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Quarrata: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Quarrata

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 Statale 1, Quarrata.

Quarrata, sofa makers on the plain and the Montalbano hills

Quarrata lies on the plain between Pistoia and Prato, at the foot of the Montalbano hills, and for decades its name has been tied to making furniture, above all upholstered sofas and armchairs. Workshops and factories are spread across the municipality next to the housing, and for many families work is only a few minutes from home.

On the slopes towards Montalbano stands Villa La Magia, one of the Medici villas listed by UNESCO, and the hillside offers isolated houses among olive groves and vineyards. The main town and the larger villages are on the plain, with detached houses, low-rise flats and industrial units. People working in Prato, Pistoia or Florence mostly travel by car, so it is worth trying the journey at rush hour before deciding.

At the end of 2023 there were 26,972 residents, up 6.3% on 2011, and the town holds 9.3% of the population of the province of Pistoia. It is younger than the provincial average (estimated average age 45.8 against 47.5), and foreign nationals make up 11.7%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

On the Civil Protection scale Quarrata is in seismic zone 3, like 13 other municipalities in the province, while 6 are in zone 2. Expected ground acceleration is about 0.134 g. For old farmhouses in the hills, and for mixed buildings with a home upstairs and a workshop below, it is worth asking for records of any structural work.

Streams coming down from Montalbano towards the Ombrone river cross the plain, and after heavy rain flooding is a real possibility in some areas. The report checks the official maps for the address and uses the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps to find the land parcel.

Key points

  • Upholstered furniture district between Pistoia and Prato.
  • Villa La Magia and houses among olive groves on Montalbano.
  • Population up since 2011, foreign nationals 11.7%.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected ground acceleration about 0.134 g.

Overview

Quarrata is a municipality in the province of Pistoia, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 26,972 residents, the second most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Quarrata is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (14 of 20) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.134 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 grown by 6.3%. The estimated average age is 46 years, lower than the province average (48). 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 11.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.5 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Quarrata declared an average taxable income of 22,536 euros, in line with the province (23,480 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Quarrata is in climate zone D, with 1,691 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 48 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Quarrata has 18 schools and 8 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 9 grocery shops and supermarkets, 7 healthcare facilities, 24 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 0.3 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 16.4% of the land in Quarrata, compared with 10.3% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Quarrata 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 2 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Quarrata, and 2 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 Quarrata: 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 Quarrata 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 225 inhabited census areas in Quarrata. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 58 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.5%
  • fair 81.2%
  • good 18.3%

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 047017. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.