Reggio di Calabria: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Reggio di Calabria
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 Nazionale 1, Reggio di Calabria.
Reggio Calabria, facing Sicily across the Strait
Sicily is in plain view from the seafront of Reggio Calabria. The city runs along the Calabrian shore of the Strait of Messina, backed by the slopes of the Aspromonte massif. Founded by the Greeks as Rhegion, it keeps the Riace Bronzes in its National Archaeological Museum. It is Calabria's most populous municipality and the seat of the Regional Council.
In 2023 Reggio had 169,679 residents, 32.9% of the whole province, which counts 97 municipalities. In 2011 there were 180,817, so the city has lost 6.2% of its population in twelve years. The estimated average age is about 46, against 45.2 in the rest of the province, and 24.3% of residents are over 65. Households average 2.24 people, and 6.9% of residents are foreign nationals.
On earthquakes the picture is unambiguous: every one of the 97 municipalities in the area is in seismic zone 1, the highest class. The 1908 earthquake devastated Reggio and Messina together, and much of the city was rebuilt afterwards. Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.270 g. Before committing, it is worth asking the seller and the building manager (amministratore di condominio) when the block was built, whether its structure has been upgraded, and whether a structural test certificate (collaudo) or a certificate of structural soundness (certificato di idoneità statica) exists.
Services match the size of the city. Overture's open map data record 168 education sites, 123 healthcare sites and 127 sports facilities, above the provincial rate per resident, while supermarkets (72) and officially registered pharmacies (55) are proportionally less common.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for Reggio too, so the report can identify the land parcel from the address. Landslide and flood exposure, in a city crossed by streams running from the hills down to the sea, can only be judged at the exact location.
Key points
- Calabria's most populous municipality: 169,679 residents in 2023.
- Population down 6.2% since the 2011 census.
- All 97 municipalities in the area in seismic zone 1; about 0.270 g in the city.
- Cadastral maps available, parcel found from the address.
Overview
Reggio di Calabria is the capital of the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 169,679 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 33% of the province's residents live here.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Reggio di Calabria is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. All 97 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.270 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Reggio di Calabria, 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 6.2%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 6.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Reggio di Calabria declared an average taxable income of 23,331 euros, above the provincial average (19,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Reggio di Calabria is in climate zone B, with 772 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 15 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Reggio di Calabria has 168 schools and 55 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 72 grocery shops and supermarkets, 123 healthcare facilities, 127 sports facilities and 11 parks and green areas.
There are 0.4 grocery shops and supermarkets 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 14.4% of the land in Reggio di Calabria, compared with 5.8% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.5 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Official databases list 4 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Reggio di Calabria, and 8 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 Reggio di Calabria: 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 Reggio di Calabria 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 2,260 inhabited census areas in Reggio di Calabria. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- poor 0.0%
- modest 9.8%
- fair 90.2%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 080063. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.