Melfi: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Potenza, Basilicata. 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: Contrada San Nicola 1, Melfi.
Melfi, a Norman castle and the San Nicola car plant
Melfi, in the Vulture area of northern Basilicata, is dominated by the Norman castle on top of its hill. Here in 1231 Frederick II issued the Constitutions of Melfi, the legal code of his kingdom, and the castle now houses the national archaeological museum of the Melfi area. The walled old town runs down from the castle in alleys and stairways, while the newer districts have spread over the slopes.
Further down, on the plain of San Nicola di Melfi, stands the Stellantis car plant, one of the largest in southern Italy, surrounded by supplier firms. That makes Melfi a working town, with commuters arriving every day from nearby villages. Buyers choose between old houses in the centre, often in need of renovation, and newer blocks that suit people working at the plant. The climate is that of the inland hills, climate zone D, with cool winters.
After Potenza it is the most populous town in the province: 17,031 residents in 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 2.3% since 2011. It is, however, younger than the surrounding area, with an average age of 43.8 against 47.3 and over-65s at 20.0% against 25.7% in the province. Foreign nationals are 4.4% of residents, and incomes are in line with the province.
Vulture is an extinct volcano, but the area is seismic. Melfi is in zone 2 on the Civil Protection Department's scale, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.195 g, and in the province of Potenza 40 municipalities are even in zone 1. The 1930 earthquake badly damaged the town and the 1980 one struck the whole area. For masonry houses in the old centre, often altered over the years, structural checks matter, and newer blocks should also be assessed case by case. On the steep sides of the hill the report checks landslide maps for the address, and the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are published.
Key points
- Norman castle and Frederick II's Constitutions.
- Stellantis car plant on the San Nicola plain.
- Average age 43.8, against 47.3 in the province.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.195 g.
Overview
Melfi is a municipality in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 17,031 residents, the second most populous in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Melfi is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 2b. Most municipalities in the province (59 of 100) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.195 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Melfi, 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 2.3%. The estimated average age is 44 years, lower than the province average (47). 20% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 4.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Melfi declared an average taxable income of 20,804 euros, in line with the province (20,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Melfi is in climate zone D, with 1,841 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 530 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Melfi has 22 schools and 5 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 10 grocery shops and supermarkets, 9 healthcare facilities, 14 sports facilities and 1 green area.
There are 0.3 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.5).
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 8.8% of the land in Melfi, compared with 3.5% in the province and 3.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 38.5 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Official databases list 2 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Melfi. 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 Melfi: 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 Melfi 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 91 inhabited census areas in Melfi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 73 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.4%
- fair 21.1%
- good 38.8%
- very good 39.6%
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 076048. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.