San Lorenzo al Mare: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Imperia, Liguria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Lorenzo al Mare
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 Pietrabruna 1, San Lorenzo al Mare.
San Lorenzo al Mare, seafront homes between Imperia and Sanremo
San Lorenzo al Mare is a small coastal municipality between Imperia and Sanremo, squeezed between the sea and the hills. The old coastal railway line has become a cycle path that runs past the village, and the Via Aurelia main road goes through it. It is a place of holiday homes as much as permanent residents: the population swells in summer, and in winter the village quietens down.
Space is tight and the land is heavily built up: apartment blocks on the seafront, terraced houses and villas on the first hills, which are planted with olives and greenhouses. When buying a flat near the beach, the service charges (spese condominiali), the state of façades exposed to salt air, parking and orientation all count. The climate is mild (climate zone C), so heating matters less than elsewhere and summer cooling more.
There were 1,209 residents in 2023, 11.9% fewer than in 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. It is an older population: an average age of 50.9 against 48.7 in the province of Imperia, with over-65s at 31.8% against 28.5%. Foreign residents make up 8.8%. Declared incomes are above the provincial average.
San Lorenzo is in seismic zone 2 of the national classification managed by the Civil Protection Department, like 30 of the 66 municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration is 0.149 g. For a block built in the 1960s or 1970s, ask the building manager whether structural checks or works are planned.
Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published, and the report reaches the land parcel from the address. At the mouth of the stream and on the slopes behind the village, flooding and landslides are checked on the official maps for the exact house.
Key points
- Coastal village between Imperia and Sanremo, with a seaside cycle path.
- Over-65s at 31.8%, against 28.5% in the province.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.149 g.
- Seaside flats: weigh service charges, salt damage and parking.
Overview
San Lorenzo al Mare is a municipality in the province of Imperia, in Liguria. At the end of 2023 it had 1,209 residents, ranked 21 of 66 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Lorenzo al Mare 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 0.149 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in San Lorenzo al Mare, 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 11.9%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (49). 32% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 29%). Foreign residents make up 8.8% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Lorenzo al Mare declared an average taxable income of 24,244 euros, above the provincial average (21,487 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Lorenzo al Mare is in climate zone C, with 1,191 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 6 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Lorenzo al Mare has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 1 healthcare facility and 4 sports facilities.
There are 2.5 schools per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (1.0).
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 37.8% of the land in San Lorenzo al Mare, 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
San Lorenzo al Mare is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Liguria in 2026. 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 open contaminated sites in San Lorenzo al Mare; one has been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Lorenzo al Mare: 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 Lorenzo al Mare 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 11 inhabited census areas in San Lorenzo al Mare. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 58 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 9.1%
- fair 90.9%
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
- 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.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Liguria, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- 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 008054. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.