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Poggibonsi: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Poggibonsi

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 Senese 1, Poggibonsi.

Poggibonsi, the Val d'Elsa on the road between Florence and Siena

Anyone driving the fast road between Florence and Siena passes right by Poggibonsi, the main town of the Val d'Elsa. Unlike nearby San Gimignano, it is a working town, with small industry, craft workshops and shops. The centre was largely rebuilt after bombing in the Second World War, and on the hill above the town stands the Medici fortress of Poggio Imperiale.

For buyers this practical character has an advantage: prices are usually lower than in the tourist villages around it, and transport links are good. Besides the Florence-Siena road, the station on the Empoli to Siena line takes you to Siena and, via Empoli, to Florence. The town spreads along the valley floor by the river Elsa, while scattered houses and farmhouses sit on the hills, reached by gravel roads and with upkeep costs quite different from a flat in town.

In 2023 there were 28,205 residents, down 2.6% on 2011. Poggibonsi ranks number 2 by population in the province of Siena and holds 10.8% of its residents. The estimated average age of 47.1 is slightly below the province (47.6), and foreign residents make up 10.6%. There are fewer bars and restaurants per resident than the provincial average, a sign that tourism counts for less here than in Siena or San Gimignano.

The seismic zone is 3, as for 31 municipalities in the province, and expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.140 g, a moderate value for Tuscany. Many buildings in the centre date from the post-war rebuilding, so ask for the design date, any surveys and the state of roofs and façades.

On the valley floor near the Elsa and the streams that feed it, the hazard to check is flooding; on the hills, landslides. The report checks both for the address.

Key points

  • Main town of the Val d'Elsa, on the Florence-Siena road.
  • Station on the Empoli-Siena line.
  • 28,205 residents, 10.8% of the province.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.140 g.

Overview

Poggibonsi is a municipality in the province of Siena, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 28,205 residents, the second most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Poggibonsi is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (31 of 35) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.140 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 fallen by 2.6%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 10.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Poggibonsi declared an average taxable income of 24,837 euros, in line with the province (25,404 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Poggibonsi is in climate zone D, with 1,984 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 116 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Poggibonsi has 19 schools and 9 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 16 grocery shops and supermarkets, 20 healthcare facilities, 20 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.7 schools per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 11.2% of the land in Poggibonsi, compared with 4.0% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.4 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Poggibonsi is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Toscana in 2025. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Poggibonsi, 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 Poggibonsi: 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 Poggibonsi 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 199 inhabited census areas in Poggibonsi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 2.9%
  • fair 47.7%
  • good 49.4%

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 052022. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.