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Praiano: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Praiano

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 Gennaro Capriglione 1, Praiano.

Praiano, between Positano and Amalfi on the coast

Praiano is on the Amalfi Coast, between Positano and Amalfi, with houses spread across the terraces that drop from the mountain to the sea. The Amalfi coast road runs through the village halfway up, and from there steps and lanes lead down to the lower houses and the small harbours.

Buying here is unlike almost anywhere else in Italy. Tourism weighs heavily: many homes are let to visitors or used as second homes, and demand also comes from abroad. Many houses can only be reached on foot, up or down dozens of steps, and carrying materials for a renovation costs more than elsewhere. Landscape protection rules on the coast are strict: before buying with works in mind, check with a surveyor what you can actually do.

Declared incomes are above the average for the province of Salerno. Istat, the national statistics institute, counted 1,969 residents in 2023, down 5.7% from 2,087 in 2011, with an average age of 47.0 against 45.2 for the province. Foreign residents make up 3.5%.

The municipality is in seismic zone 3 of the Civil Protection classification, with an expected acceleration of 0.092 g in the built-up area. For houses built on terraces, the condition of retaining walls and water drainage matters as much as the building's structure.

On slopes this steep the report shows the official landslide maps for the address, to be read together with a site visit. Revenue Agency cadastral maps are published and the report reaches the land parcel.

Key points

  • Amalfi Coast, between Positano and Amalfi.
  • Terraced houses, often reachable only on foot.
  • Strict landscape rules: check planned works.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration 0.092 g.

Overview

Praiano is a municipality in the province of Salerno, in Campania. At the end of 2023 it had 1,969 residents, ranked 85 of 158 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Praiano is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 43 of 158 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.092 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 5.7%. The estimated average age is 47 years, higher than the province average (45). 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 21%). Foreign residents make up 3.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Praiano declared an average taxable income of 22,052 euros, above the provincial average (19,912 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Praiano is in climate zone C, with 1,165 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 120 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Praiano has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility, 1 sports facility and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 1.5 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.8).

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 16.5% of the land in Praiano, compared with 8.0% in the province and 10.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

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

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Praiano.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Praiano: 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 Praiano 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 9 inhabited census areas in Praiano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 54.2%
  • good 45.8%

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 065102. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.