San Giovanni di Gerace: 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
Land sheet 6 free checks
Search for an address in San Giovanni di Gerace
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 Giacomo Matteotti 1, San Giovanni di Gerace.
San Giovanni di Gerace, inland from the Locride coast
The name ties it to Gerace, the historic town of the Locride area, and the village lies in the same district, in the hills behind the Ionian coast of the province of Reggio Calabria. From the village, at around three hundred metres, the coast is a short drive away: that is where the SS106 coast road and the Ionian railway run, and where the larger services are.
Like many inland villages in Calabria, San Giovanni di Gerace has lost a large share of its people. Istat, the national statistics institute, counted 408 residents in 2023, 129 fewer than in 2011, a fall of 24.0%. The average age is 49.7, against 45.2 in the province, and over-65s make up 30.4%, compared with 23.6%. Foreign nationals are 0.5%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
The market consists of village houses, often on several floors along sloping streets, and country houses. The climate is mild, zone C, so heating costs less than in the mountains; damp and the state of plaster and roofs matter more, especially in houses that have been shut up for a while.
The factor to weigh most is earthquakes. All 97 municipalities in the province of Reggio Calabria are in seismic zone 1, the highest on the scale used by Italy's Civil Protection Department, and the expected ground acceleration here is about 0.206 g. Before buying a masonry house, have a structural engineer assess it and ask whether any documented seismic strengthening has been done.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the municipality and the report links the address to its land parcel. Landslides and flash floods along the local riverbeds are checked at the exact spot on the official maps.
Key points
- Hill village inland from the Locride, on the Ionian side.
- Residents down 24.0% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 1: have the building's structure assessed.
- Mild climate, zone C; damp and roofs matter.
Overview
San Giovanni di Gerace is a municipality in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 408 residents, among the smallest in the province (93 of 97).
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Giovanni di Gerace 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 0.206 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in San Giovanni di Gerace, 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 24.0%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (45). 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 0.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Giovanni di Gerace declared an average taxable income of 17,030 euros, below the provincial average (19,157 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Giovanni di Gerace is in climate zone C, with 1,260 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 310 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Giovanni di Gerace has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.
The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.3 per 1,000 residents.
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 2.0% of the land in San Giovanni di Gerace, 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 contaminated sites in San Giovanni di Gerace.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Giovanni di Gerace: 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 Giovanni di Gerace 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 4 inhabited census areas in San Giovanni di Gerace. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 100.0%
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
- 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 080072. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.