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Olzai: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Olzai

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 Taloro 1, Olzai.

Olzai, a village in the Barbagia di Ollolai

In the heart of Sardinia, Olzai belongs to the Barbagia di Ollolai, one of the island's mountainous inland districts. The village stands at around 470 metres among hills and uplands covered with woodland and scrub, with a centre of stone houses and steep streets. Nuoro is the reference point for offices, hospital care and secondary schools, reached by car on mountain roads.

Resident numbers are falling: 756 in 2023, down 16.3% on the 903 of 2011. Over-65s make up 33.3% against 27.6% in the province, and the average age is 51.4, against 48.3. Foreign residents account for 4.2%. Average incomes are below the provincial average.

Buyers in Olzai mostly find family houses, built of stone or mixed masonry, often on two or three levels and with a courtyard. The most common jobs involve the roof, floors, damp and services, and it is worth checking that the actual state of the house matches what is recorded in the land registry. The climate is zone D: cooler winters than on the coast, with heating needed for a few months.

On earthquakes there are no differences within the province: all 53 municipalities in the province of Nuoro are in seismic zone 4, the lowest class, and in Olzai the expected ground acceleration is about 0.050 g.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps cover the municipality, and the report goes from the address to the land parcel. In a village of slopes and small streams, the official landslide and flood maps should be read for the exact location of the house.

Key points

  • Village in the Barbagia di Ollolai, central Sardinia.
  • Population down 16.3% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 33.3%, against 27.6% in the province.
  • All 53 municipalities around Nuoro in seismic zone 4.

Overview

Olzai is a municipality in the province of Nuoro, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 756 residents, ranked 39 of 53 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Olzai is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 53 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 g, a moderate 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.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 16.3%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (48). 33% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 4.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Olzai declared an average taxable income of 18,319 euros, below the provincial average (19,512 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Olzai is in climate zone D, with 1,513 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 474 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Olzai has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.6 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 Olzai, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Olzai is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is very high. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Olzai: 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 Olzai 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 7 inhabited census areas in Olzai. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 78 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 0.8%
  • good 99.2%

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 114030. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.