Montecchio Emilia: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Reggio nell'Emilia, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Montecchio Emilia
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 Ercole Franchini 1, Montecchio Emilia.
Montecchio Emilia, on the Enza at the Parma border
Montecchio Emilia sits on the Reggio side of the Enza, the river that marks the border with the province of Parma. The old centre is gathered around the castle, while the newer neighbourhoods, businesses and industrial area spread out towards the plain.
People here can work in either Reggio Emilia or Parma, and that double option is one reason the town has kept growing. The Enza valley is dairy country, with Parmigiano Reggiano made on both banks, and home to many manufacturing firms. Almost all journeys are by car, along the provincial roads of the plain.
Istat, the national statistics office, counts 10,464 residents, up 2.6% since 2011. The average age is 45.4, practically the same as the province (45.3), and foreign residents make up 8.8%. Declared incomes are above the provincial average. The town has 10 schools and education sites and 3 pharmacies.
Near the Enza and the drainage canals, water is the issue. The river is irregular, with sudden floods after rain in the Apennines, so low-lying areas need checking: the report looks up the official flood hazard maps for the address.
Earthquakes should not be underestimated either. In the province of Reggio Emilia 8 municipalities, mostly in the Apennines, are in zone 2; Montecchio is in seismic zone 3, but with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.154 g, a middling value. The 2012 Emilia earthquakes showed how vulnerable warehouses, barns and old brick buildings on the plain can be, so if you are looking at a farmhouse or a building to renovate, have the structure assessed before making an offer. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps.
Key points
- On the Reggio bank of the Enza, between Reggio Emilia and Parma.
- 10,464 residents, up 2.6% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.154 g.
- Average incomes above the province of Reggio Emilia.
Overview
Montecchio Emilia is a municipality in the province of Reggio nell'Emilia, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 10,464 residents, ranked 12 of 42 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Montecchio Emilia is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (34 of 42) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.154 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 2.6%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 8.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Montecchio Emilia declared an average taxable income of 28,176 euros, in line with the province (27,273 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Montecchio Emilia is in climate zone E, with 2,586 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 99 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Montecchio Emilia has 10 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 6 healthcare facilities, 5 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.
There are 0.4 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 20.8% of the land in Montecchio Emilia, compared with 11.1% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land shrank by 15.5 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Montecchio Emilia 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Montecchio Emilia, and 2 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 Montecchio Emilia: 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 Montecchio Emilia 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 51 inhabited census areas in Montecchio Emilia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 67 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 2.3%
- fair 29.4%
- good 68.3%
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 035027. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.