San Polo Matese: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Campobasso, Molise. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Polo Matese
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 Vittorio Emanuele 1, San Polo Matese.
San Polo Matese, beneath the Matese massif
Behind the village rises the Matese massif, and in front opens the Bojano plain: San Polo Matese stands on this edge, at around 730 metres, in the province of Campobasso. The land climbs from the fields of the valley floor to mountain woods and pasture, and Bojano, a little lower down, is the reference town for shops and services; Campobasso can be reached by car.
Buyers here find village houses, often stone-built, and more recent homes on the edge of the built-up area. Winters are cold (climate zone E), so heating and insulation need budgeting for. With an older house, though, the priority lies elsewhere, in the structure.
San Polo Matese is in seismic zone 1, the highest hazard class on the Civil Protection Department's national scale, which in the province of Campobasso covers only 11 of 84 municipalities. Expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.267 g. Before buying, it is sensible to get an assessment from a structural engineer and the documents for any seismic upgrading or improvement work.
The population is stable: 456 residents in 2023, 0.4% fewer than in 2011. The average age of 47.5 is in line with the provincial 47.6, and over-65s make up 25.2%. Foreign residents account for 2.9%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps, and the report finds the land parcel from the address. At the foot of the mountain, the streams coming down from the Matese and the steep slopes mean landslides and flooding should be looked at for the exact spot on the official maps.
Key points
- At the foot of the Matese, above the Bojano plain.
- Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.267 g.
- Stable population: 456 residents in 2023.
- Older houses: structural assessment before buying.
Overview
San Polo Matese is a municipality in the province of Campobasso, in Molise. At the end of 2023 it had 456 residents, ranked 69 of 84 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Polo Matese is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 11 of 84 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.267 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in San Polo Matese, 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 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 2.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Polo Matese declared an average taxable income of 16,648 euros, below the provincial average (19,995 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Polo Matese is in climate zone E, with 2,316 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 October to 15 April, for up to 14 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 730 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Polo Matese has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets and 1 green area.
The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.2 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 6.0% of the land in San Polo Matese, compared with 4.3% in the province and 4.0% 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 no contaminated sites in San Polo Matese.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Polo Matese: 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 Polo Matese 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 19 inhabited census areas in San Polo Matese. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 4.6%
- fair 95.4%
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 070071. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.