Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Rifiano: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Rifiano

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 Passo Giovo 1, Rifiano.

Rifiano, the Passeier valley on Merano's doorstep

Rifiano (Riffian in German) lies at the mouth of the Val Passiria, or Passeier valley, just north of Merano, on the valley side at around 500 metres. It is known in South Tyrol for its pilgrimage church of Our Lady of Sorrows and for the farmsteads and orchards that cover the slopes around the village. The great majority of residents speak German.

Being close to Merano counts for a lot: work, secondary schools, the hospital and the railway station are a few kilometres away by road. In the public transport data the municipality has 15 stops served by 3 bus routes. Housing is mostly valley homes, often with a garden, plus farmsteads scattered across the slope.

It is a young municipality. In 2023 there were 1,364 residents, up 2.3% on 2011; the average age is 41.8, lower than the 43.4 of the province of Bolzano, and households average 2.47 people. Foreign nationals make up 4.2%.

Anyone buying in South Tyrol should know two things. First, property here is recorded in the land register (the "tavolare" system inherited from Austria), and the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) does not publish cadastral maps, so the report cannot trace the address back to a land parcel and says so. Second, some homes are "convenzionate", reserved for people who meet certain residence or work requirements in the province: a restriction to check before making an offer.

Earthquakes are a minor issue: all 116 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, and the expected ground acceleration here is 0.043 g. On the slope and near the Passirio river, gradient and watercourses matter more, and the report checks them at the address against the official maps.

Key points

  • At the mouth of the Passeier valley, just above Merano.
  • 15 stops and 3 bus routes.
  • Land register system: no Revenue Agency cadastral maps.
  • Population up 2.3%, average age 41.8.

Overview

Rifiano is a municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. At the end of 2023 it had 1,364 residents, ranked 92 of 116 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Rifiano is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 116 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.043 g, a low value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 2.3%. The estimated average age is 42 years, lower than the province average (43). 18% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 22%). Foreign residents make up 4.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.5 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Rifiano declared an average taxable income of 25,170 euros, below the provincial average (28,222 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Rifiano is in climate zone F, with 3,160 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 504 metres above sea level.

Services

In the Overture Maps data, Rifiano has 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 1 green area.

The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.2 per 1,000 residents.

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 15 public transport stops, served by 3 bus lines. That is about 11.0 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 1.6% of the land in Rifiano, compared with 2.7% in the province and 2.9% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Rifiano is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Provincia autonoma di Bolzano in 2026. 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 Rifiano; one has been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Rifiano: 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

For Rifiano the Revenue Agency does not publish cadastral maps: the land registry here uses the tavolare (land book) system. The report cannot give a parcel reference, but it still checks risks, services and transport at the address and states this clearly.

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 28 inhabited census areas in Rifiano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 26.6%
  • good 73.4%

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 021073. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.