adda plain: hazards read by address.

Overview

Colico is a municipality in the province of Lecco, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 8,155 residents, ranked 10 of 84 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Colico is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Only 20 of 84 municipalities in the province are in zone 4.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.043 g, a low 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 grown by 9.1%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 9.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Colico declared an average taxable income of 27,779 euros, in line with the province (28,624 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Colico is in climate zone E, with 2,243 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 218 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Colico has 7 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 8 healthcare facilities, 14 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.

There are 1.0 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 2 public transport stops, served by 3 train lines, 1 bus line. That is about 0.2 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 10.4% of the land in Colico, compared with 12.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Colico is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. 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 Colico; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Colico: 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 Colico 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 31 inhabited census areas in Colico. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 11.2%
  • fair 38.8%
  • good 39.5%
  • very good 10.4%

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 097023. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.