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Fabriano: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Fabriano

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 Serraloggia 1, Fabriano.

Fabriano, paper, home appliances and the Apennines

Fabriano has made paper for centuries: watermarking was born here, and the Paper and Watermark Museum tells the story of a craft that still goes on in the local mills. In the twentieth century the town also became one of Italy's centres for home appliances, with brands known across Europe. It lies in the Marche Apennines, at over three hundred metres, close to the border with Umbria, in a basin ringed by mountains.

The industrial crisis of the last fifteen years shows in the figures: 28,791 residents in 2023, down 7.2% since 2011, or 2,229 fewer people. The estimated average age of 48.0 is above the province of Ancona (47.2), and over-65s make up 27.3%. Foreign residents account for 9.1%. Average incomes are still slightly above the provincial level.

For a buyer, a market with less demand means lower prices and more choice, but also a long wait if you ever want to sell. The municipality is very large, with many scattered villages in the valleys. The town is on the Rome to Ancona railway and on the dual carriageway to Ancona, which make commuting to the coast possible. Winters are cold (climate zone E) and heating costs are significant, so insulation and the heating system matter a great deal.

The Apennines between Umbria and Marche have had strong earthquakes in recent times too, in 1997 and 2016. All 47 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 2, and in Fabriano the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.179 g, a medium-high value. Anyone buying a masonry building or a block from before the 1980s should ask what work was done after those earthquakes and whether the property received reconstruction grants.

In the mountain villages the report also checks landslide hazard at the exact point of the address.

Key points

  • Town of paper and watermarks, in the Marche Apennines.
  • 28,791 residents, down 7.2% since 2011.
  • Trains on the Rome-Ancona line and a fast road to Ancona.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.179 g.

Overview

Fabriano is a municipality in the province of Ancona, in Marche. At the end of 2023 it had 28,791 residents, among the most populous in the province (5 of 47).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Fabriano is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. All 47 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.179 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Fabriano, 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 7.2%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 9.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Fabriano declared an average taxable income of 25,091 euros, in line with the province (24,794 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Fabriano is in climate zone E, with 2,198 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 325 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Fabriano has 24 schools and 8 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 22 grocery shops and supermarkets, 23 healthcare facilities, 30 sports facilities and 6 parks and green areas.

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 5.4% of the land in Fabriano, compared with 9.1% in the province and 7.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.8 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list 12 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Fabriano, and 6 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 Fabriano: 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 Fabriano 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 217 inhabited census areas in Fabriano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.2%
  • fair 44.2%
  • good 51.7%
  • very good 2.9%

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 042017. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.