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Misterbianco: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Misterbianco

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 Giuseppe Garibaldi 1, Misterbianco.

Misterbianco, on the edge of Catania and the slopes of Etna

Misterbianco adjoins Catania on its western side, on the last slopes of Etna before the plain. The original village was wiped out by the lava flow of 1669 and rebuilt nearby; the remains of the old mother church, known locally as the Campanarazzu, can still be seen.

Today the town's life depends heavily on Catania. Large shopping centres and trade estates have grown up along the ring road, and over recent decades many families have moved out from the city. Alongside the centre are districts such as Lineri, Belsito and Montepalma, made up largely of recent low-rise blocks and small houses. Buyers here are often looking for more space while staying a few minutes from work.

Its population is one of the youngest in the province. Istat, the national statistics office, counted 48,878 residents in 2023, up 3.2% since 2011; the average age is 41.5 against 44.2 for the province, and over-65s make up 18.2% against 21.9%. Households average 2.56 people. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Earthquakes need to be taken seriously. The province of Catania is among the most seismic areas in Italy, and Misterbianco is in zone 2 on the Civil Protection Department's scale, with an expected acceleration of about 0.200 g, a high value. Etna also produces shallow tremors that are felt strongly near the volcano. For a 1970s block or a house built of lava stone, ask for the structural design, any surveys and past work, and look at the tax incentives for strengthening.

The Revenue Agency's land registry maps cover the municipality. In lower areas, where rainwater runs off the slopes, flood hazard is checked for the individual address.

Key points

  • Rebuilt after Etna's 1669 lava flow, right next to Catania.
  • Average age 41.5; over-65s at 18.2%.
  • Seismic zone 2, high expected acceleration: about 0.200 g.
  • Newer districts such as Lineri, Belsito and Montepalma.

Overview

Misterbianco is a municipality in the province of Catania, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 48,878 residents, the third most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Misterbianco is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (54 of 58) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.200 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Misterbianco, 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 grown by 3.2%. The estimated average age is 42 years, lower than the province average (44). 18% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 2.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.6 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Misterbianco declared an average taxable income of 18,711 euros, below the provincial average (20,793 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Misterbianco is in climate zone C, with 1,078 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 213 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Misterbianco has 32 schools and 15 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 20 grocery shops and supermarkets, 24 healthcare facilities, 45 sports facilities and 5 parks and green areas.

There are 0.5 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 28.3% of the land in Misterbianco, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.3 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Misterbianco; 3 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Misterbianco: 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 Misterbianco 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 457 inhabited census areas in Misterbianco. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 75 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 12.7%
  • good 61.4%
  • very good 25.9%

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 087029. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.