Mola di Bari: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Bari, Puglia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in Mola di Bari
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 Giacomo Matteotti 1, Mola di Bari.
Mola di Bari, a fishing harbour south-east of Bari
Mola di Bari is a seaside town on the coast between Bari and Polignano, with a fishing harbour, an Angevin castle facing the water and an old quarter packed onto the headland. Bari is about twenty kilometres away: the Adriatic railway has a station in town and the SS16 main road runs just inland, so many residents work in the city.
The housing stock is mostly flats in blocks of different periods, small houses in the old quarter that often need renovating, and small villas along the coast and in the countryside, many of them holiday homes. In the old centre, a few metres from the sea, look closely at damp and salt, which eat into plaster, the steel in reinforced concrete and window frames.
The population is ageing and shrinking. At the end of 2023 there were 24,334 residents, down 4.8% on 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office; the estimated average age is 47.5 against 45.8 in the metropolitan area, and over-65s make up 26.2%. Foreign residents are few (2.4%) and declared incomes are below the provincial average. There are 25 sports facilities, above the provincial rate per resident.
Earthquakes are not a major concern here. Mola is in seismic zone 4, the lowest on the national scale, like 6 other municipalities in the south-east of the Bari area, and expected ground acceleration is about 0.057 g. In older houses, roofs, waterproofing and wiring and plumbing matter more.
The coast is low and rocky, and some of the lame, the natural gullies of this area, run down to the sea. Near them flood hazard changes from one spot to the next and needs checking for the exact address. The report does this on the official maps and finds the land parcel on the cadastral maps published by the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate).
Key points
- A fishing town with a castle on the sea, between Bari and Polignano.
- Station on the Adriatic railway, Bari about twenty kilometres away.
- Over-65s at 26.2%, average age 47.5.
- Seismic zone 4, the lowest: acceleration about 0.057 g.
Overview
Mola di Bari is a municipality in the province of Bari, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 24,334 residents, ranked 17 of 41 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Mola di Bari is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Only 7 of 41 municipalities in the province are in zone 4.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.057 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 4.8%. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (46). 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 2.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Mola di Bari declared an average taxable income of 19,366 euros, below the provincial average (21,788 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Mola di Bari is in climate zone C, with 1,187 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 5 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Mola di Bari has 17 schools and 8 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 11 grocery shops and supermarkets, 16 healthcare facilities, 25 sports facilities and 4 parks and green areas.
There are 0.5 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 13.3% of the land in Mola di Bari, compared with 9.7% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 3.8 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Mola di Bari is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Puglia in 2025. 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Mola di Bari. 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 Mola di Bari: 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 Mola di Bari 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 90 inhabited census areas in Mola di Bari. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 73 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.2%
- fair 15.0%
- good 84.8%
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 Puglia, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2025.
- 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 072028. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.