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Masio: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Masio

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 Urbano Rattazzi 1, Masio.

Masio, in the Tanaro valley between Asti and Alessandria

After Asti the river Tanaro widens into a farmed plain before reaching Alessandria, and Masio sits on this stretch, with fields stretching between the village and the river. It is a small place of low houses, courtyards and farmsteads, with the Monferrato hills behind. Asti and Alessandria are a short drive away, and the main roads between the two cities run along the valley.

The population is ageing: 1,273 residents in 2023, according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 13.1% since 2011, with an average age of 51.0 against 48.9 in the province and over-65s at 32.7%, against 28.6%. Foreign residents are 7.1%. Declared incomes are a little above the average for the province of Alessandria.

Most homes for sale are detached, often with a yard or an outbuilding. Winters are cold and foggy (climate zone E): the roof, damp in ground-floor walls and the heating system are the first things to have a surveyor look at.

Earthquake risk is low. Masio is in seismic zone 4, like 60 municipalities in the province, while the other 127 are in zone 3; the expected ground acceleration in the village is 0.048 g.

The river is what to look at here. On the Tanaro plain, flood hazard varies a great deal between the higher parts of the village and land near the embankment, and it needs checking address by address: the report does this on the official maps. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps, so the report reaches the land parcel.

Key points

  • Tanaro valley village between Asti and Alessandria.
  • Population down 13.1% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration 0.048 g.
  • Near the Tanaro, flood risk is checked address by address.

Overview

Masio is a municipality in the province of Alessandria, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 1,273 residents, ranked 53 of 187 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Masio is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Only 60 of 187 municipalities in the province are in zone 4.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.048 g, a low 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 13.1%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (49). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 7.1% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Masio declared an average taxable income of 26,067 euros, in line with the province (25,143 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Masio is in climate zone E, with 2,528 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 142 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Masio has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 4.4% of the land in Masio, compared with 7.2% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Masio is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte in 2023. 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 Masio.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Masio: 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 Masio 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 22 inhabited census areas in Masio. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 58 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.6%
  • fair 98.4%

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 006091. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.