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Macomer: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Macomer

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: Corso Umberto Primo 1, Macomer.

Macomer, the Marghine crossroads on the Carlo Felice road

Macomer has always been a place people pass through. The town stands on the Marghine plateau in central-western Sardinia, on the Carlo Felice highway linking Cagliari with Sassari, and its station is on the island's main railway line. Roads to Nuoro and Oristano branch off here, and that position has made it a service centre for the surrounding villages. The Santa Barbara nuraghe, a prehistoric stone tower near the town, shows how long people have lived on the plateau.

By population it is number 3 in the province of Nuoro. Its secondary schools, offices and shops serve the whole Marghine area, and Overture's data list 11 healthcare facilities and 11 schools, more per resident than the provincial average. Housing is mostly blocks and homes built between the post-war years and the 1980s, often in dark basalt stone in the older parts.

The town is emptying, though: 9,166 residents in 2023, down 12.8% on 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The estimated average age is 49.8 against 48.3 for the province, and over-65s make up 29.4%. Foreign residents account for 2.9%. Declared incomes are slightly above the provincial average. For buyers this means plenty of choice and low prices, but reselling can take a long time.

Earthquakes are not a concern: all 53 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest on the Civil Protection scale, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.050 g. The climate matters more. On the plateau winters are cold and windy by Sardinian standards, so insulation and heating weigh on running costs.

The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps, and the report traces the plot from the address. Landslide and flood hazard are checked at the exact spot, at the edges of the plateau and along watercourses.

Key points

  • Marghine plateau, on the Carlo Felice road and the Cagliari railway.
  • Number 3 in the province of Nuoro, the service centre of Marghine.
  • Population down 12.8% since 2011.
  • Whole province in seismic zone 4; cold, windy winters.

Overview

Macomer is a municipality in the province of Nuoro, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 9,166 residents, the third most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Macomer is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 53 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 g, a moderate 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 12.8%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 2.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Macomer declared an average taxable income of 21,685 euros, above the provincial average (19,512 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Macomer is in climate zone D, with 1,580 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 363 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Macomer has 11 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 9 grocery shops and supermarkets, 11 healthcare facilities, 8 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 1.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

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 4.3% of the land in Macomer, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 16.3 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Macomer is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Macomer: 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 Macomer 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 46 inhabited census areas in Macomer. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 79 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 0.8%
  • good 52.6%
  • very good 46.6%

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 114023. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.