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Marsala: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Marsala

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: Contrada Strasatti 1, Marsala.

Marsala, wine, the Stagnone lagoon and the country contrade

Marsala is the western tip of Sicily. In front lies the sea off Capo Boeo, to the north the Stagnone lagoon with its salt pans and the island of Mozia, and all around a landscape of vineyards that gave its name to the island's best-known fortified wine. Garibaldi's Thousand landed here in 1860, and the old town keeps the gates and streets of that time.

It is the most populous municipality in the province of Trapani, larger than Trapani itself, with 19.3% of the province's residents. The territory is huge, and a large share of people live not in town but in the contrade, small rural clusters of family houses, bagli (traditional farm courtyards) and villas. For a buyer this means choosing between the convenience of the town centre and a house with land where schools, shops and the doctor are a few kilometres away.

Istat, the national statistics office, counted 79,835 residents in 2023, down 0.5% on 2011. The average age (46.0) and the share of over-65s (24.8%) are in line with the rest of the province; foreign residents make up 5.5%. Average declared incomes are close to the provincial level.

The national classification puts Marsala in seismic zone 2, like 17 other municipalities in the province, while 6 are in zone 1, the most hazardous. Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is fairly modest, though, at about 0.051 g. In the tufa-stone houses of the centre and the rural bagli, check the load-bearing walls, vaults and roofs.

The climate is mild (climate zone B) and heating costs little. Near the Stagnone and along the low-lying coast, flood hazard should be checked for the specific address.

Key points

  • Wine, the Stagnone salt pans and the island of Mozia.
  • The province's largest municipality, with 19.3% of residents.
  • Many homes scattered across the rural contrade.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.051 g.

Overview

Marsala is a municipality in the province of Trapani, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 79,835 residents, the most populous municipality in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Marsala is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (18 of 25) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.051 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Marsala, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 5.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Marsala declared an average taxable income of 18,533 euros, in line with the province (18,927 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Marsala is in climate zone B, with 816 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 12 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Marsala has 83 schools and 23 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 60 grocery shops and supermarkets, 47 healthcare facilities, 79 sports facilities and 10 parks and green areas.

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 14.6% of the land in Marsala, compared with 7.9% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 61.2 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Marsala, and 6 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 Marsala: 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 Marsala 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 473 inhabited census areas in Marsala. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 2.5%
  • fair 48.7%
  • good 33.4%
  • very good 15.3%
  • excellent 0.2%

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 081011. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.