Novara: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Novara, Piemonte. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Search for an address in Novara
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 Dante 7, Milan.
Novara is the last Piedmontese provincial capital before Lombardy. The Ticino river, which marks the regional border, runs a short way to the east, and Milano (Milan) is roughly 50 kilometres away. Of Roman origin, the city is recognisable from afar by the tall dome of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio, designed by Alessandro Antonelli, the architect behind Torino's Mole. Rice fields spread across the surrounding plain, and the city's position between two regional capitals has made it a rail and logistics junction.
With 102,187 residents at the end of 2023, Novara is just past the 100,000 mark and holds 28.1% of the provincial population. The number of residents has barely moved since 2011 (+0.2%). The estimated average age is 46.3, and 24.7% of residents are over 65, below the Piedmont figure of 26.6%. Foreign nationals make up 15.3% of the population, and the typical household has about 2.1 people.
Not a single municipality in the province is outside seismic zone 4: all 87, Novara included, are in the lowest of Italy's four hazard classes, and expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.037 g. Earthquakes are not the first thing to weigh when choosing a home here.
Relative to its population, the city has more schools than the provincial average (82) and noticeably more healthcare facilities: 86, or 0.84 per 1,000 residents compared with 0.52 across the province. The official register lists 31 pharmacies. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps, so the report can identify the sheet and parcel (foglio and particella) from an address. Irrigation canals and the nearby Ticino mean flood exposure varies from one spot to another, so the report checks it at the precise address, together with landslide hazard and local price ranges.
Key points
- 102,187 residents, almost unchanged since 2011 (+0.2%).
- All 87 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4.
- Healthcare facilities: 0.84 per 1,000 residents against 0.52 provincially.
- Sheet and parcel numbers found from the address.
Overview
Novara is the capital of the province of Novara, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 102,187 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 28% of the province's residents live here.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Novara is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 87 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.037 g, a low value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood risk changes from one street to the next, even within the same municipality: for this reason we do not summarise it as a single figure for the whole of Novara.
The report checks the exact address against the ISPRA national maps and tells you in plain words whether the building falls within an at-risk area. The official map is also available on IdroGEO.
House prices
We do not publish price tables by municipality. The report gives the minimum and maximum price per square metre for the address's zone, from the Revenue Agency's OMI valuations, with the reference half-year. It is a range for the zone, not the value of a specific home.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 15.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Novara has 82 schools and 31 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 52 grocery shops and supermarkets, 86 healthcare facilities, 86 sports facilities and 18 parks and green areas.
There are 0.8 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.5).
This data is gathered from several providers: services may be missing or closed businesses may still appear. The report counts services within 500 metres and 1 kilometre of the address.
Public transport
We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.
Land registry
The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps for Novara: the report finds the building's parcel, that is its sheet and parcel number, starting from the address.
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 2026-08-19.0.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 003106. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.