Santa Maria del Molise: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Isernia, Molise. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Santa Maria del Molise
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 Guelfi e Ghibellini 1, Santa Maria del Molise.
Santa Maria del Molise, a growing village in inland Molise
Among the small municipalities in the province of Isernia, Santa Maria del Molise is one that has gained residents since 2011: in 2023 there were 662, up 4.3% on the 635 of the census. The average age is 49.4, against 48.1 in the province, and over-65s make up 27.3% of residents, in line with the provincial 27.6%. Foreign residents are 4.4%.
The village lies among the hills and mountains of inland Molise, at around 600 metres, in heating zone E: cold winters, with snow possible. The landscape is green, with woods, pasture and fields, and buyers will mostly find stone and masonry houses in the centre, plus some newer homes scattered around. Bars and restaurants number 9.06 per 1,000 residents, above the provincial 5.49. For hospital care, secondary schools and public offices you drive to Isernia or other larger towns.
The thing a buyer needs to understand properly is earthquake risk. In the province of Isernia 32 municipalities are in seismic zone 1 and 20 in zone 2; Santa Maria del Molise is in zone 1, the highest hazard class, with an expected ground acceleration in the built-up area of about 0.264 g. Before signing, ask for the year of construction, any seismic improvement work with its permits, and an engineer's check of the walls, floors and roof. Average declared income is below the provincial figure.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, and the report traces the land parcel from the address. On slopes and near streams, landslide and flood hazard are read for the individual address on the official maps.
Key points
- Residents up 4.3% since 2011: 662 in 2023.
- Seismic zone 1, expected acceleration about 0.264 g.
- Inland province of Isernia, heating zone E.
- Bars and restaurants: 9.06 per 1,000 residents.
Overview
Santa Maria del Molise is a municipality in the province of Isernia, in Molise. At the end of 2023 it had 662 residents, ranked 28 of 52 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Santa Maria del Molise is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (32 of 52) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.264 g, a high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Santa Maria del Molise, 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 4.3%. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 4.4% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Santa Maria del Molise declared an average taxable income of 18,189 euros, below the provincial average (20,102 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Santa Maria del Molise is in climate zone E, with 2,131 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 587 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Santa Maria del Molise has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 sports facility.
The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 1.5 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 3.3% of the land in Santa Maria del Molise, compared with 3.4% in the province and 4.0% 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 contaminated sites in Santa Maria del Molise.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Santa Maria del Molise: 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 Molise 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 16 inhabited census areas in Santa Maria del Molise. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 1.2%
- fair 98.8%
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 094045. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.