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Ghemme: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Ghemme

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 Novara 1, Ghemme.

Ghemme, wine and a medieval stronghold on the Sesia

Ghemme gives its name to one of the best-known red wines of northern Piedmont, a Nebbiolo grown on the hills rising on the left bank of the river Sesia, in the north of the province of Novara. The village lies at the foot of these vineyards, at around 250 metres, and keeps its medieval ricetto, a fortified core where harvests were once stored. Novara is about thirty kilometres away, and to the north are Lake Orta and the Valsesia.

The property market offers courtyard houses and older homes in the centre, newer detached houses and a few farmhouses among the vines. For anyone drawn to countryside and wine it is a practical place, with basic services and the plain within easy reach. The data have no information on public transport stops, so check connections in person and plan on a car.

There were 3,412 residents in 2023, down 5.7% since 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 48.4, against 46.7 in the province of Novara, and over-65s make up 26.9%, above the provincial 24.9%. Foreign nationals are 11.4%. Average incomes are a little below the Novara figure.

All 87 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest on the Civil Protection Department's scale, and in Ghemme the expected ground acceleration is about 0.038 g. For old houses in the centre, the roof, damp in the walls and the heating and electrics are what matter most.

The Sesia runs west of the village, and the lower areas towards the river should be checked for flooding; on the hills the issue is landslides on sloping plots. The report checks the maps for the exact address. Cadastral maps from the Revenue Agency are available.

Key points

  • Nebbiolo hills on the left bank of the Sesia.
  • 3,412 residents in 2023, down 5.7% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, like the whole province of Novara.
  • Low ground towards the Sesia: check flood maps.

Overview

Ghemme is a municipality in the province of Novara, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 3,412 residents, ranked 19 of 87 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ghemme is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 87 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.038 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 resident population has fallen by 5.7%. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (47). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 11.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ghemme declared an average taxable income of 24,525 euros, below the provincial average (26,949 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Ghemme is in climate zone E, with 2,473 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 241 metres above sea level.

Services

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

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

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 Ghemme, compared with 11.2% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Ghemme is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte 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 2 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Ghemme. 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 Ghemme: 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 Ghemme 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 20 inhabited census areas in Ghemme. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 58 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 73.4%
  • good 26.6%

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 003073. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.