Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Palombaro: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Palombaro

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 Limiti di Sotto 1, Palombaro.

Palombaro, a village on the eastern slopes of the Majella

Above the hills that run down towards the Adriatic, Palombaro looks up at the Majella massif, on whose eastern side it is built. The village lies at around 540 metres, on the edge of the Majella national park, in an area of olive groves, woods and small towns where people go down towards the valley and the larger towns of the Chieti area for work and services.

Buyers in Palombaro nearly always choose either a stone or masonry house in the centre, with rooms spread over several levels, or a newer home along the approach roads. The climate zone is D, and winters at this height can bring snow.

In 2023 there were 944 residents, down 14.8% on 2011. The average age is 50.9, against 47.4 for the province of Chieti, and over-65s make up 31.9%. Foreign residents account for 13.8%.

The municipality is one of the 22 in the province classed in seismic zone 1, the highest category, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is 0.172 g. With old stone houses, the question to ask is whether the walls have been strengthened and how: a surveyor or engineer you trust can tell on a site visit.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are available. From the address the report finds the parcel and gives landslide and flood hazard, elevation and slope, which on the flanks of the Majella change from one street to the next.

Key points

  • On the eastern slopes of the Majella, at around 540 metres.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration 0.172 g.
  • 944 residents, down 14.8% since 2011.
  • Foreign residents at 13.8%.

Overview

Palombaro is a municipality in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 944 residents, ranked 60 of 104 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Palombaro is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 22 of 104 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.172 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Palombaro, 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 14.8%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (47). 32% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 13.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Palombaro declared an average taxable income of 20,662 euros, in line with the province (21,427 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Palombaro is in climate zone D, with 1,868 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 536 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Palombaro has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 healthcare facility.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 4.0% of the land in Palombaro, compared with 6.4% in the province and 5.1% 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 Palombaro.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Palombaro: 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 Palombaro 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 15 inhabited census areas in Palombaro. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 52 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 36.4%
  • fair 63.6%

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 069062. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.