Ottaviano: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Napoli, Campania. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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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 Ferrovia dello Stato 1, Ottaviano.
Ottaviano, on the north-east slopes of Vesuvius
Ottaviano climbs from the plain towards Monte Somma and Vesuvius, on the north-eastern flank of the volcano, and part of its territory lies inside Vesuvius National Park. The town hall stands a little above 200 metres. Higher up there are vineyards, orchards and scattered houses; lower down the town merges with San Giuseppe Vesuviano and the other towns around the volcano in an unbroken stretch of homes, shops and small businesses. The Circumvesuviana railway links Ottaviano with Naples.
Before anything else, a buyer should know that Ottaviano is in the red zone of the national emergency plan for Vesuvius, the area that would be evacuated as a precaution if the volcano showed signs of reawakening. The plan is run by the Civil Protection Department (Protezione Civile), Italy's national emergency agency, and pairs each town with a region that would take in its residents. It matters for long-term decisions and for planning rules, since new housing in the red zone is tightly restricted.
At the end of 2023 there were 23,325 residents, down 0.9% on 2011. The population is slightly younger than the provincial average, with an average age of 42.8 against 43.2 and over-65s at 18.5%. Foreign residents account for 7.2%. Declared incomes are below the average for the Naples metropolitan area.
For earthquakes, Ottaviano is in seismic zone 2, like 76 of the 92 municipalities in the province, and expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.170 g, a fairly high figure. Many houses have been extended or had storeys added over the years, so before completing it is worth checking planning permissions, any amnesty applications (condoni) and structural work.
The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are published, and the report finds the land parcel from the address, along with elevation and slope, useful on the higher ground towards Monte Somma, and the official landslide and flood maps.
Key points
- North-east flank of Vesuvius, partly inside the National Park.
- In the red zone of the Vesuvius emergency plan.
- 23,325 residents, down 0.9% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.170 g.
Overview
Ottaviano is a municipality in the province of Napoli, in Campania. At the end of 2023 it had 23,325 residents, ranked 35 of 92 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ottaviano is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (76 of 92) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.170 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Ottaviano, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 43 years, in line with the province. 18% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 21%). Foreign residents make up 7.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.7 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ottaviano declared an average taxable income of 18,502 euros, below the provincial average (21,545 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Ottaviano is in climate zone C, with 1,334 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 220 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Ottaviano has 25 schools and 6 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 13 grocery shops and supermarkets, 11 healthcare facilities, 9 sports facilities and 7 parks and green areas.
There are 0.5 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.6).
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 26.7% of the land in Ottaviano, compared with 34.9% in the province and 10.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.0 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 Ottaviano.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Ottaviano: 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 Ottaviano 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 81 inhabited census areas in Ottaviano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 14.0%
- fair 71.5%
- good 14.5%
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 063051. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.