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Garlate: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Garlate

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 Statale 2, Garlate.

Garlate, on the Adda's lake just south of Lecco

Garlate looks out over the lake of the same name, the stretch of water the River Adda forms south of Lecco after leaving Lake Como. The village occupies the western shore, squeezed between the water and the first hills of the Lecco side of Brianza, at around 200 metres. Lecco is a few minutes' drive away, and the lakeside road links Garlate with neighbouring villages.

The bond with water and with the area's industrial past shows in the silk museum, housed in an old silk mill: silk processing shaped the villages along the Adda for generations. Today Garlate is mainly a residential place for people working in Lecco, in Brianza or towards Milan, with villas, small blocks of flats and some older houses in the historic core.

The population is 2,594 (2023 figure from Istat, the national statistics office), almost unchanged since 2011 (down 0.9%). Over-65s make up 26.4%, just above the provincial average of 25.2%. Foreign residents account for 5.9%. Average incomes match those of the province of Lecco, one of the more prosperous in Lombardy.

The municipality is in seismic zone 3, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.057 g: a low hazard. For a lakeside house, damp, the state of the foundations near the water and the upkeep of the windows matter more.

If you are looking at houses close to the shore, consider changes in the lake level, which is regulated by the Olginate dam. For each address the report checks the official flood maps and, on the slopes behind the village, the landslide maps.

Key points

  • Western shore of Lake Garlate, on the Adda.
  • A few minutes' drive from Lecco.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration 0.057 g.
  • Homes near the shore: check the flood maps.

Overview

Garlate is a municipality in the province of Lecco, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 2,594 residents, ranked 42 of 84 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Garlate is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (64 of 84) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.057 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 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 24%). Foreign residents make up 5.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Garlate declared an average taxable income of 28,680 euros, in line with the province (28,624 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Garlate is in climate zone E, with 2,361 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 205 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Garlate has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets and 2 sports facilities.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 per 1,000 residents.

Public transport

The open timetables available for the area do not list any stops within the territory of Garlate.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 20.4% of the land in Garlate, compared with 12.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Garlate is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Garlate; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Garlate: 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 Garlate 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 15 inhabited census areas in Garlate. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 67 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 37.5%
  • good 62.5%

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 097038. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.