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Mezzojuso: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Mezzojuso

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 Duca degli Abruzzi 1, Mezzojuso.

Mezzojuso, an Arbëreshë town inland from Palermo

Mezzojuso is one of Sicily's towns of Albanian origin, founded by Arbëreshë communities who arrived from the Balkans centuries ago. The language has now largely been lost, but the Byzantine rite survives in some churches, alongside Latin-rite ones, together with distinctive festivals and traditions. The town lies in the hills south-east of Palermo, at around 530 metres, among wheat fields, pasture and farmed hills.

Palermo is under an hour's drive away and for many residents it is where they work, study and go to hospital. The housing market is mainly stone houses of two or three storeys in the centre and newer homes on the edges. Prices are low, but houses shut up for years need work on the roof, damp, wiring and plumbing that should be costed before you buy.

The population is 2,578 (2023 figure from Istat, the national statistics office), down 14.6% since 2011. Over-65s make up 25.1%, above 22.8% for the Palermo metropolitan area. Foreign residents account for 2.2%. Average incomes are below the provincial figure.

Mezzojuso is in seismic zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.125 g. For a masonry house in the historic centre, ask a surveyor whether strengthening work is needed and whether the Italian tax incentives for seismic upgrades apply.

On the clay hills of the interior, slope and drainage of the plot matter. For each address the report reads the official landslide and flood maps and measures distances to schools, pharmacies and shops.

Key points

  • Arbëreshë community, with Byzantine-rite churches.
  • Hill country south-east of Palermo.
  • Population down 14.6% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.125 g.

Overview

Mezzojuso is a municipality in the province of Palermo, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 2,578 residents, ranked 54 of 82 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Mezzojuso is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (81 of 82) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.125 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Mezzojuso, 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 14.6%. The estimated average age is 47 years, higher than the province average (45). 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 2.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Mezzojuso declared an average taxable income of 16,243 euros, below the provincial average (21,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Mezzojuso is in climate zone D, with 1,526 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 534 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Mezzojuso has 4 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 1 sports facility.

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 3.0% of the land in Mezzojuso, compared with 5.7% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.2 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. 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 Mezzojuso.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Mezzojuso: 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 Mezzojuso 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 19 inhabited census areas in Mezzojuso. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 75 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 12.5%
  • good 87.5%

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 082047. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.