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Cologne: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cologne

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 Ponte Fabbro 1, Cologne.

Cologne, Franciacorta at the foot of Monte Orfano

Cologne (the name has nothing to do with the German city) is one of the towns of Franciacorta, the wine country between Brescia and Lake Iseo, and sits at the foot of Monte Orfano, a lone ridge rising from the plain. Around the old centre are vineyards, fields and small industrial areas, and further south begins the factory belt of the Brescia plain.

Transport links count here. The municipality has 1 railway stop served by 2 lines, and the A4 motorway between Milan and Venice is a few kilometres away. Many residents live and work locally, in the Franciacorta wine estates or in the factories on the plain, and those heading to Brescia or Bergamo can choose between train and car.

The population is stable, 7,607 residents at the end of 2023, according to Istat, the national statistics office, up 1.0% since 2011, and younger than the Brescia average: the average age is 43.6 against 45.4, with over-65s at 20.3%. Foreign residents make up 10.3%, and incomes are in line with the province.

Two seismic zones coexist in the province of Brescia: 52 municipalities, mostly towards Lake Garda and the eastern valleys, are in zone 2 of the Civil Protection Department's classification, and the rest in zone 3. Cologne is in zone 3, with expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.136 g. For restored farmhouses and old courtyard houses, ask what work has been done on walls and roofs.

The slopes of Monte Orfano and the flat land below behave differently, so landslides and flooding are checked for the individual address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report traces the address to its plot, which also helps to understand the boundaries of farmhouses and courtyard properties.

Key points

  • Franciacorta wine country, at the foot of Monte Orfano.
  • 1 railway stop with 2 lines; the A4 a few km away.
  • Average age 43.6, younger than the province.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.136 g.

Overview

Cologne is a municipality in the province of Brescia, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 7,607 residents, ranked 50 of 205 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cologne is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (153 of 205) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.136 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 44 years, lower than the province average (45). 20% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 10.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.5 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cologne declared an average taxable income of 26,257 euros, in line with the province (26,155 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cologne is in climate zone E, with 2,383 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 183 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cologne has 4 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities, 3 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.5 schools per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.8).

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 1 public transport stops, served by 2 train lines, 1 bus line. That is about 0.1 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 20.2% of the land in Cologne, compared with 10.5% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.4 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Cologne 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 Cologne; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Cologne: 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 Cologne 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 23 inhabited census areas in Cologne. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 74 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 7.4%
  • good 61.8%
  • very good 30.8%

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 017059. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.