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Riace: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Riace

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, Riace.

Riace, a hill village and its marina on the Ionian coast

Riace is known around the world for the two Greek bronze statues found in the sea off its coast, now on display in Reggio Calabria. The municipality lies on the Ionian coast of the province, in the area called Locride, and has two parts: the old village on the hill, a few kilometres inland, and Riace Marina along the coast road and the Ionian railway.

For buyers they are two different markets. The village has stone houses, often small and on several levels, with narrow lanes and sea views. The marina has newer blocks of flats, summer houses and services along the coast road. The climate is mild, climate zone C, with short winters.

There were 1,785 residents in 2023, almost unchanged since 2011 (down 0.4%). The average age is 44.5, slightly below 45.2 for the province, over-65s are 22.9% and foreign residents 7.8%. Households have 2.27 members on average.

All 97 municipalities in the province of Reggio Calabria are in seismic zone 1, the highest class set by the Civil Protection Department. In Riace the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is 0.139 g. Whether in the village or at the marina, find out how the building was constructed and whether it has had structural work before you sign.

The report for an address in Riace checks the official flood and landslide maps, useful both near the coastal streams and on the village slopes, and finds the plot on the cadastral maps of the Revenue Agency.

Key points

  • Hill village plus Riace Marina on the Ionian coast.
  • Home of the bronze statues found in the sea off its coast.
  • All 97 municipalities in the province in zone 1.
  • Expected acceleration 0.139 g: ask how the building was built.

Overview

Riace is a municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 1,785 residents, ranked 53 of 97 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Riace 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 0.139 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Riace, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 44 years, in line with the province. 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 7.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Riace declared an average taxable income of 16,158 euros, below the provincial average (19,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Riace is in climate zone C, with 1,091 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 300 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Riace has 3 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 1 sports facility.

There are 1.7 grocery shops and supermarkets 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 7.3% of the land in Riace, compared with 5.8% in the province and 5.1% 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 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 no open contaminated sites in Riace; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Riace: 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 Riace 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 23 inhabited census areas in Riace. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 55 or more.

Residents by band

  • poor 0.5%
  • modest 17.4%
  • fair 82.1%

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 080064. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.