Fermo: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Fermo, Marche. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in Fermo
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 Pompeiana 1, Fermo.
Fermo, a hill town near the Adriatic
Fermo looks down from its hilltop over the countryside of southern Marche, a few kilometres from the Adriatic, and its municipal area reaches the coast. Beneath the historic centre lie huge Roman cisterns, while town life revolves around Piazza del Popolo. The surrounding area is known for shoemaking, one of the industrial specialities of the Fermo district. The province of Fermo was created in 2004, splitting off from Ascoli Piceno.
For newcomers, the first thing to understand is that earthquakes are a real issue in Marche. All 40 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 2, and in Fermo's built-up area the expected ground acceleration is about 0.183 g. For an old stone house in the centre or a newer building, the key question is how it was built and what structural work has been carried out and documented.
In 2023 Fermo had 35,842 residents, 3.2% fewer than the 37,016 of 2011, and it is home to 21.4% of the province's population. The estimated average age is nearly 48, 27.3% of residents are over 65, above the regional average of 26.2%, and 10.0% are foreign nationals. Households average 2.20 people.
Its role as provincial capital shows most clearly in healthcare: Overture's open map data count 36 healthcare sites, well above the provincial rate per resident. There are also 42 education sites, 29 supermarkets, 34 sports facilities and 11 officially registered pharmacies.
The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps (Agenzia delle Entrate) cover the municipality, so the report can work back to the sheet and parcel number from the address. Between hilltop, valleys and coastal strip, landslide and flood exposure has to be verified address by address, without generalising.
Key points
- All 40 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 2; about 0.183 g in Fermo.
- 35,842 residents in 2023, down 3.2% since 2011.
- Healthcare sites: well above the provincial rate per resident.
- Province created in 2004 out of Ascoli Piceno.
Overview
Fermo is the capital of the province of Fermo, in Marche. At the end of 2023 it had 35,842 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 21% of the province's residents live here.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Fermo is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. All 40 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.183 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Fermo, 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 3.2%. 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 10.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Fermo declared an average taxable income of 22,599 euros, in line with the province (21,786 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Fermo is in climate zone D, with 1,955 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 319 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Fermo has 42 schools and 11 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 29 grocery shops and supermarkets, 36 healthcare facilities, 34 sports facilities and 7 parks and green areas.
There are 1.0 healthcare facilities 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 11.1% of the land in Fermo, compared with 7.9% in the province and 7.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 7.3 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list 2 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Fermo, 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 Fermo: 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 Fermo 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 218 inhabited census areas in Fermo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 61 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.7%
- fair 63.1%
- good 36.3%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 109006. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.