Niscemi: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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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: Viale Mario Gori 1, Niscemi.
Niscemi, on the edge of the plateau above the Gela plain
Niscemi looks down on the plain of Gela. The town sits on the rim of a plateau, roughly three hundred metres up, and some districts reach right to the edge of the slopes that fall away towards the plain and the sea. The surrounding farmland is known above all for artichokes, and close to the town there is a cork oak wood protected as a nature reserve. By population it ranks number 3 in the province of Caltanissetta.
For a buyer the first issue is the ground itself. The slopes the town is built on are prone to landslides, and in the past some districts near the edge have been hit, with homes evacuated. Before buying, look at the official landslide hazard map for the address, which the report includes, and ask the town council (Comune) whether the area is subject to restrictions or orders. Streets in the inner part of town are in a different position from those right above the escarpment.
The population has been falling for years: 24,885 residents at the end of 2023, down 11.0% on 2011, or 3,090 people, according to Istat, the national statistics office. Those who remain are fairly young, with an estimated average age of 43.5 against 45.2 in the province, and over-65s at 21.3%. Households average 2.32 people and foreign nationals make up 2.7%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
South-eastern Sicily has a long history of earthquakes. Niscemi is in seismic zone 2, one of 4 municipalities in the province in this band, while the other 18 are in zone 3. Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.141 g. For a masonry house in the old centre, or a block from the 1960s or 1970s, ask whether any structural work has been done and what paperwork backs it up.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for Niscemi, so the report goes from the address to the land parcel and measures how far schools, pharmacies and shops are.
Key points
- A town on the rim of a plateau, with slopes prone to landslides.
- 24,885 residents, down 11.0% since 2011.
- Average age 43.5, younger than the province (45.2).
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.141 g.
Overview
Niscemi is a municipality in the province of Caltanissetta, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 24,885 residents, the third most populous in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Niscemi is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Only 4 of 22 municipalities in the province are in zone 2.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.141 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Niscemi, 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 11.0%. The estimated average age is 44 years, lower than the province average (45). 21% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 2.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Niscemi declared an average taxable income of 15,540 euros, below the provincial average (19,090 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Niscemi is in climate zone C, with 1,164 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 332 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Niscemi has 25 schools and 8 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 10 grocery shops and supermarkets, 10 healthcare facilities and 9 sports facilities.
There are 0.4 healthcare facilities 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 6.6% of the land in Niscemi, compared with 4.8% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.4 hectares.
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 open contaminated sites in Niscemi; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Niscemi: 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 Niscemi 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 901 inhabited census areas in Niscemi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 79 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 7.5%
- good 50.1%
- very good 42.3%
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.
- 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 085013. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.