San Cataldo: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Cataldo
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 Babbaurra 1, San Cataldo.
San Cataldo, on the upland next to Caltanissetta
San Cataldo borders Caltanissetta, lying west of the provincial capital on an inland Sicilian upland at around six hundred metres. The two towns are so close that for many families the choice between them comes down to neighbourhood and price rather than distance: the capital's offices, hospital and secondary schools are a few minutes' drive away. The town's history is tied to farming and, like the whole Caltanissetta area, to the era of the sulphur mines.
The population drop is steep. Istat, the national statistics office, counts 20,668 residents in 2023, 11.8% fewer than in 2011, or 2,756 people. The average age is 45.5 and over-65s make up 23.2%, as in the rest of the province, while foreign nationals are just 1.7%. San Cataldo ranks 4 by population among the 22 municipalities of the province. Declared incomes are slightly below the provincial average.
With fewer residents, there is plenty of second-hand housing on offer, but its condition varies widely. The centre is mostly masonry houses on two or three floors, often needing work; around them stand 1960s and 1970s blocks and newer villas on the edges of town. Winters are cool for Sicily and summers hot, so insulation, windows and heating and cooling systems weigh on running costs more than buyers tend to expect. There are 6 healthcare sites on record, few per resident, because the main services are in Caltanissetta.
Seismic hazard is moderate. San Cataldo is in zone 3 of the Civil Protection classification, like 17 other municipalities in the province, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.071 g. In older masonry houses, the state of floors, roofs and the ties between walls is what counts, and is worth having a surveyor look at before making an offer.
In this clay-rich interior, landslides deserve attention: the report checks them for the address along with the gradient. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps.
Key points
- Borders Caltanissetta, on an upland at around six hundred metres.
- 20,668 residents, down 11.8% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 3, expected ground acceleration about 0.071 g.
- Clay ground: landslide hazard checked for the address.
Overview
San Cataldo is a municipality in the province of Caltanissetta, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 20,668 residents, ranked 4 of 22 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Cataldo is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (18 of 22) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.071 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 11.8%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Cataldo declared an average taxable income of 18,695 euros, in line with the province (19,090 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Cataldo is in climate zone D, with 1,637 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 625 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Cataldo has 18 schools and 7 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 10 grocery shops and supermarkets, 6 healthcare facilities, 9 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.
There are 0.3 healthcare facilities 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 6.5% of the land in San Cataldo, compared with 4.8% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.7 hectares.
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 contaminated sites in San Cataldo.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Cataldo: 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 San Cataldo 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 70 inhabited census areas in San Cataldo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 80 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 7.9%
- good 36.8%
- very good 55.4%
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
- 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 085016. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.