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Montebello Jonico: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Montebello Jonico

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: Borgata Casaluccio 2, Montebello Jonico.

Montebello Jonico, from the hill town to Saline on the Ionian

Montebello Jonico runs down from the hills to the Ionian Sea, along the coast south-east of Reggio Calabria. The main village sits high up, at around 400 metres; on the coast is Saline Joniche, the largest hamlet, crossed by the coastal SS106 road and the Ionian railway. Saline also has a harbour and a large industrial area that has stood mostly unused.

Buyers here choose between two settings. On the hill there are masonry houses in the village lanes, cooler in summer but far from services; on the coast there are small blocks of flats and villas, closer to the road to Reggio, where many residents work. The land is cut by fiumare, the wide stony riverbeds that stay dry for most of the year. The data counts 7 school sites and 3 pharmacies.

The population is down 10.7% since 2011, with 5,575 residents in 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 47.0 against 45.2 for the province, over-65s are 26.7% against 23.6%, and foreign residents 4.0%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Here earthquakes are a serious matter. All 97 municipalities in the province of Reggio Calabria are in seismic zone 1, the most hazardous, and the expected ground acceleration is about 0.247 g. Before buying, ask to see the structural design, building permits and certificate of habitability, and have a surveyor check that the house matches what was approved.

The fiumare can fill suddenly in heavy rain, and the slopes can slide: near the riverbeds and on the hillsides, the hazard varies greatly from one address to another, and the report checks it. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps.

Key points

  • From the hill village to Saline Joniche on the Ionian coast.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.247 g.
  • Population down 10.7% since 2011.
  • Riverbeds and slopes: hazards checked for each address.

Overview

Montebello Jonico is a municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 5,575 residents, ranked 20 of 97 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Montebello Jonico is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. All 97 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.247 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Montebello Jonico, 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 fallen by 10.7%. The estimated average age is 47 years, higher than the province average (45). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 4.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Montebello Jonico declared an average taxable income of 16,196 euros, below the provincial average (19,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Montebello Jonico is in climate zone D, with 1,635 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 425 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Montebello Jonico has 7 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 1 sports facility.

There are 0.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 6.4% of the land in Montebello Jonico, compared with 5.8% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Montebello Jonico.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Montebello Jonico: 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 Montebello Jonico 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 70 inhabited census areas in Montebello Jonico. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 6.1%
  • fair 93.9%

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 080053. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.