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Forlì: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Forlì-Cesena, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Forlì

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: Viale dell'Appennino 1, Forlì.

Forlì: a city on the Via Emilia

Forlì is the most populous municipality in the province of Forlì-Cesena, in Emilia-Romagna: at the end of 2023 it had 117,050 residents, close to 30% of the whole province. Compared with the 2011 census the population is nearly unchanged (+0.5%). The estimated average age is about 47, slightly above the province average; residents over 65 make up roughly a quarter of the population. Foreign residents are around 13% and the average household has just over two people.

Until 1992 the province was simply called Forlì, with the code FO: when Rimini became a separate province, the remaining territory took the name Forlì-Cesena and the code FC. For this reason some older sources, including zone-level property valuations, still use the historic FO code to refer to Forlì. The city sits on the ancient Via Emilia road, roughly halfway between Bologna and Rimini; its historic centre is built around Piazza Aurelio Saffi and the bell tower of the Basilica of San Mercuriale.

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, the whole province, Forlì included, sits in seismic zone 2; the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is in the medium-high range, about 0.205 g. The Revenue Agency publishes cadastral maps for the municipality, so the report can find a building's sheet and parcel number from the address. Landslide and flood risk changes from one street to the next, even within Forlì: it needs to be checked at the exact address, not summarised for the whole municipality.

Key points

  • Most populous municipality in the province of Forlì-Cesena: nearly 30% of residents.
  • Population nearly unchanged since 2011 (+0.5%).
  • Called simply Forlì (code FO) until 1992.
  • Seismic zone 2; cadastral maps available.

Overview

Forlì is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 117,050 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 30% of the province's residents live here.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Forlì is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. All 30 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.205 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Forlì, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 13.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Forlì declared an average taxable income of 25,767 euros, above the provincial average (24,445 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Forlì is in climate zone D, with 2,087 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 34 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Forlì has 78 schools and 36 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 68 grocery shops and supermarkets, 84 healthcare facilities, 127 sports facilities and 19 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 16.9% of the land in Forlì, compared with 7.4% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 31.4 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Forlì is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Emilia-Romagna in 2026. 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 Forlì, and 35 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 Forlì: 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 Forlì 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 1,469 inhabited census areas in Forlì. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 7.6%
  • fair 51.8%
  • good 40.7%

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 040012. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.