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Pavia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Pavia

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: Viale Cremona 1, Pavia.

Pavia, a university city on the Ticino

Pavia is reflected in the Ticino river, crossed by the Ponte Coperto, a covered bridge joining its two banks. Once the capital of the Lombard kingdom, it keeps medieval towers and Romanesque churches such as San Michele Maggiore, but its defining feature is the University, one of the oldest in Europe, whose residential colleges and the San Matteo teaching hospital set the rhythm of city life. The Certosa di Pavia monastery lies a few kilometres to the north.

That character comes through clearly in the services data: 135 healthcare facilities, or 1.89 per 1,000 residents against 0.75 for the province, 76 schools and 474 bars and restaurants. Households are small, averaging 1.89 people.

At the end of 2023 Pavia had 71,297 residents, 4.4% more than in 2011, which is 13.2% of a province of 184 municipalities that also takes in the Lomellina plain and the Oltrepò Pavese hills. The estimated average age is 47.1, the same as the province, and 25.9% of residents are over 65, above the Lombardy average of 23.5%. Foreign nationals account for 14.8%.

Pavia is in seismic zone 3, the second-lowest class, like 157 of the province's 184 municipalities, and expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.068 g, a moderate value. Trenord's open timetables count 3 rail stops in the municipality, served by 6 train lines. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps, so the report can find the plot from the address. A city that grew up on the banks of a large river has some areas more exposed to flooding than others: the report checks the hazard at the precise address, along with landslide hazard and local price ranges.

Key points

  • 71,297 residents, up 4.4% since 2011.
  • Healthcare facilities: 1.89 per 1,000 residents against 0.75 provincially.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.068 g.
  • Flood hazard and prices to be read address by address.

Overview

Pavia is the capital of the province of Pavia, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 71,297 residents, the most populous municipality in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Pavia is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (157 of 184) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.068 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 4.4%. 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 14.8% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Pavia declared an average taxable income of 32,284 euros, above the provincial average (26,290 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Pavia is in climate zone E, with 2,623 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 77 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Pavia has 76 schools and 22 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 38 grocery shops and supermarkets, 135 healthcare facilities, 82 sports facilities and 13 parks and green areas.

There are 1.9 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.7).

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 3 public transport stops, served by 6 train lines, 1 bus line. That is about 0.0 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 23.4% of the land in Pavia, compared with 9.6% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.2 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Pavia is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list 12 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Pavia, and 10 more have been cleaned up or closed. 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 Pavia: 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 Pavia 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 801 inhabited census areas in Pavia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 77 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.1%
  • fair 12.8%
  • good 49.0%
  • very good 34.1%
  • excellent 3.9%

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 018110. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.