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Potenza: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Potenza

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 Anzio 1, Potenza.

Potenza, a mountain capital

At over 800 metres above sea level, Potenza is the highest regional capital in Italy. The city stretches along a ridge above the Basento valley, with its historic centre gathered at the top and newer districts on the slopes, linked partly by a system of public escalators. It is the regional capital of Basilicata.

In a province of 100 municipalities, 40 of which are in seismic zone 1, Potenza is in zone 2, with the code 2a in the Basilicata Region's own classification. In the province 59 municipalities are in zone 2 and only 1 is in zone 3. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.20 g, a medium-high value. Buyers should find out when the building was designed, whether it has had a seismic assessment and what work has been done, and ask for the documents.

At the end of 2023 there were 64,070 residents, 4.1% fewer than in 2011, and 18.7% of the province's population. The estimated average age is 47.5, over-65s make up 25.8%, and the average household has 2.27 people. Foreign residents account for just 2.6%.

Services are denser than in the rest of the province. Overture Maps data record 56 schools and education sites (0.87 per 1,000 residents against 1.35 in the province), 60 healthcare facilities and 55 sports facilities. The Ministry of Health lists 21 pharmacies, 0.33 per 1,000 residents against a provincial average of 0.46.

Potenza's cadastral maps are published by the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate), and the report traces the plot from the address. In a city built on slopes, landslide and flood hazard and the local price range change a great deal from one street to the next, and the report checks them at the exact address.

Key points

  • Italy's highest regional capital, above 800 metres.
  • Seismic zone 2 (regional code 2a); 40 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.
  • Population down 4.1% since 2011.
  • Many schools per resident, fewer pharmacies than the provincial average.

Overview

Potenza is the capital of the province of Potenza, in Basilicata. At the end of 2023 it had 64,070 residents, the most populous municipality in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Potenza is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 2a. Most municipalities in the province (59 of 100) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.203 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Potenza, 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 fallen by 4.1%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 2.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Potenza declared an average taxable income of 25,552 euros, above the provincial average (20,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Potenza is in climate zone E, with 2,472 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 819 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Potenza has 56 schools and 21 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 40 grocery shops and supermarkets, 60 healthcare facilities, 55 sports facilities and 16 parks and green areas.

There are 0.9 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

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 10.7% of the land in Potenza, compared with 3.5% in the province and 3.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.1 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is low. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list 8 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Potenza, 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 Potenza: 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 Potenza 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 1,146 inhabited census areas in Potenza. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 74 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.8%
  • fair 22.3%
  • good 48.5%
  • very good 28.4%

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 076063. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.