San Sebastiano al Vesuvio: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Napoli, Campania. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Sebastiano al Vesuvio
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 Luigi Palmieri 1, San Sebastiano al Vesuvio.
San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, the town rebuilt on the lava
In March 1944 the last eruption of Vesuvius sent a lava flow straight through San Sebastiano, destroying much of it. The town was rebuilt after the war, so nearly all its homes date from the second half of the 20th century or later. Today it is a densely built residential area just behind the eastern outskirts of Naples, close to Cercola and Massa di Somma, with more than half its land covered by buildings and roads.
Buyers need to know that San Sebastiano is inside the Vesuvius red zone, the area the national emergency plan would evacuate if the volcano showed signs of reawakening. A regional law also restricts new housing in the towns around the volcano, so the market is almost entirely made of existing homes.
There are 8,633 residents (2023), down 5.8% since 2011. The town is older than the Naples average, with an average age of 44.7 against 43.2 and 22.2% over 65 against 20.0%; foreign nationals are only 1.5%. Declared incomes are well above the provincial average. There are many healthcare facilities, 1.62 per 1,000 residents against 0.60.
For earthquakes, San Sebastiano is in seismic zone 2, like 76 municipalities in the province of Naples, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.169 g. In a block of flats from the 1950s or 1960s, often built quickly during the reconstruction, ask about the state of the reinforced concrete, work done on the façade and balconies, and the building manager's records.
The report starts from the address and checks the official landslide and flood maps, finds the cadastral parcel and measures the distance to schools, pharmacies and public transport stops.
Key points
- Rebuilt after the 1944 lava flow, on the edge of Naples.
- Inside the Vesuvius red zone: new building tightly restricted.
- 8,633 residents, down 5.8% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.169 g.
Overview
San Sebastiano al Vesuvio is a municipality in the province of Napoli, in Campania. At the end of 2023 it had 8,633 residents, ranked 65 of 92 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Sebastiano al Vesuvio is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (76 of 92) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.169 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, 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 5.8%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 21%). Foreign residents make up 1.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.6 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Sebastiano al Vesuvio declared an average taxable income of 27,107 euros, above the provincial average (21,545 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Sebastiano al Vesuvio is in climate zone C, with 1,273 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 175 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Sebastiano al Vesuvio has 8 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 5 grocery shops and supermarkets, 14 healthcare facilities, 12 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.
There are 1.6 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).
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 52.1% of the land in San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, compared with 34.9% in the province and 10.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Official databases list no contaminated sites in San Sebastiano al Vesuvio.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Sebastiano al Vesuvio: 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 Sebastiano al Vesuvio 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 32 inhabited census areas in San Sebastiano al Vesuvio. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 68 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 9.5%
- good 90.5%
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 063070. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.