San Secondo Parmense: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in San Secondo Parmense
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 Giuseppe Garibaldi 1, San Secondo Parmense.
San Secondo Parmense, the Rossi castle in the Po lowlands
Out in the low plain north-west of Parma, San Secondo is a farming town between the city and the river Po, surrounded by fields, cattle sheds and the dairies that make Parmigiano Reggiano. The centre is dominated by the Rocca dei Rossi, the fortified residence of the family that once ruled the fief, with its frescoed rooms. The town also gives its name to spalla cotta, the cooked pork shoulder typical of the area.
The countryside is flat, the town hall stands less than 40 metres above sea level and fog is common in winter (climate zone E). Buyers will find detached houses with gardens, small villas and low blocks of flats at lower prices than in Parma, plus old farm buildings to restore out in the fields. Work is in the province's food industry and in Parma, a drive away. Declared incomes are below the Parma average.
The population has grown: 5,872 residents in 2023, 6.4% more than in 2011. The average age is 44.9, a little below the provincial 45.8; over-65s are 22.4% and foreign residents 12.8%.
In the province of Parma, 7 municipalities are in seismic zone 2 and 37 in zone 3, according to the Protezione Civile (Italy's Civil Protection Department). San Secondo is in zone 3, with expected acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.115 g. On the plain, the most vulnerable buildings are usually sheds, barns and unreinforced masonry houses, so for a farmhouse or an old building in the centre, ask whether any strengthening work has been carried out.
Water deserves the most attention here. Drainage canals, the Taro and the Po shape a landscape where flood hazard changes from one street to the next, and the report checks it for the address, starting from the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps, available for the whole municipality.
Key points
- Lowland town with the Rocca dei Rossi and its own spalla cotta.
- 5,872 residents, up 6.4% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.115 g.
- A plain of canals: check flood hazard by address.
Overview
San Secondo Parmense is a municipality in the province of Parma, in Emilia-Romagna. At the end of 2023 it had 5,872 residents, ranked 20 of 44 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, San Secondo Parmense is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (37 of 44) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.115 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 6.4%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 25%). Foreign residents make up 12.8% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in San Secondo Parmense declared an average taxable income of 26,738 euros, below the provincial average (28,491 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
San Secondo Parmense is in climate zone E, with 2,506 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 38 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, San Secondo Parmense has 5 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 5 sports facilities.
There are 0.2 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 10.4% of the land in San Secondo Parmense, compared with 7.6% in the province and 9.0% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.7 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
San Secondo Parmense is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Emilia-Romagna in 2026. 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 Secondo Parmense.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within San Secondo Parmense: 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 Secondo Parmense 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 38 inhabited census areas in San Secondo Parmense. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 70 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 1.6%
- fair 45.5%
- good 53.0%
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.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Emilia-Romagna, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- 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 034033. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.