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Cosenza: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Cosenza

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 Panebianco 1, Cosenza.

Cosenza, where two rivers meet

Cosenza stands where the Busento flows into the Crati, in northern Calabria. The old town climbs the hillside, while the newer city spreads along the valley to the north. A well-known legend claims that Alaric, king of the Visigoths, lies buried in the bed of the Busento. The city serves a much wider area than its own boundaries: the University of Calabria is based at Arcavacata, in the neighbouring municipality of Rende.

Figures from Istat, Italy's national statistics office, show a shrinking population. There were 63,701 residents in 2023, against 69,484 at the 2011 census, a fall of 8.3%. That still makes Cosenza the second largest of the 150 municipalities in its sprawling province. The estimated average age is 46.8, residents over 65 account for 25.1% (24.4% across the province) and foreign nationals for 6.7%.

Services are those of a regional hub. Overture's open map data list 77 education sites and 102 healthcare sites, the latter well above the provincial rate per resident. Supermarkets, on the other hand, are relatively thin on the ground, with 31 in total.

The figure not to overlook is earthquake risk. Cosenza lies in seismic zone 1, the highest of the four classes set by Italy's Civil Protection Department, and is one of 65 municipalities in the province with that rating; the other 85 are in zone 2. Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.273 g. For a buyer, the key questions are when the building went up, whether its structure has been strengthened since, and what paperwork proves it. Raise them before signing a preliminary contract (contratto preliminare).

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps covering Cosenza, so the report can trace the land parcel from a street address. Landslide and flood exposure is another matter: between hillsides and valley floor it can change within a few hundred metres, so it has to be checked for the exact address.

Key points

  • Second largest municipality in the province: 63,701 residents in 2023.
  • Population down 8.3% since the 2011 census.
  • Seismic zone 1, the highest; expected ground acceleration about 0.273 g.
  • Healthcare sites well above the provincial rate per resident.

Overview

Cosenza is the capital of the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 63,701 residents, the second most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Cosenza is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 65 of 150 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.273 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Cosenza, 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 8.3%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 6.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Cosenza declared an average taxable income of 24,306 euros, above the provincial average (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Cosenza is in climate zone C, with 1,317 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 238 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Cosenza has 77 schools and 24 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 31 grocery shops and supermarkets, 102 healthcare facilities, 59 sports facilities and 10 parks and green areas.

There are 1.6 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 24.4% of the land in Cosenza, compared with 4.4% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list 8 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Cosenza, and 2 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 Cosenza: 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 Cosenza 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 641 inhabited census areas in Cosenza. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 4.0%
  • fair 96.0%

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 078045. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.