San Marzano sul Sarno: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Salerno, Campania. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Marzano sul Sarno
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 Antonio Gramsci 1, San Marzano sul Sarno.
San Marzano sul Sarno, tomato country along the river
The San Marzano tomato, the long, fleshy variety prized for sauces, takes its name from this municipality in the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese area. San Marzano sul Sarno lies on the plain between Vesuvius and the Lattari mountains, close to the Sarno river, between Angri, Scafati and San Valentino Torio, in one of the most densely built-up parts of Campania.
Towns here almost run into one another, and much of the land is covered by houses, roads and industrial buildings, with vegetable plots and greenhouses in the gaps. For buyers that means flats in small apartment blocks, family houses on several floors and little green space. Naples and Salerno are reached by the motorway that passes nearby, and many residents commute every day.
The population is young by Italian standards. At the end of 2023 Istat, the national statistics office, counted 10,207 residents, almost exactly the same as in 2011 (10,225). The mean age is 41.9, against 45.2 in the province of Salerno, and only 17.9% are over 65. Households are large, 2.81 people on average, and foreign residents make up 11.7%, many working in agriculture. Declared incomes are well below the provincial average.
The river should not be overlooked. The Sarno and the channels crossing the plain overflow in heavy rain and low-lying areas can flood; the report reads the official flood hazard maps for the address. It is also worth asking whether ground floors and cellars have taken in water before.
Earthquake checks are also needed. San Marzano is in seismic zone 2 on the Civil Protection Department's scale from 1 (highest) to 4, like 97 municipalities in the province, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.136 g. In blocks from the 1960s and 1970s, ask for the construction date, any structural assessments and work, and proof that the building is fully permitted. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps and the report finds the plot from the address.
Key points
- Agro Nocerino-Sarnese, the town that named the tomato.
- Mean age 41.9, households of 2.81 people.
- Sarno river and channels: check flood hazard for the address.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.136 g.
Overview
San Marzano sul Sarno is a municipality in the province of Salerno, in Campania. At the end of 2023 it had 10,207 residents, ranked 26 of 158 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Marzano sul Sarno is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (97 of 158) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.136 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in San Marzano sul Sarno, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 42 years, lower than the province average (45). 18% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 21%). Foreign residents make up 11.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.8 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Marzano sul Sarno declared an average taxable income of 16,006 euros, below the provincial average (19,912 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Marzano sul Sarno is in climate zone C, with 1,148 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 20 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Marzano sul Sarno has 11 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 6 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.
There are 0.3 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 36.8% of the land in San Marzano sul Sarno, compared with 8.0% in the province and 10.6% 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 medium. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in San Marzano sul Sarno, and one more has been cleaned up or closed. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Marzano sul Sarno: 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 Marzano sul Sarno 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 59 inhabited census areas in San Marzano sul Sarno. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.5%
- fair 35.4%
- good 64.1%
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 065122. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.