San Nicola dell'Alto: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Crotone, Calabria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Nicola dell'Alto
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 Skanderbeg 1, San Nicola dell'Alto.
San Nicola dell'Alto, an Arbëreshë village near Crotone
San Nicola dell'Alto is one of the Arbëreshë communities of Calabria: villages founded centuries ago by people of Albanian origin who settled in southern Italy and still keep some of their traditions and rites. It stands on high ground in the interior of the province of Crotone, at around 580 metres.
The most striking figure concerns the population. In 2023 there were 687 residents, against 898 in 2011: a fall of 23.5%. The estimated average age is 54.3, against 44.3 for the province, and over-65s make up 40.6%, well above the provincial 22.5%. Foreign residents are 10.5%. Average declared incomes are lower than in the province.
For a buyer, this means a market of houses in the old centre, often inherited and not always recently renovated. Before buying, have the roof, the services and any damp checked, and make sure the cadastral records match the house as it is, because in homes handed down through generations extensions and subdivisions are sometimes never registered. Work, secondary schools and the hospital are reached by car.
All 27 municipalities in the province of Crotone are in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification; in the village the expected ground acceleration is about 0.190 g. In an old masonry building, the first question is how well walls and floors are tied together and whether any strengthening work has been done.
Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are available, and the report traces the address to its land parcel. Landslide and flood hazard on the hilltop and its slopes depends on the exact spot, so the report checks the official maps for that address.
Key points
- Arbëreshë community of Albanian origin, inland from Crotone.
- 687 residents, down 23.5% since 2011.
- Over-65s at 40.6%, against 22.5% in the province.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.190 g.
Overview
San Nicola dell'Alto is a municipality in the province of Crotone, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 687 residents, among the smallest in the province (26 of 27).
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Nicola dell'Alto is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. All 27 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.190 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in San Nicola dell'Alto, 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 23.5%. The estimated average age is 54 years, higher than the province average (44). 41% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 10.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Nicola dell'Alto declared an average taxable income of 15,586 euros, below the provincial average (17,765 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Nicola dell'Alto is in climate zone D, with 1,966 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 579 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Nicola dell'Alto has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy.
The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 5.2% of the land in San Nicola dell'Alto, compared with 3.8% 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 Nicola dell'Alto.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Nicola dell'Alto: 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 Nicola dell'Alto 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 5 inhabited census areas in San Nicola dell'Alto. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 66 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 1.0%
- good 99.0%
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 101021. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.