Santa Domenica Talao: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Cosenza, Calabria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Santa Domenica Talao
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 Piano del Fico 1, Santa Domenica Talao.
Santa Domenica Talao, hill village above the Scalea coast
Santa Domenica Talao is a hill village on the northern Tyrrhenian coast of the province of Cosenza, on the high ground behind Scalea. The sea is close, yet the village keeps the rhythm of an inland settlement, with a sloping old core and newer houses spread across the surrounding rural districts.
Buyers are really choosing between two markets. Up in the village there are mainly family homes, often old and in need of work, while lower down the coast lives on summer tourism and second homes. The report measures the distance to schools, pharmacies and shops from the exact location of the property, which in a small municipality can vary a great deal from one rural district to another. On the slopes, landslide hazard and gradient should be checked for the address.
The population is shrinking. Istat, the national statistics office, counted 1,132 residents in 2023, down 11.0% on 2011. The estimated average age of 48.9 is above the provincial figure of 46.1, and over-65s make up 29.5% against 24.4% in the province. Foreign residents account for 6.5%. Declared incomes are clearly below the provincial average.
Earthquake hazard in Calabria is high. The Civil Protection Department places Santa Domenica Talao in zone 2, like 85 municipalities in the province, while the other 65 are in zone 1; expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.168 g. Before buying a stone house in the old centre, or a home extended over the years, have an engineer look at the structure, floors and roof, and ask whether any seismic strengthening has been done.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps here, so the report can work back from the address to the land parcel. The climate is zone D, with mild winters.
Key points
- Hill village on the northern Calabrian Tyrrhenian coast, above Scalea.
- Population down 11.0% since 2011; over-65s at 29.5%.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.168 g.
- Stone houses: have structure and floors checked by an engineer.
Overview
Santa Domenica Talao is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 1,132 residents, ranked 105 of 150 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Santa Domenica Talao is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (85 of 150) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.168 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Santa Domenica Talao, 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 11.0%. The estimated average age is 49 years, higher than the province average (46). 30% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 6.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Santa Domenica Talao declared an average taxable income of 13,440 euros, below the provincial average (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Santa Domenica Talao is in climate zone D, with 1,416 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 304 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Santa Domenica Talao has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 sports facility.
The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.8 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 2.3% of the land in Santa Domenica Talao, compared with 4.4% in the province and 5.1% 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 low. 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 open contaminated sites in Santa Domenica Talao; one has been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Santa Domenica Talao: 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 Santa Domenica Talao 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 10 inhabited census areas in Santa Domenica Talao. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 62 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 3.6%
- fair 96.4%
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 078130. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.