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Garda: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Garda

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 San Bernardo 0, Garda.

Garda, the town that gave the lake its name

Garda is the municipality on the Verona shore that gave its name to Italy's largest lake. The town opens onto a sheltered bay, closed to the north by the headland of Punta San Vigilio and to the south by the high ground of the Rocca, with the lakefront, the small harbour and the old centre behind. Verona is about thirty kilometres away and the Affi exit on the A22 motorway is a few minutes' drive.

Tourism fills much of the year and shapes the property market. Many homes are second homes or flats let to holidaymakers, and in summer the lakeside road and car parks fill up. Anyone looking for a permanent home should allow for this seasonal rhythm, and look closely at lake views, distance from the shore and car access, which change a great deal from one street to the next. The report assesses each address on its own.

There were 4,115 residents in 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, up 3.4% since 2011. The average age (46.5) and the share of over-65s (24.9%) are above the figures for the province of Verona. Foreign residents make up 17.1%. Average declared incomes are just above the provincial average.

Earthquake hazard is not negligible. Garda is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, like 54 other municipalities in the province, with expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.164 g. In period villas and in blocks built during the tourism boom, ask to see the plans and any structural work carried out.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report finds the plot from the address. On the hills behind the town and close to the shore, landslide and flood hazard are checked spot by spot.

Key points

  • Sheltered bay between Punta San Vigilio and the Rocca, Verona shore.
  • Population up 3.4% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 24.9%, above the provincial average.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.164 g.

Overview

Garda is a municipality in the province of Verona, in Veneto. At the end of 2023 it had 4,115 residents, ranked 54 of 98 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Garda is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (55 of 98) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.164 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Garda, 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 grown by 3.4%. 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 17.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Garda declared an average taxable income of 26,175 euros, in line with the province (25,520 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Garda is in climate zone E, with 2,252 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 67 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Garda has 5 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities, 3 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.

There are 0.7 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.5).

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 10.7% of the land in Garda, compared with 13.4% in the province and 11.9% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Garda is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Veneto 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Garda, and 3 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 Garda: 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 Garda 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 19 inhabited census areas in Garda. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.0%
  • fair 47.4%
  • good 52.6%

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 023036. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.