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San Salvo: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Chieti, Abruzzo. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in San Salvo

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: Strada Statale 16 1, San Salvo.

San Salvo, factories and a beach by the Trigno

At the southern tip of the Abruzzo coast, where the river Trigno marks the border with Molise, San Salvo has two sides: the town on a low hill about a hundred metres up, and the Marina along the beach, which grew with holiday homes and summer tourism. Between them, towards the river, lies a large industrial zone with glass and automotive component plants.

Partly thanks to factory jobs, San Salvo is gaining residents while the province of Chieti as a whole is losing them. Istat, the national statistics office, recorded 19,776 residents in 2023, up 4.9% since 2011, with an average age of 44.6 against 47.4 for the province and 21.8% aged over 65. Foreign residents make up 8.4%.

With Vasto a few kilometres away, the two towns effectively form one urban area, with a station on the Adriatic railway and a shared exit on the A14 motorway. Buyers look for different things depending on the area: in town, houses and flats for year-round living; at the Marina, flats near the sea, many used only in summer, where running costs and upkeep need checking. There are 29 sports facilities, 1.47 per 1,000 residents against 0.89 in the province.

Seismic hazard varies across the province of Chieti: 22 municipalities are in zone 1, 55 in zone 2 and the rest in zone 3 of the national classification. San Salvo is in zone 3, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.100 g. For apartment blocks built quickly during the boom years, ask for the final inspection certificate (collaudo) and the structural documents.

Near the Trigno and in the low parts of the Marina, the report checks flood hazard for the address; on the hill, slope and landslides. The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are available and link the house to its plot.

Key points

  • Hill town, beach Marina and an industrial zone by the Trigno.
  • Population up 4.9% since 2011.
  • Average age 44.6, against 47.4 in the province.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.100 g.

Overview

San Salvo is a municipality in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 19,776 residents, among the most populous in the province (6 of 104).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Salvo is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Only 27 of 104 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.100 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 4.9%. The estimated average age is 45 years, lower than the province average (47). 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 8.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Salvo declared an average taxable income of 20,369 euros, in line with the province (21,427 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

San Salvo is in climate zone C, with 1,385 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 100 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Salvo has 18 schools and 6 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 15 grocery shops and supermarkets, 10 healthcare facilities, 29 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 0.3 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.5).

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 33.8% of the land in San Salvo, compared with 6.4% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.5 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list 3 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in San Salvo, 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 Salvo: 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 Salvo 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 50 inhabited census areas in San Salvo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 75 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.3%
  • fair 8.9%
  • good 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

ISTAT code 069083. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.