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Gavirate: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Gavirate

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 Ticino 1, Gavirate.

Gavirate, on the northern shore of Lake Varese

Brutti ma buoni, the hazelnut and egg-white biscuits whose name means "ugly but good", were born in Gavirate, and the town's old pastry shops still sell them. The municipality sits at the northern tip of Lake Varese, halfway between Varese and Laveno on Lake Maggiore, with the first Alpine foothills rising behind it. The lakefront, with the cycle path that circles the lake, is the busiest spot at weekends.

For anyone working in Varese or Milan, the train is a real option. In the published timetables the town has 2 stations served by 2 rail lines, plus 1 bus route; the report shows how far the stop is from each address. Homes range from buildings in the centre to villas on the hills with lake views, which cost more.

This is a mature community. There were 9,140 residents at the end of 2023, down 0.7% on 2011, and over-65s make up 27.8% against 24.7% for the province of Varese; the estimated average age is 48.2. Foreign residents account for 6.3%. Declared incomes are above the provincial average. For a town this size services are plentiful: Overture lists 10 healthcare facilities and 16 sports facilities.

Earthquakes are not a problem: all 136 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest on the Civil Protection scale, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.039 g. It is more useful to check for damp in houses near the water and the state of roofs and windows.

Low ground by the shore and the wet land around the lake can flood, while on the hills gradients matter. The report checks the official maps at the address and, with the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps, traces the plot.

Key points

  • Northern tip of Lake Varese, between Varese and Laveno.
  • 2 rail stations with 2 lines, plus one bus route.
  • Over-65s at 27.8%, against 24.7% in the province.
  • Whole province in seismic zone 4; low shoreline to check.

Overview

Gavirate is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 9,140 residents, ranked 23 of 136 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Gavirate is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 136 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.039 g, a low value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (46). 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 6.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Gavirate declared an average taxable income of 28,233 euros, in line with the province (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Gavirate is in climate zone E, with 2,511 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 261 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Gavirate has 9 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets, 10 healthcare facilities, 16 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 1.1 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.7).

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 2 public transport stops, served by 2 train lines, 1 bus line. That is about 0.2 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 22.4% of the land in Gavirate, compared with 21.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Gavirate 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 Gavirate; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Gavirate: 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 Gavirate 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 40 inhabited census areas in Gavirate. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 33.6%
  • good 51.2%
  • very good 15.2%

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 012072. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.