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Portoscuso: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Sulcis Iglesiente, Sardegna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Portoscuso

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 Due 1, Portoscuso.

Portoscuso, the tuna fishery, Portovesme and San Pietro

Portoscuso is a seaside town in the Sulcis area on Sardinia's south-west coast, facing the island of San Pietro. The old fishing village looks onto a small harbour with a Spanish watchtower and the Su Pranu tonnara, where tuna were caught for centuries. The municipality also includes Portovesme, with the port for ferries to Carloforte and a large industrial complex.

That industrial area sets Portoscuso apart from other coastal towns. It has employed generations of local families, which is why declared incomes are above the provincial average, but it also brings chimneys, heavy traffic and an environmental issue that has been known for years. Buyers should weigh up the distance from the plants and ask about ongoing clean-up work; the old village and the areas towards the beach are the quieter part.

Portoscuso ranks 7 by population in the province of Sulcis Iglesiente. Istat, the national statistics office, recorded 4,792 residents in 2023, 444 fewer than in 2011, a fall of 8.5%. The population is old, with an average age of 50.3 and 30.9% over 65, in one of the oldest provinces in Italy. Foreign residents make up only 1.5%.

Earthquakes are not an issue. All of Sardinia has low seismic hazard, and Portoscuso is in zone 4 under the Civil Protection Department classification, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.050 g. For houses near the sea, wind and salt matter more, as they wear down façades, railings and window frames. The climate is among the mildest in Italy (climate zone B).

The report checks flood-prone areas on low ground and along the coast at the address, and uses the Revenue Agency cadastre to trace the plot.

Key points

  • Sulcis seaside town facing the island of San Pietro.
  • Portovesme port and industrial area: consider the distance.
  • Average age 50.3, with 30.9% over 65.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration about 0.050 g.

Overview

Portoscuso is a municipality in the province of Sulcis Iglesiente, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 4,792 residents, ranked 7 of 24 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Portoscuso is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 24 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 8.5%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 31% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 1.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Portoscuso declared an average taxable income of 22,308 euros, above the provincial average (19,085 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Portoscuso is in climate zone B, with 794 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 13 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Portoscuso has 5 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities, 3 sports facilities and 1 green area.

There are 0.8 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.5).

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 18.3% of the land in Portoscuso, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.8 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Portoscuso is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Portoscuso: 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 Portoscuso 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 28 inhabited census areas in Portoscuso. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 81 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 0.4%
  • good 48.7%
  • very good 50.9%

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 119016. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.