San Martino in Passiria: 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
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Search for an address in San Martino in Passiria
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 Passiria 1, San Martino in Passiria.
San Martino in Passiria, the valley above Merano
The Passiria valley (Passeiertal) climbs north from Merano along the Passirio stream, and San Martino is one of its main villages, set on a broad valley floor at around 600 metres with farmsteads scattered on the slopes around it. German is the language most people speak, as in much of South Tyrol, and local life revolves around mountain farming, crafts and summer tourism.
Merano is part of daily life: the town is a short drive down the valley road, and the municipality has 13 stops served by 2 bus lines. For buyers, supply is limited and often shaped by local rules on subsidised housing and residence, which are worth checking with the town council before making an offer.
This is one of the few small municipalities that is growing: 3,307 residents in 2023, up 5.5% on 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The population is young, with an average age of 41.3 against 43.4 for the province of Bolzano, and over-65s are only 17.6%. Foreign residents make up 5.6%. Winters are long and cold (climate zone F), so insulation and heating weigh heavily on running costs.
Earthquake hazard is the lowest in Italy: all of South Tyrol is in seismic zone 4, with an expected acceleration of about 0.042 g. In an Alpine valley the streams and slopes matter more, and the report checks them on the official maps for the address.
One practical point: property here is recorded in the tavolare system, the land register (libro fondiario) of former Austrian areas, and the Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are not published. Ownership and boundaries are checked at the land register office.
Key points
- Passiria valley village north of Merano, at around 600 metres.
- Up 5.5% since 2011, average age 41.3.
- 13 stops and 2 bus lines along the valley and to Merano.
- Tavolare land register: ownership checked at the libro fondiario.
Overview
San Martino in Passiria is a municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. At the end of 2023 it had 3,307 residents, ranked 42 of 116 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Martino in Passiria 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 0.042 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 5.5%. The estimated average age is 41 years, lower than the province average (43). 18% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 22%). Foreign residents make up 5.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Martino in Passiria declared an average taxable income of 23,591 euros, below the provincial average (28,222 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Martino in Passiria is in climate zone F, with 3,291 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 597 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Health lists, San Martino in Passiria has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 2 sports facilities.
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 13 public transport stops, served by 2 bus lines. That is about 3.9 stops per 1,000 residents.
How built-up it is
Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 4.7% of the land in San Martino in Passiria, 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
San Martino in Passiria 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 San Martino in Passiria; one has been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Martino in Passiria: 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 San Martino in Passiria 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 32 inhabited census areas in San Martino in Passiria. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 68 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 35.0%
- good 65.0%
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.
- Public transport timetables (GTFS): STA Alto Adige, STA - Strutture Trasporto Alto Adige, Open Data Hub Alto Adige (GTFS). Licence CC0 1.0, version 20261111.
- 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), Provincia autonoma di Bolzano, 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 021083. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.