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Riva Ligure: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Riva Ligure

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: Corso Villaregia 1, Riva Ligure.

Riva Ligure, the coast between Sanremo and Imperia

Riva Ligure is a small seaside municipality on the western Riviera, between Sanremo and Imperia. The village is squeezed between the beach and the first hills, covered in greenhouses and olive trees, with the old centre facing the water and newer houses climbing inland. Along the sea runs the cycle path built on the old coastal railway line, well used by residents and visitors alike.

The market is shaped by holiday homes. Many flats near the sea are lived in only in summer or let out, and anyone buying to live here all year will find a quieter village in the colder months. Property ranges from houses in the old centre, often small and without parking, to 1960s and 1970s blocks of flats on the seafront and detached houses on the hillside. For flats, ask about service charges and approved works; near the streams running down to the sea, the report checks the official flood maps.

There are 2,780 residents (2023), down 2.8% since 2011. The average age is 48.8, the same as in the province of Imperia (48.7), people over 65 make up 28.7% and foreign residents 12.0%.

Riva Ligure is in seismic zone 2, like 29 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.152 g. For a block of flats from the building boom years, ask for the structural documents and the condition of facades and balconies, which are exposed to salt air.

The climate is zone C in the Italian classification, mild all year. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps and the report finds the parcel.

Key points

  • On the sea between Sanremo and Imperia
  • Cycle path along the old railway line
  • 2,780 residents, down 2.8% since 2011
  • Seismic zone 2, acceleration 0.152 g

Overview

Riva Ligure is a municipality in the province of Imperia, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 2,780 residents, ranked 11 of 66 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Riva Ligure is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Only 30 of 66 municipalities in the province are in zone 2.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.152 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Riva Ligure, 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 2.8%. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 12.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Riva Ligure declared an average taxable income of 19,984 euros, below the provincial average (21,487 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Riva Ligure is in climate zone C, with 1,050 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 2 metres above sea level.

Services

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

There are 0.4 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 28.0% of the land in Riva Ligure, compared with 6.4% in the province and 7.3% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Riva Ligure is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Liguria 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 contaminated sites in Riva Ligure.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Riva Ligure: 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 Riva Ligure 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 17 inhabited census areas in Riva Ligure. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 64 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.1%
  • fair 59.1%
  • good 40.9%

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 008050. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.