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.
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: Via Dante 7, Milan.
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 (151) 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, against 1.85 in Bologna.
- 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.
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 Modena.
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 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.
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 86 grocery shops and supermarkets, 151 healthcare facilities, 190 sports facilities and 41 parks and green areas.
There are 0.8 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.5).
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
We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.
Land registry
The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps for Modena: the report finds the building's parcel, that is its sheet and parcel number, starting from the address.
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 2026-08-19.0.
- 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.