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Nicosia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Nicosia

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 San Michele 1, Nicosia.

Nicosia, a hill town between the Nebrodi and inland Enna

Nicosia stands at more than seven hundred metres in the north of the province of Enna, where the inland hills rise towards the Nebrodi mountains. The old town climbs over several rocky outcrops, with churches, convents and noble palaces that speak of a once important town. A Gallo-Italic dialect is still spoken here, brought in the Middle Ages by settlers from northern Italy.

Nicosia is far from motorways and railways, and people drive on hill roads to Enna, Catania or the Tyrrhenian coast. Buyers choose between houses in the historic centre, often needing restoration and sometimes empty for years, and newer districts on the edges with flats and parking. In old stone houses, check the roof, damp and services. Winters are cold for Sicily (climate zone D), and heating is a real cost.

The population is falling sharply: from 14,272 residents in 2011 to 12,594 in 2023, down 11.8%, according to Istat, the national statistics office. Nicosia still ranks number 3 among the 20 municipalities in the province. People over 65 make up 25.1%, in line with the province, and foreign residents are very few, 1.3%. Schools are plentiful for the population, 1.59 per 1,000 residents against 1.16, because the town also serves nearby villages.

Nicosia is in seismic zone 2 on the Civil Protection map, like almost the whole province, with expected ground acceleration of 0.127 g. For masonry houses in the centre, ask what work has been done on walls, floors and roof.

On high ground like this, landslides are the first thing to check: steep slopes and clay soils below the rocks need care. The report checks the official landslide maps for the exact spot. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps, so the report finds the land parcel.

Key points

  • Above seven hundred metres, old town on several outcrops.
  • Population down 11.8% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.127 g.
  • Landslide hazard to be checked address by address.

Overview

Nicosia is a municipality in the province of Enna, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 12,594 residents, the third most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Nicosia is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (18 of 20) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.127 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Nicosia, 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 11.8%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Nicosia declared an average taxable income of 17,741 euros, in line with the province (18,393 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Nicosia is in climate zone D, with 1,760 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 724 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Nicosia has 20 schools and 5 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 10 grocery shops and supermarkets, 7 healthcare facilities and 11 sports facilities.

There are 1.6 schools per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (1.2).

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 3.5% of the land in Nicosia, compared with 3.2% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.9 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Nicosia. 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 Nicosia: 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 Nicosia 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 107 inhabited census areas in Nicosia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 77 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 29.1%
  • good 30.0%
  • very good 40.9%

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 086012. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.