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Paola: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Paola

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 Colonne 1, Paola.

Paola, Saint Francis's sanctuary and a Tyrrhenian rail hub

For many Calabrians, Paola means first of all the sanctuary of Saint Francis of Paola, patron saint of Calabria, which stands just above the town. For travellers it means the station: here the Tyrrhenian line between Naples and Reggio meets the line that crosses the coastal mountains down to Cosenza, and many long-distance trains stop too.

The town stretches between the sea and the slopes of the Catena Costiera range. The old centre is up on the hillside, with stone houses on several levels and lanes often reachable only on foot; the newer town has spread down towards the coast, along the main road and the railway, with blocks of flats and summer homes. Few streets are level, and height, aspect and access vary from one area to the next. Paola also has a law court and secondary schools serving the towns along this stretch of coast: there are 1.62 schools per 1,000 residents, against 1.45 in the province.

The population is shrinking: 14,809 residents in 2023 according to Istat, the national statistics office, 9.8% fewer than in 2011, or 1,607 people. The estimated average age is 46.9 and over-65s make up 25.5%. Foreign residents account for 3.6%. Declared incomes are above the average for the province of Cosenza.

The province of Cosenza is among the most earthquake-prone parts of Italy: 65 of its municipalities are in zone 1, the highest class. Paola is in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.194 g, a high value. Before buying, especially in the old town, have a surveyor check the masonry, how walls and floors are tied together and any strengthening work.

Steep slopes and short streams running from the mountains to the sea make it important to check landslide and flood hazard for the individual address, which the report does on the official maps. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps too, so the land parcel can be traced.

Key points

  • Saint Francis's sanctuary and the junction for the Cosenza line.
  • Population down 9.8% since 2011, over-65s at 25.5%.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.194 g.
  • Steep slopes: landslides and streams to check for the address.

Overview

Paola is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 14,809 residents, among the most populous in the province (9 of 150).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Paola is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (85 of 150) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.194 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Paola, 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 9.8%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 3.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Paola declared an average taxable income of 21,404 euros, above the provincial average (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Paola is in climate zone C, with 1,033 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 94 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Paola has 24 schools and 5 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 13 grocery shops and supermarkets, 12 healthcare facilities, 10 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 0.8 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more 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 8.6% of the land in Paola, compared with 4.4% 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 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 2 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Paola. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Paola: 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 Paola 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 110 inhabited census areas in Paola. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 69 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.0%
  • fair 42.6%
  • good 36.9%
  • very good 19.5%

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

ISTAT code 078091. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.