Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Santa Flavia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Santa Flavia

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 Consolare 1, Santa Flavia.

Santa Flavia, Porticello, Solunto and the coast east of Palermo

Santa Flavia lies on the coast east of Palermo, just past Bagheria, at the foot of Monte Catalfano. The municipality includes the fishing port of Porticello, known for its seafood and for the market that springs to life when the boats come in, and the hamlet of Sant'Elia. On the slopes of the mountain is the archaeological site of Solunto, a town of Phoenician origin that later became Hellenistic and Roman, with streets and house ruins looking out over the gulf.

Palermo is about twenty kilometres away, and the station on the Palermo to Messina line lets you reach the city by train; Bagheria and its shopping areas are right next door. For buyers, the municipality has two faces: the town lived in all year round, and the coast of summer homes where many Palermo families spend the season. With seaside villas, check planning compliance and any past amnesties carefully, a common issue along Sicily's coasts.

In 2023 there were 11,042 residents, up 2.7% since 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 44.6, almost the same as the province (44.7), and foreign residents are few, at 1.2%. Average incomes are below the Palermo metropolitan area. There are 2 pharmacies, 0.18 per 1,000 residents against 0.33 in the province.

Around Palermo almost every municipality is in seismic zone 2 on the Civil Protection Department's scale: 81 of them, with 1 in zone 1. Santa Flavia is in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.176 g, and the offshore earthquake near Palermo in 2002 was a reminder that the coast is not immune. For a flat, ask for the structural design and the year of construction.

Landslide hazard on the slopes of Catalfano and flood hazard near the coast and gullies are both checked at the address by the report, using the official maps. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps.

Key points

  • Porticello fishing port and the Solunto archaeological site.
  • Population up 2.7% since 2011, foreign residents at 1.2%.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.176 g.
  • Seaside villas: check planning compliance.

Overview

Santa Flavia is a municipality in the province of Palermo, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 11,042 residents, ranked 15 of 82 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Santa Flavia is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (81 of 82) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.176 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Santa Flavia, 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 grown by 2.7%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 22% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Santa Flavia declared an average taxable income of 19,550 euros, below the provincial average (21,337 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Santa Flavia is in climate zone B, with 796 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 December to 31 March, for up to 8 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 45 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Santa Flavia has 9 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 8 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities and 4 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 19.4% of the land in Santa Flavia, compared with 5.7% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.7 hectares.

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 contaminated sites in Santa Flavia.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Santa Flavia: 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 Flavia 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 45 inhabited census areas in Santa Flavia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 76 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 15.3%
  • good 40.2%
  • very good 44.5%

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

ISTAT code 082067. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.