Modena: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Modena
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: Strada Vignolese 19, Modena.
Modena, between the Ghirlandina and fast cars
Households in Modena are larger than in the nearby regional capital: 2.17 people on average, compared with 1.85 in Bologna. At the end of 2023 Modena had 184,597 residents, 3% more than in 2011 and 26.1% of the province's population. The estimated average age is 46.1, residents over 65 make up 24.6%, in line with the rest of Emilia-Romagna, and foreign nationals account for 15.4%.
The historic centre revolves around the Romanesque cathedral, the Ghirlandina bell tower and Piazza Grande, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Modena is also at the heart of Italy's motor valley, with Maserati in town and Ferrari a few kilometres away in Maranello, and the home of traditional balsamic vinegar. The city lies on the plain between the Secchia and Panaro rivers, along the Via Emilia.
Italy's Civil Protection Department places Modena in seismic zone 3, the second-lowest of four classes, like 40 of the province's 47 municipalities; the other 7 are in zone 2. The figure that matters more, though, is the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area, about 0.163 g: a level that national criteria already put within the zone 2 band. Buyers would do well to ask when a building was designed, to which rules, and whether its structure has been strengthened.
Relative to population there are more schools (139) and healthcare facilities (184) than the provincial average, plus 190 sports facilities. A building's sheet and parcel numbers (foglio and particella) can be derived from the address, because the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the municipality's cadastral maps. With two embanked rivers on either side of the city, flood hazard deserves a careful look for each individual address: the report checks it along with landslide hazard and shows prices as a range for the zone.
Key points
- 184,597 residents, up 3% since 2011.
- Households of 2.17 people on average.
- Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.163 g.
- Flood hazard to be checked at the address, between the Secchia and the Panaro.
Overview
Modena is the capital of the province of Modena, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 184,597 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 26% of the province's residents live here.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Modena is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (40 of 47) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.163 g, a medium-high 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.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 3.0%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 15.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Modena declared an average taxable income of 30,693 euros, above the provincial average (27,632 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Modena is in climate zone E, with 2,258 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 34 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Modena has 139 schools and 59 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 83 grocery shops and supermarkets, 184 healthcare facilities, 190 sports facilities and 45 parks and green areas.
There are 1.0 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).
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 25.4% of the land in Modena, compared with 11.1% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 48.9 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Modena is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Emilia-Romagna in 2026. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list 24 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Modena, and 10 more have been cleaned up or closed. 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 Modena: 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 Modena 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 2,114 inhabited census areas in Modena. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 69 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 2.1%
- fair 30.1%
- good 67.8%
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.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Emilia-Romagna, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- 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 036023. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.