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Ricadi: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Ricadi

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 Stazione di San Nicolo' 1, Ricadi.

Ricadi, Capo Vaticano and the villages of the Coast of the Gods

The Capo Vaticano headland, whose cliffs look out to Stromboli and the other Aeolian Islands, belongs to Ricadi, the municipality just south of Tropea on the Costa degli Dei (Coast of the Gods). The land is a farmed plateau ending in coves and beaches, with the main village inland and many scattered hamlets, from Santa Domenica to San Nicolò, down to the seaside resorts.

The housing market here is largely driven by tourism. Holiday villages, residences, holiday flats and second homes make up a large part of what has been built, and the number of people present rises sharply in summer. Overture Maps, an open map of places, records 66 cafés and restaurants, 13.16 per 1,000 residents against 5.55 in the province. If you plan to live here all year, bear in mind that many businesses close in winter and that the hospital and public offices are in Tropea or Vibo Valentia.

In 2023 there were 5,014 residents, 264 more than in 2011, up 5.6% according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 45.6 (45.5 in the province), 23.1% of residents are over 65 and foreign nationals make up 9.9%. Households have 2.10 members on average.

The Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria is earthquake country: Ricadi is in seismic zone 1, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.194 g. For a villa or a flat in a holiday complex, ask for the structural design and the final structural inspection certificate (collaudo); for any property, check planning and building compliance as well.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the municipality and the report traces the address back to the land parcel. Near the cliffs and on slopes running down to the sea, landslides and erosion deserve a close look: the report checks landslide and flood hazard at the exact address.

Key points

  • Includes Capo Vaticano, just south of Tropea.
  • 66 cafés and restaurants, many second homes.
  • 5,014 residents, up 5.6% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.194 g.

Overview

Ricadi is a municipality in the province of Vibo Valentia, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 5,014 residents, ranked 8 of 50 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ricadi is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. All 50 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.194 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Ricadi, 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 grown by 5.6%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 9.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ricadi declared an average taxable income of 17,716 euros, in line with the province (17,878 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Ricadi is in climate zone C, with 1,345 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 284 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Ricadi has 6 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 3 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities, 4 sports facilities and 7 parks and green areas.

There are 1.2 schools per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (1.7).

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 15.7% of the land in Ricadi, compared with 5.9% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.9 hectares.

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 open contaminated sites in Ricadi; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Ricadi: 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 Ricadi 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 71 inhabited census areas in Ricadi. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 5.0%
  • fair 95.0%

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 102030. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.