Granarolo dell'Emilia: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Granarolo dell'Emilia
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 Donato 1, Granarolo dell'Emilia.
Granarolo dell'Emilia, fast-growing plain north-east of Bologna
Among the towns in Bologna's commuter belt, Granarolo dell'Emilia is one of those that have grown the most: since 2011 its population has risen by 20.0%, reaching 12,915 in 2023. The reason is location, on the plain just north-east of Bologna, with the ring road and the trade fair district close by and open farmland still separating one village from the next.
The municipality is split between the main village and several hamlets, among them Quarto Inferiore, plus small clusters among the fields. Buyers mostly find detached houses, terraces and blocks of flats built in the last twenty years, with some restored farmhouses. With no railway in town, car and suburban buses are how you get to Bologna, and at rush hour the ring road clogs up.
The population is fairly young for Emilia: an average age of 45.1 against 46.6 for the metropolitan area, with 21.2% over 65. Foreign residents make up 8.2% and households are small, 2.21 people on average. Average declared incomes are above the provincial figure, which is already high. There are plenty of sports facilities, while healthcare sites are few, so for those you go into Bologna.
Granarolo is in seismic zone 3, like 42 other municipalities in the province, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.170 g. The 2012 Emilia earthquakes showed that the plain can suffer damage too, so for a farmhouse or a 1970s house it is worth having the structure checked before any major works.
The countryside is crossed by drainage channels and small watercourses, and in some low-lying spots heavy rain leaves standing water. The report checks the official flood maps for the address and finds the plot on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps.
Key points
- Plain north-east of Bologna, near the ring road and trade fair.
- Population up 20.0% since 2011, now 12,915.
- Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.170 g.
- Incomes above the average of an already wealthy province.
Overview
Granarolo dell'Emilia is a municipality in the province of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 12,915 residents, ranked 20 of 55 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Granarolo dell'Emilia is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (43 of 55) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.170 g, a medium-high 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 resident population has grown by 20.0%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 21% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 8.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Granarolo dell'Emilia declared an average taxable income of 29,929 euros, in line with the province (29,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Granarolo dell'Emilia is in climate zone E, with 2,162 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 28 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Granarolo dell'Emilia has 8 schools and 5 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 15 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.
There are 0.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.8).
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 15.6% of the land in Granarolo dell'Emilia, compared with 9.0% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Granarolo dell'Emilia is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Emilia-Romagna in 2026. 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 Granarolo dell'Emilia, 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 Granarolo dell'Emilia: 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 Granarolo dell'Emilia 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 61 inhabited census areas in Granarolo dell'Emilia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 1.9%
- fair 66.7%
- good 31.4%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Emilia-Romagna, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 037030. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.