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Empoli: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Empoli

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 Senese Romana 1, Empoli.

Empoli, a rail hub on the Arno between Florence and Pisa

Empoli sits on the Arno halfway between Florence and Pisa and is the main town of the Empolese Valdelsa area. It owes a lot to the railway: trains between Florence, Pisa and Livorno stop here, and the line to Siena starts here. With the Florence to Pisa and Livorno dual carriageway running beside the town, people who work in Florence can choose between train and car.

Its industrial history is one of glass, the green glass of Empoli, and clothing. The centre revolves around Piazza Farinata degli Uberti and the Collegiata di Sant'Andrea; around it the town spreads across the plain in residential districts, while to the south the land rises into the first hills, with smaller villages and country houses.

Empoli is one of the Tuscan towns that are growing: 49,113 residents in 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, up 5.5% on 2011. The population is younger than the provincial average, with over-65s at 23.6% against 26.1%. Foreign residents make up 17.6%, a high share for Tuscany. There are 47 schools, 0.96 per 1,000 residents against 0.72 in the province.

Water is the thing to look at most carefully. The town lies on the plain behind the Arno's embankments, and several streams coming down from the hills join the river within its boundaries. Flood hazard varies a lot between areas near watercourses and higher ground, and the report checks the official maps for each address; for a house with a cellar or underground garage it is the first thing to read.

As for earthquakes, Empoli is in seismic zone 3 on the Civil Protection Department's scale, with an expected acceleration of about 0.120 g; in the province, 13 municipalities are one step higher, in zone 2. The Revenue Agency publishes the land registry maps, and the plot leads back to the building.

Key points

  • Trains to Florence, Pisa, Livorno and Siena from one station.
  • 49,113 residents, up 5.5% since 2011.
  • Arno and streams: flood hazard read for each address.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.120 g.

Overview

Empoli is a municipality in the province of Firenze, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 49,113 residents, the third most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Empoli is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (28 of 41) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.120 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 resident population has grown by 5.5%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 17.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Empoli declared an average taxable income of 25,156 euros, below the provincial average (27,023 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Empoli is in climate zone D, with 1,658 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 28 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Empoli has 47 schools and 15 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 23 grocery shops and supermarkets, 44 healthcare facilities, 50 sports facilities and 8 parks and green areas.

There are 1.0 schools per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.7).

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 18.3% of the land in Empoli, compared with 7.4% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.1 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Empoli is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Toscana in 2025. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list 18 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Empoli, and 20 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 Empoli: 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 Empoli 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 544 inhabited census areas in Empoli. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 2.9%
  • fair 43.4%
  • good 53.7%

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 048014. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.