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Mara: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Mara

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, Mara.

Mara, an inland village in the province of Sassari

Mara is a small village in the interior of the province of Sassari, built on a hillside at around 260 metres, far from the coast and the tourist flows. Its territory includes the country sanctuary of Bonu Ighinu, which gave its name to one of the Neolithic cultures of Sardinia. For offices, the hospital and larger services, people go to Sassari or the bigger towns of the area.

The population figures are those of an ageing village. In 2023 there were 528 residents against 682 in 2011, a fall of 22.6%. The average age is 53.2 (province: 48.3) and over-65s make up 39.0%, against 26.6% in the province. Foreign residents are 1.1%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

The market is made up of village houses, often stone-built, on one or two floors with a courtyard. What matters for a buyer is the state of the roof, rising damp in the walls and the wiring and plumbing, which in houses kept by the same family for decades often need redoing. Climate zone D brings mild winters.

Earthquake hazard is low: all 66 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest class on the national scale set by the Civil Protection department, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.050 g. Money is better spent on maintenance than on structural work.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for Mara too: the report goes from the address to the land parcel and checks the official maps to see whether the plot lies in a landslide or flood hazard area.

Key points

  • Inland hill village in Sassari province, around 260 metres.
  • Population down 22.6% since 2011, over-65s at 39.0%.
  • All 66 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 4.
  • Stone houses with courtyards: roof, damp and systems.

Overview

Mara is a municipality in the province of Sassari, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 528 residents, ranked 54 of 66 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Mara is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 66 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 22.6%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (48). 39% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 1.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Mara declared an average taxable income of 17,061 euros, below the provincial average (21,361 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Mara is in climate zone D, with 1,412 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 261 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Mara has 1 school and 1 pharmacy.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 per 1,000 residents.

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 2.5% of the land in Mara, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Mara is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. 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.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Mara: 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 Mara 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 4 inhabited census areas in Mara. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 69 or more.

Residents by band

  • good 100.0%

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

ISTAT code 112029. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.