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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.

Liveability index free for any address

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 Tiburtina Valeria 2, Pescara.

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 176 healthcare facilities, 1.49 per 1,000 residents against 0.90 in the province, and 858 cafés and restaurants (7.24 against 6.06). Recorded green spaces are less dense, at 0.18 per 1,000 residents against 0.25. 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.

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.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Pescara declared an average taxable income of 26,332 euros, above the provincial average (23,063 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Pescara is in climate zone D, with 1,718 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 4 metres above sea level.

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 64 grocery shops and supermarkets, 176 healthcare facilities, 155 sports facilities and 21 parks and green areas.

There are 1.5 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.9).

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 51.6% of the land in Pescara, compared with 7.3% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.9 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list 25 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Pescara, and 3 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 Pescara: 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 Pescara 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 755 inhabited census areas in Pescara. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 63 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 2.2%
  • fair 52.4%
  • good 45.4%

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