Santa Maria del Cedro: 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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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: Corso del Tirreno 1, Santa Maria del Cedro.
Santa Maria del Cedro, the town behind the Riviera dei Cedri
The citron, the large fragrant citrus fruit that gives its name to the town and to the whole Riviera dei Cedri, has been grown here for centuries. Every summer rabbis come from several countries to choose fruit for the Jewish festival of Sukkot, a tradition that links this stretch of the Calabrian coast with distant communities. Santa Maria del Cedro is on the Tyrrhenian coast in the north of the province of Cosenza, between Scalea and Diamante.
The municipality runs from the hill, where the old centre stands, to the coastal strip, crossed by the SS18 road and the Tyrrhenian railway and largely taken up by holiday homes. In summer the number of people present multiplies; in winter many homes are shut. For a flat by the sea, check permits, any amnesty applications for unauthorised work, the distance from the beach and the running costs of the complex; for a house on the hill, the access road and the gradient.
At the end of 2023 there were 5,074 residents according to Istat, the national statistics office, up 3.6% on 2011. The average age is 46.2, against 46.1 in the province of Cosenza, over-65s make up 23.9% and foreign residents 4.9%. Average declared incomes are well below the provincial average.
Earthquake hazard is significant. The Civil Protection Department places Santa Maria del Cedro in seismic zone 2, like 84 other municipalities in the province, while 65 are in zone 1; the expected ground acceleration is about 0.145 g. Many seaside houses were built in a hurry, so an engineer's check of the structure and paperwork is worth it before buying.
The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps and the report finds the land parcel from the address. The streams coming down from the mountains behind the coast can swell with autumn rain, and there are landslides on the slopes, so the report checks the official maps for the exact spot.
Key points
- Tyrrhenian coast of Cosenza, between Scalea and Diamante, home of the citron.
- Many holiday homes along the coastal strip.
- 5,074 residents, up 3.6% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.145 g.
Overview
Santa Maria del Cedro is a municipality in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 5,074 residents, ranked 31 of 150 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Santa Maria del Cedro 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 0.145 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Santa Maria del Cedro, 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 3.6%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 4.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Santa Maria del Cedro declared an average taxable income of 14,698 euros, below the provincial average (18,237 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Santa Maria del Cedro is in climate zone C, with 1,030 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 110 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Santa Maria del Cedro has 7 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 7 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility, 7 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.
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 11.3% of the land in Santa Maria del Cedro, 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
Official databases list no contaminated sites in Santa Maria del Cedro.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Santa Maria del Cedro: 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 Maria del Cedro 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 Santa Maria del Cedro. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 58 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 15.4%
- fair 84.6%
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 078132. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.