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Pescara: what to know before buying a home

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

Search for an address in Pescara

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 Dante 7, Milan.

Pescara, a city created in 1927

Pescara has existed as a single municipality only since 1927, when Castellammare Adriatico, north of the river, was merged with the old town of Pescara to the south; the province was created in the same year. Having grown quickly along the coast and around the mouth of the river Pescara, it is now the most populous municipality in Abruzzo and the birthplace of the poet Gabriele d'Annunzio, whose childhood home is open to visitors.

The population is holding steady: 118,461 residents at the end of 2023, 1.1% more than at the 2011 census. The city accounts for 37.9% of the province's population. It is older than the surrounding area, with an estimated average age of 47.5 against 46.6, and over-65s at 26.7% against 24.8% provincially. Foreign residents make up 5.7%.

The seismic map of the province has just two colours: 18 municipalities in zone 1 and 28 in zone 2, Pescara included. Here on the coast the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.135 g, a moderate value and lower than in many inland municipalities. The zone 2 classification still applies across the whole municipality, though, so for an apartment block from the years when the city was expanding, the design date and any structural work are questions to ask.

Among services, Overture Maps data record 142 healthcare facilities, 1.20 per 1,000 residents against 0.72 in the province, and 788 cafés and restaurants (6.65 against 5.49). Recorded green spaces are less dense, at 0.18 per 1,000 residents against 0.27. The Ministry of Health counts 37 pharmacies.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps cover Pescara, so the report finds the sheet and parcel (foglio and particella) from an address. Between the river mouth, the strip near the sea and the hills behind, flood and landslide hazard and the local price range need to be checked address by address.

Key points

  • Created in 1927 by merging with Castellammare Adriatico.
  • Abruzzo's most populous municipality: 118,461 residents, up 1.1% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2; expected ground acceleration about 0.135 g.
  • More healthcare facilities per resident than the provincial average.

Overview

Pescara is the capital of the province of Pescara, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 118,461 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 38% of the province's residents live here.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Pescara is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (28 of 46) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.135 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Pescara, 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.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood risk changes from one street to the next, even within the same municipality: for this reason we do not summarise it as a single figure for the whole of Pescara.

The report checks the exact address against the ISPRA national maps and tells you in plain words whether the building falls within an at-risk area. The official map is also available on IdroGEO.

House prices

We do not publish price tables by municipality. The report gives the minimum and maximum price per square metre for the address's zone, from the Revenue Agency's OMI valuations, with the reference half-year. It is a range for the zone, not the value of a specific home.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 1.1%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 5.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Pescara has 103 schools and 37 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 60 grocery shops and supermarkets, 142 healthcare facilities, 149 sports facilities and 21 parks and green areas.

There are 1.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.7).

This data is gathered from several providers: services may be missing or closed businesses may still appear. The report counts services within 500 metres and 1 kilometre of the address.

Public transport

We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.

Land registry

The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps for Pescara: the report finds the building's parcel, that is its sheet and parcel number, starting from the address.

Data sources

ISTAT code 068028. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.