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Nocara: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Nocara

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 Polmo 1, Nocara.

Nocara, high above the upper Ionian coast near Basilicata

Nocara sits on the heights of the upper Ionian area of Cosenza province, above eight hundred and fifty metres, in northern Calabria near the border with Basilicata. The village looks out over the Ionian Sea, but reaching it means driving down hill roads to the coast, where the main road and the Ionian railway run. The land is hills, woods, pasture and, lower down, olive groves.

Buying in Nocara means choosing a small village with limited services and a market of family houses, often old. The state of the roof and walls, damp, wiring and plumbing and car access all count. On the slopes the report checks the official landslide maps at the exact address, which here can make a difference from one plot to the next.

The population has fallen sharply: 309 residents in 2023, 113 fewer than the 422 of 2011, a drop of 26.8%, according to Istat, Italy's national statistics office. The estimated average age is 52.5, against 46.1 in the province of Cosenza, and over-65s make up 32.7%. Foreign residents account for 7.4%. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average.

The province of Cosenza is split between seismic zone 1 (65 municipalities) and zone 2 (85 municipalities) on the Civil Protection Department's national scale. Nocara is in zone 2, with expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.104 g, a moderate value. For an old masonry house it is still worth having the structure assessed and asking for paperwork on any work done.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastre covers Nocara, and the report goes from the address to the land parcel.

Key points

  • Heights of the upper Ionian coast near Basilicata, with sea views.
  • 309 residents in 2023, down 26.8% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.104 g.
  • Old family houses: check roof, walls and services.

Overview

Nocara is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 309 residents, among the smallest in the province (148 of 150).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Nocara is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (85 of 150) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.104 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Nocara, 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 26.8%. The estimated average age is 53 years, higher than the province average (46). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 7.4% of the population. On average, a household has 1.7 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Nocara declared an average taxable income of 13,711 euros, below the provincial average (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Nocara is in climate zone E, with 2,515 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 859 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Nocara has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets 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 1.5% of the land in Nocara, compared with 4.4% in the province and 5.1% 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 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 no contaminated sites in Nocara.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Nocara: 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 Nocara 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 5 inhabited census areas in Nocara. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 54 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

ISTAT code 078086. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.