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Gorla Maggiore: 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 Gorla Maggiore

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 Roma 1, Gorla Maggiore.

Gorla Maggiore, in the Olona valley between Varese and Milan

For a century the Olona valley was one of Lombardy's industrial corridors, lined with silk mills, cotton mills and watermills along the river. Gorla Maggiore is part of it, in the middle stretch of the valley between Fagnano Olona and Solbiate Olona, with Busto Arsizio and Castellanza to the south and Malpensa airport about twenty minutes by car.

Most of the town is built on the terrace above the valley, with houses and small villas, while down by the river there are old industrial buildings and restored green areas. A large share of the land is built on, typical of this densely populated belt between Varese and Milan. Buyers will find detached and semi-detached houses and flats in small blocks, at lower prices than around Milan.

Istat, the national statistics office, recorded 4,820 residents in 2023, 261 fewer than in 2011, a fall of 5.1%. The population is a little older than the province, with an average age of 47.8 against 46.5 and 26.8% over 65 against 24.7%. Declared incomes are in line with the provincial average. There are 6 healthcare facilities on record, 1.24 per 1,000 residents.

Earthquakes are not a concern. The whole province of Varese is in seismic zone 4, the lowest in the Civil Protection Department classification, and expected ground acceleration here is about 0.039 g. In older buildings, damp, wiring and plumbing and energy performance matter more.

The Olona has a history of flooding, so houses on the valley floor near the river need more careful assessment than those on the terrace. The report checks flood-prone areas and the slope of the banks at the address, and finds the plot in the Revenue Agency cadastre.

Key points

  • Middle Olona valley, between Fagnano Olona and Busto Arsizio.
  • 4,820 residents, down 5.1% since 2011.
  • 26.8% over 65, above the provincial average.
  • Seismic zone 4; check Olona flood risk.

Overview

Gorla Maggiore is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 4,820 residents, ranked 52 of 136 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Gorla Maggiore 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 resident population has fallen by 5.1%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 4.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Gorla Maggiore declared an average taxable income of 27,747 euros, in line with the province (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Gorla Maggiore is in climate zone E, with 2,905 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 258 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Gorla Maggiore has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 6 healthcare facilities, 3 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 1.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.7).

Public transport

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

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 32.6% of the land in Gorla Maggiore, 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

Gorla Maggiore 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 Gorla Maggiore; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Gorla Maggiore: 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 Gorla Maggiore 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 18 inhabited census areas in Gorla Maggiore. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 2.2%
  • good 97.8%

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 012078. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.