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Masera: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piemonte. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Masera

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 Provinciale 1, Masera.

Masera, the Ossola valley at the mouth of Valle Vigezzo

Masera lies in the Ossola valley, just above Domodossola, where the Valle Vigezzo opens up. The village and its hamlets sit between the floor of the Toce valley and the first slopes, and the town is so close that for many residents it works like an outer suburb: schools, hospital, station and shops are a few minutes away.

The Vigezzina railway, the narrow-gauge line linking Domodossola with Locarno in Switzerland through the valley, crosses the municipality. For anyone working in Switzerland or in Domodossola that is a practical point. Housing ranges from stone buildings in the hamlets to newer detached houses towards the valley floor; in climate zone E, heating remains a significant cost.

Istat, the national statistics office, counts 1,449 residents in 2023, down 5.1% since 2011. The average age is 48.2, against 49.0 for the province, and over-65s make up 28.5%. Foreign residents account for 4.0%. Declared incomes are above the average for the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.

The province is split between seismic zones 3 and 4: Masera is in zone 3, like 27 other municipalities, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.076 g. In stone houses, check above all the roof, often covered with heavy stone slabs (piode), and the condition of the beams.

With mountain streams and slopes around, the report checks the official landslide and flood maps for the address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, so the report reaches the land parcel.

Key points

  • Ossola valley, just above Domodossola.
  • The Vigezzina railway to Locarno crosses the area.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration 0.076 g.
  • Incomes above the provincial average.

Overview

Masera is a municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 1,449 residents, ranked 22 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Masera is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 28 of 74 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.076 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 5.1%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 4.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Masera declared an average taxable income of 25,642 euros, above the provincial average (23,146 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Masera is in climate zone E, with 2,575 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 297 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Masera has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets.

The data shows no healthcare facilities 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 5.0% of the land in Masera, compared with 2.8% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Masera is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte 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 Masera.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Masera: 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 Masera 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 23 inhabited census areas in Masera. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 7.4%
  • fair 82.7%
  • good 10.0%

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 103042. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.