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Milano: what to know before buying a home

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

Search for an address in Milano

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 Dante 7, Milan.

Milano, a city that keeps on growing

Milano (Milan) is Italy's economic and financial capital, home to the stock exchange, major trade fairs, universities and fashion houses, and a magnet for students and workers from across the country and abroad. The centre revolves around the Duomo, but the city, which began as Roman Mediolanum, spreads across a completely flat plain where the skyline is defined by towers rather than hills.

Population figures reflect that pull. At the end of 2023 Milano had 1,371,499 residents, 10.4% more than at the 2011 census, one of the strongest rises among Italy's provincial capitals. The city holds 42.3% of its province's population. It is also younger than the Lombardy average, with an estimated average age of 45.3 and 22.2% of residents over 65 (23.5% regionally), and highly international, with foreign nationals making up 19.6%. Households are small, at 1.85 people on average.

Public transport is a real strength. The open timetables of ATM and Trenord list 3,233 stops inside the municipality, served by 132 bus lines, 38 train lines, 17 tram lines and 5 metro lines. The services data count 797 schools, 996 healthcare facilities and 427 pharmacies on the official register.

On earthquakes, Milano is officially in seismic zone 3, yet its expected ground acceleration is about 0.049 g, just under the 0.05 g national threshold that corresponds to zone 4; indeed, 73 of the province's 133 municipalities are in zone 4. Cadastral maps are published, so the report can find the sheet and parcel (foglio and particella) from the address. Old irrigation channels, canals and partly culverted watercourses mean flood hazard differs between neighbourhoods, and so do prices: the report gives both for the specific address, the latter as a range for the zone.

Key points

  • 1,371,499 residents, up 10.4% since 2011.
  • 3,233 public transport stops, including 5 metro lines.
  • Seismic zone 3, but expected acceleration below 0.05 g.
  • 19.6% foreign residents; households average 1.85 people.

Overview

Milano is the capital of the province of Milano, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 1,371,499 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 42% of the province's residents live here.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Milano is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 60 of 133 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.049 g, a low 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.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood risk changes from one street to the next, even within the same municipality: for this reason we do not summarise it as a single figure for the whole of Milano.

The report checks the exact address against the ISPRA national maps and tells you in plain words whether the building falls within an at-risk area. The official map is also available on IdroGEO.

House prices

We do not publish price tables by municipality. The report gives the minimum and maximum price per square metre for the address's zone, from the Revenue Agency's OMI valuations, with the reference half-year. It is a range for the zone, not the value of a specific home.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 10.4%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 19.6% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Milano has 797 schools and 427 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 323 grocery shops and supermarkets, 996 healthcare facilities, 1,046 sports facilities and 234 parks and green areas.

There are 0.2 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.3).

This data is gathered from several providers: services may be missing or closed businesses may still appear. The report counts services within 500 metres and 1 kilometre of the address.

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 3,233 public transport stops, served by 132 bus lines, 38 train lines, 17 tram lines, 5 metro lines. That is about 2.4 stops per 1,000 residents.

Land registry

The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps for Milano: the report finds the building's parcel, that is its sheet and parcel number, starting from the address.

Data sources

ISTAT code 015146. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.