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Sandigliano: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Sandigliano

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 Antonio Gramsci 1, Sandigliano.

Sandigliano, the plain south of Biella

Sandigliano lies south of Biella, where the Biella basin opens out towards the plain and the morainic ridge of the Serra in Piedmont. The land is almost flat, at around 320 metres, with fields, copses and residential areas that have spread in recent decades. Biella is a few minutes' drive away and for many residents it is where they work and find the main services.

Like much of the Biella area, Sandigliano has a history tied to textiles and wool firms. Today it is mainly residential, with villas, single-family houses and a few blocks of flats, and prices lower than in the city. Buyers should look closely at the year of construction and the energy rating: many houses date from the 1960s and 1970s and may need insulation and new systems.

The population is 2,573 (2023 figure from Istat, the national statistics office), down 6.8% since 2011. Over-65s make up 29.0%, a high figure but below the Biella province average of 30.1%. Foreign residents account for 2.6%. Average incomes are slightly above the provincial figure.

The municipality is in seismic zone 4, the lowest hazard level, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.040 g. With that in mind, energy efficiency, the state of the roof and general upkeep matter more for a house.

The area is crossed by streams flowing from the mountains towards the Vercelli plain. For each address the report checks the official flood maps and measures distances to schools, pharmacies and shops.

Key points

  • Plain south of Biella, towards the Serra ridge.
  • Villas and houses from the 1960s and 1970s.
  • Seismic zone 4, the lowest hazard level.
  • Over-65s at 29.0%, province at 30.1%.

Overview

Sandigliano is a municipality in the province of Biella, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 2,573 residents, ranked 15 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Sandigliano is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (50 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.040 g, a low value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 6.8%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 2.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Sandigliano declared an average taxable income of 25,640 euros, in line with the province (25,111 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Sandigliano is in climate zone E, with 2,724 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 323 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Sandigliano has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 2 sports facilities.

There are 0.4 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 18.3% of the land in Sandigliano, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Sandigliano is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte in 2023. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Sandigliano, 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 Sandigliano: 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 Sandigliano 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 39 inhabited census areas in Sandigliano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 54 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 30.0%
  • fair 70.0%

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

ISTAT code 096059. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.