Matelica: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Macerata, Marche. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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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 Vittorio Emanuele 1, Matelica.
Matelica, Verdicchio wine and the upper Esino valley
Anyone who knows the wines of the Marche links Matelica with its Verdicchio, made in one of the few valleys in the region that run north to south rather than towards the sea. The small town lies in the upper Esino valley, inland from Macerata, between two Apennine ridges, and has a compact historic centre with a main square, palaces and stone churches. The climate is that of the interior, with cold winters.
The railway between Fabriano and Civitanova Marche has a station in Matelica, and Fabriano is the nearest town for work and services. The housing market is typical of inland Marche: plenty of choice, low prices, flats in the historic centre and country houses among the vineyards. Overture lists 9 supermarkets and 5 healthcare facilities in the municipality.
The population has been falling for years. In 2023 there were 9,081 residents, down 10.8% on 2011, and the estimated average age is 48.9 against 47.2 for the province of Macerata. Over-65s make up 29.4% and foreign residents 6.4%. Declared incomes are in line with the provincial average.
Earthquakes are the subject to ask most about. Matelica is in seismic zone 2 on the Civil Protection scale, where 1 is the most hazardous, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.182 g, and 6 municipalities in the province are in zone 1. After the earthquakes that struck central Italy, many buildings in the area have been inspected or repaired: ask whether the house was damaged, what work was done and with which public grants, and get the paperwork.
Between the slopes of the two ridges and the Esino valley floor, conditions vary a lot from spot to spot. The report checks landslides and flooding at the address and, with the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps, traces the plot of the building.
Key points
- Upper Esino valley, home of Verdicchio di Matelica.
- Population down 10.8% since 2011, over-65s at 29.4%.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.182 g.
- Ask about damage, repairs and grants after central Italy's earthquakes.
Overview
Matelica is a municipality in the province of Macerata, in Marche. At the end of 2023 it had 9,081 residents, ranked 11 of 55 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Matelica is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (49 of 55) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.182 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Matelica, 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 resident population has fallen by 10.8%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (47). 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 6.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Matelica declared an average taxable income of 23,262 euros, in line with the province (23,312 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Matelica is in climate zone D, with 2,054 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 354 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Matelica has 5 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 9 grocery shops and supermarkets, 5 healthcare facilities, 8 sports facilities and 1 green area.
There are 0.6 schools per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (1.0).
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 6.7% of the land in Matelica, compared with 5.7% in the province and 7.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.3 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Matelica; one has been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Matelica: 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 Matelica 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 72 inhabited census areas in Matelica. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 76 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.8%
- fair 12.8%
- good 41.3%
- very good 45.1%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 043024. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.