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Ostuni: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Ostuni

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: Contrada Rosa Marina 1, Ostuni.

Ostuni, the white town above the olive groves

The whitewashed houses of the old town, packed onto a hill at the edge of the Murge plateau, are the picture most people abroad have of Ostuni. Below the town a plain of centuries-old olive trees runs down to the Adriatic, where the municipality has a long stretch of coast with its own beach settlements. Behind the hill, towards Cisternino, the Itria Valley begins; Brindisi is about forty kilometres to the south-east.

The property market has two sides. In the old town and in the countryside many purchases are second homes, masserie (fortified farmhouses) and trulli in need of restoration; the newer districts that grew around the hill are where local families live. Old-town homes have narrow stairs, stone vaults and some dark rooms, so before signing it is worth checking damp, the state of the roof and the permits for any work already done. For a country property, water supply, drainage and access roads matter too. The railway station, on the Adriatic line between Bari and Lecce, lies down on the plain, some way from the centre.

In 2023 there were 29,942 residents, down 6.0% on 2011, or 1,918 fewer people. The estimated average age of 48.3 is higher than the province of Brindisi (46.7), and over-65s make up 27.3%. Foreign residents account for 4.8%. Declared incomes are slightly above the provincial average, and the number of bars and restaurants, 9.65 per 1,000 residents against 5.71 in the province, shows how much tourism counts here.

Ostuni is in seismic zone 4, the lowest class set by the Civil Protection (Italy's national emergency agency), like all 20 municipalities in the province; expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.051 g. In older buildings the roof, the vaults and rising damp matter more. The report for a specific address also checks landslide and flood hazard, which on the plain varies near the ravines and channels running down to the sea.

Key points

  • White old town on a hill, olive plain and Adriatic coast below.
  • 29,942 residents, down 6.0% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration about 0.051 g.
  • Strong tourism: 9.65 bars and restaurants per 1,000 residents.

Overview

Ostuni is a municipality in the province of Brindisi, in Puglia. At the end of 2023 it had 29,942 residents, ranked 4 of 20 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ostuni is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 20 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.051 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 6.0%. The estimated average age is 48 years, higher than the province average (47). 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 4.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ostuni declared an average taxable income of 20,872 euros, above the provincial average (19,420 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Ostuni is in climate zone C, with 1,259 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 218 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Ostuni has 12 schools and 11 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 19 grocery shops and supermarkets, 21 healthcare facilities, 20 sports facilities and 11 parks and green areas.

There are 0.4 schools per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 10.8% of the land in Ostuni, compared with 10.7% in the province and 8.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 24.9 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Ostuni is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Puglia in 2025. 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 open contaminated sites in Ostuni; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Ostuni: 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 Ostuni 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 279 inhabited census areas in Ostuni. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 79 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.5%
  • fair 25.6%
  • good 27.6%
  • very good 46.4%

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 074012. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.