Montenero Val Cocchiara: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Isernia, Molise. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
Land sheet 6 free checks
Search for an address in Montenero Val Cocchiara
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: Corso Vittorio Emanuele Iii 1, Montenero Val Cocchiara.
Montenero Val Cocchiara, high ground and the Pantano della Zittola
Montenero Val Cocchiara is a mountain village in the province of Isernia, near the border with Abruzzo, with the town hall at around 890 metres. Its land includes the Pantano della Zittola, a flat, marshy upland where herds of horses graze in the open.
Living here means reckoning with altitude. Winters are long and snowy, the climate zone is E and heating is a significant cost; for a house used only in summer, maintenance has to be budgeted for the months it stays closed as well. For services, secondary schools and work, people drive to Isernia and the larger towns.
Earthquake hazard is high. The municipality is in seismic zone 1 on the national scale used by the Civil Protection department, like 32 of the 52 municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.270 g. Anyone buying a stone house should ask whether strengthening work has been done, and for newer buildings ask to see the structural design and inspection certificate.
In 2023 there were 477 residents, 14.5% fewer than in 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 51.8 against 48.1 for the province, and over-65s make up 32.9%, against 27.6%. Foreign residents are 3.1%. Average declared incomes are below the provincial average.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report goes from the address to the land parcel. In the mountains, landslides on slopes and standing water on flat ground depend on the exact spot, and the report checks them on the official maps for the address.
Key points
- Mountains of Isernia province, with the Pantano della Zittola.
- Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.270 g.
- 477 residents in 2023, average age 51.8.
- Long winters: budget for heating and upkeep.
Overview
Montenero Val Cocchiara is a municipality in the province of Isernia, in Molise. At the end of 2023 it had 477 residents, ranked 38 of 52 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Montenero Val Cocchiara is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (32 of 52) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.270 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Montenero Val Cocchiara, 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 14.5%. The estimated average age is 52 years, higher than the province average (48). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 3.1% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Montenero Val Cocchiara declared an average taxable income of 16,107 euros, below the provincial average (20,102 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Montenero Val Cocchiara is in climate zone E, with 2,538 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 893 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Montenero Val Cocchiara has 1 pharmacy.
The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.5 per 1,000 residents.
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 1.4% of the land in Montenero Val Cocchiara, compared with 3.4% in the province and 4.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. 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 contaminated sites in Montenero Val Cocchiara.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Montenero Val Cocchiara: 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 Montenero Val Cocchiara 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 7 inhabited census areas in Montenero Val Cocchiara. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 100.0%
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.
- 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 094029. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.