Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Teramo, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
Land sheet 6 free checks
Search for an address in Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia
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: Frazione Fano a Corno 1, Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia.
Isola del Gran Sasso, the sanctuary below the mountain
The Gran Sasso massif towers over every road in the municipality. Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia lies on the Teramo side of the mountain, in a valley where two streams coming down from the peaks, the Mavone and the Ruzzo, surround the old town: hence the name, which means island. Outside Abruzzo the town is best known for the sanctuary of San Gabriele dell'Addolorata, a pilgrimage site for people from all over Italy that brings visitors all year round.
Buyers will find an old town built in stone, hamlets scattered across the hills and country houses, some used as second homes by people living on the coast or in Teramo. The town hall sits at around 400 metres, in climate zone D: winters are cool, and snow is common higher up. The data lists 42 services; for anything else people go to Teramo.
There are 4,436 residents, down 8.3% since 2011. The average age is 48.0 against 46.7 for the province, over-65s make up 27.4% and foreign residents 5.4%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
Earthquakes are the main issue for a buyer. Isola is in seismic zone 1, the highest in the national classification set by the Civil Protection department, along with 9 other municipalities in the province of Teramo; the other 37 are in zone 2. The expected ground acceleration in the town is about 0.227 g. Before buying a stone or masonry house, find out whether it has been seismically improved or upgraded, under which permits and with what final inspection.
On the slopes and near the streams, landslides and floods also matter: the report reads the official maps for the address and measures the slope of the ground. The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are published.
Key points
- Below the Gran Sasso, home to the San Gabriele sanctuary.
- Seismic zone 1, the highest; expected acceleration about 0.227 g.
- 4,436 residents, down 8.3% since 2011.
- Stone houses: ask what seismic work has been carried out.
Overview
Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia is a municipality in the province of Teramo, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 4,436 residents, ranked 21 of 47 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 10 of 47 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.227 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia, 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 8.3%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 5.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia declared an average taxable income of 19,775 euros, below the provincial average (21,288 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia is in climate zone D, with 2,038 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 415 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia has 3 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities, 1 sports facility and 3 parks and green areas.
There are 0.7 schools per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (1.0).
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 2.6% of the land in Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia, compared with 6.7% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.8 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia, and one more has 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 Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia: 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 Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia 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 36 inhabited census areas in Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 57 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 18.0%
- fair 82.0%
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.
- 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 067026. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.