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Palata: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Palata

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 Calvario 1, Palata.

Palata, a hill village in lower Molise

Palata stands on the hills of lower Molise, inland between the Biferno and Trigno valleys, in a landscape of wheat fields, olive groves and roads running down towards the Adriatic coast. The village is gathered on a hilltop, with the old centre at the top and newer houses along the approach roads. For work and services people head towards Termoli and the coast, or towards Campobasso.

Buyers in Palata will find village houses, often on several floors, and a few country houses. The climate is that of the hills (climate zone D): winters are not as harsh as in the mountains, but heating is needed for several months. On hilly ground the slopes deserve attention: the report checks the gradient and the official landslide maps at the address.

According to Istat, the national statistics office, there were 1,498 residents in 2023, down 15.3% on 2011. The average age is 51.0, above 47.6 for the province, and over-65s make up 33.1%. Foreign residents account for 2.9%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Palata is in seismic zone 2 on the Civil Protection Department scale, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.147 g. In the province of Campobasso, 11 municipalities are in zone 1, 64 in zone 2 and 9 in zone 3. For a masonry house in the centre, ask what structural work has been done and get the paperwork for it.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps covering the whole municipality.

Key points

  • Hill village between the Biferno and Trigno valleys.
  • Population down 15.3% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.147 g.
  • Hillside plots: check landslide maps at the address.

Overview

Palata is a municipality in the province of Campobasso, in Molise. At the end of 2023 it had 1,498 residents, ranked 28 of 84 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Palata is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (64 of 84) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.147 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Palata, 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 15.3%. 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 2.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Palata declared an average taxable income of 17,421 euros, below the provincial average (19,995 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Palata is in climate zone D, with 2,016 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 520 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Palata has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.5 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 2.7% of the land in Palata, compared with 4.3% in the province and 4.0% 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 Palata.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Palata: 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 Palata 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 19 inhabited census areas in Palata. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.3%
  • fair 99.7%

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 070050. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.