Nizza di Sicilia: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Messina, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Nizza di Sicilia
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 Umberto Primo 1, Nizza di Sicilia.
Nizza di Sicilia, on the Ionian coast below Messina
Nizza di Sicilia is a seaside town on the Ionian coast of the province of Messina, on the stretch that runs south from Messina towards Taormina. The built-up area stretches along a narrow strip of flat land between the beach and the Peloritani hills, with the coastal main road and the railway running parallel to the sea. In summer the population swells with holiday homes and visitors.
Buyers will mostly find small apartment blocks and buildings along the seafront and the streets just behind it, with some older houses towards the hills. Messina can be reached every day by car or by train along the coast, and for many residents it is where work and the main services are. The report measures the distance from the address to schools, pharmacies and shops.
There were 3,520 residents in 2023, down 5.5% since 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age, 46.8, is almost the same as the provincial 46.7; over-65s are 24.7% and foreign residents 2.0%.
On earthquakes it is best to be clear. Nizza is in seismic zone 1, the highest class, together with 16 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration is about 0.246 g. For a flat in a block from the 1970s or 1980s, ask for the structural design, any assessments and the work done on columns and floors.
The fiumare, the short seasonal rivers that run down from the Peloritani, can rise quickly in heavy rain, and the slopes behind the town are steep, so landslide and flood hazards are read for the exact address. The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps.
Key points
- Seaside town on the Ionian coast between Messina and Taormina.
- Seismic zone 1, the highest, acceleration about 0.246 g.
- 3,520 residents in 2023, down 5.5% since 2011.
- Seasonal rivers and steep slopes: check floods and landslides by address.
Overview
Nizza di Sicilia is a municipality in the province of Messina, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 3,520 residents, ranked 33 of 108 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Nizza di Sicilia is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 17 of 108 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.246 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Nizza di Sicilia, 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 5.5%. 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 2.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Nizza di Sicilia declared an average taxable income of 20,444 euros, in line with the province (20,687 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Nizza di Sicilia is in climate zone B, with 642 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 9 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Nizza di Sicilia has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 sports facilities and 1 green area.
The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.8 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 6.2% of the land in Nizza di Sicilia, compared with 6.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.5 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 contaminated sites in Nizza di Sicilia.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Nizza di Sicilia: 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 Nizza di Sicilia 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 17 inhabited census areas in Nizza di Sicilia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 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 083061. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.