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Modica: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Modica

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 Resistenza Partigiana 1, Modica.

Modica, Val di Noto baroque between the upper and lower town

Destroyed by the earthquake of 1693 and rebuilt in the eighteenth century, Modica is one of the baroque towns of the Val di Noto listed by UNESCO as World Heritage. It is built on two levels: Modica Bassa in the bottom of the cave, the narrow ravines where streams once ran before being covered by streets, and Modica Alta on the ridges, linked by long flights of steps with the cathedral of San Giorgio between them. Across Italy it is known for its cold-worked chocolate, which has its own protected geographical indication.

Houses in the centre are often stacked over several floors, reached on foot and with little chance of parking; many have been restored for tourism. Those who want space and a garage look at newer districts such as Modica Sorda or at the countryside contrade, with villas among the dry-stone walls. The municipality also has a stretch of coast, Marina di Modica, where the holiday homes are.

Earthquakes are not a remote risk here. Modica is in seismic zone 1 on the Civil Protection map, like 4 other municipalities in the province of Ragusa, with expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.179 g. In eighteenth-century limestone houses, often extended and raised over time, ask for a structural survey and for the paperwork on any recent work done under the government building bonuses.

At the end of 2023 Modica had 53,485 residents, 0.9% fewer than in 2011. The average age is 44.5, a little above the province (44.0), and foreign residents make up 4.4%. Recorded services per resident are denser than the provincial average, healthcare above all: 0.90 facilities per 1,000 residents against 0.50. Declared incomes are above the provincial average.

Cadastral maps from the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) are available and the report traces the plot from the address. On the sides of the ravines and on the valley floor, landslide and flood hazard depend on the exact spot and are checked there.

Key points

  • UNESCO baroque town of the Val di Noto, split into upper and lower town.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.179 g.
  • 53,485 residents, down 0.9% since 2011.
  • Old-town houses on several levels, with little parking.

Overview

Modica is a municipality in the province of Ragusa, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 53,485 residents, the third most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Modica is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 5 of 12 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.179 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Modica, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 44 years, in line with the province. 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 4.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.5 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Modica declared an average taxable income of 19,443 euros, above the provincial average (17,930 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Modica is in climate zone C, with 1,117 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 296 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Modica has 55 schools and 18 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 44 grocery shops and supermarkets, 48 healthcare facilities, 43 sports facilities and 4 parks and green areas.

There are 0.9 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.5).

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 11.0% of the land in Modica, compared with 10.6% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 7.7 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 open contaminated sites in Modica; 10 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Modica: 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 Modica 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 277 inhabited census areas in Modica. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.2%
  • fair 99.8%

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

ISTAT code 088006. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.