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Idro: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Idro

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 Tre Capitelli 1, Idro.

Idro, the lake at the head of Valle Sabbia

Idro gives its name to the lake that closes off Valle Sabbia to the north, in the pre-Alps of Brescia. The village stretches along the Lombard shore, with hamlets spread between the lake and the slopes, at about 370 metres. In summer it fills with holidaymakers, campers and people out on the water; the rest of the year it is home mainly to people working in the valley's firms or in Brescia.

For buyers, location makes the difference. Houses with a lake view or close to the shore have tourist demand and higher prices, while those in the inland hamlets are homes for residents. The climate is zone E, with cold winters and mist on the lake. Declared incomes are a little below the provincial average.

There are 1,871 residents (2023), down 1.1% since 2011, so broadly stable. The average age is 46.4, over-65s are 23.9% and foreign residents 4.6%. The public transport database used by the site lists no stops in the municipality, so check local timetables for valley buses.

Idro is in seismic zone 2, like 51 other municipalities in the province of Brescia. The expected acceleration is 0.147 g. For an older house, a structural survey before completion is worth paying for.

Near the shore and the streams flowing into the lake, read the official flood maps; on the slopes, the landslide maps. The report checks them for the address, starting from the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Lombard shore of Lake Idro, at the head of Valle Sabbia.
  • Lake-view homes with tourist demand, inland hamlets for residents.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.147 g.
  • Near the lake and streams, check the maps for the address.

Overview

Idro is a municipality in the province of Brescia, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 1,871 residents, ranked 148 of 205 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Idro is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Only 52 of 205 municipalities in the province are in zone 2.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.147 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Idro, the building matters a great deal: ask for the design year, whether it met the 2008 seismic standards, and whether any seismic retrofit has been carried out.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 1.1%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 4.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Idro declared an average taxable income of 24,482 euros, below the provincial average (26,155 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Idro is in climate zone E, with 2,746 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 375 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Idro has 7 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 2 sports facilities.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 per 1,000 residents.

Public transport

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

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 4.1% of the land in Idro, compared with 10.5% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Idro is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. 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 contaminated sites in Idro.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Idro: 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 Idro 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 17 inhabited census areas in Idro. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 56 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 4.6%
  • fair 95.4%

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

ISTAT code 017082. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.