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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.

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 Dante 7, Milan.

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 just over 46 and a half, 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 75 healthcare sites, more than twice the provincial rate per resident. Supermarkets, on the other hand, are relatively thin on the ground, with 33 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.
  • Education and healthcare sites: over twice 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.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood risk changes from one street to the next, even within the same municipality: for this reason we do not summarise it as a single figure for the whole of Cosenza.

The report checks the exact address against the ISPRA national maps and tells you in plain words whether the building falls within an at-risk area. The official map is also available on IdroGEO.

House prices

We do not publish price tables by municipality. The report gives the minimum and maximum price per square metre for the address's zone, from the Revenue Agency's OMI valuations, with the reference half-year. It is a range for the zone, not the value of a specific home.

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.

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 33 grocery shops and supermarkets, 75 healthcare facilities, 58 sports facilities and 9 parks and green areas.

There are 1.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.4).

This data is gathered from several providers: services may be missing or closed businesses may still appear. The report counts services within 500 metres and 1 kilometre of the address.

Public transport

We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.

Land registry

The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps for Cosenza: the report finds the building's parcel, that is its sheet and parcel number, starting from the address.

Data sources

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