Santa Maria di Licodia: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Catania, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Santa Maria di Licodia
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 Vittorio Emanuele 1, Santa Maria di Licodia.
Santa Maria di Licodia, on Etna's slopes above the Simeto
The town lies at about four hundred and forty metres on the south-western flank of Mount Etna in Sicily, between Paternò and Biancavilla. Above it, lava soils are farmed with olives, vines and orchards; below it opens the valley of the river Simeto, with citrus groves on the plain. Catania is less than an hour away by road, and many residents work there or in the larger towns nearby, such as Paternò and Adrano.
House hunters here mostly find detached homes and low blocks, often on several levels, built of lava stone in the old centre and of reinforced concrete in the newer districts. Streets in the centre are sloping and parking is not always easy. The climate is mild (zone C), though in winter the altitude is felt more than on the coast. Ash from Etna on active days is a real nuisance for roofs, gutters and cars.
Unlike many Sicilian towns, this one is growing. At the end of 2023 there were 7,563 residents, up 3.3% since 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. It is a young community too, with an average age of 42.2 against 44.2 for the Metropolitan City of Catania, and over-65s at 19.3%. Households average 2.31 people and foreign residents make up 3.2%. Declared incomes are low, even compared with the provincial average.
Earthquakes are a serious matter here. The town is in seismic zone 2 on the scale of the Civil Protection Department (Protezione Civile), and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.188 g; in the province, 4 municipalities are even in zone 1. Etna also produces shallow volcanic earthquakes with strong effects over small areas. For a lava-stone house or a 1970s concrete building, ask whether any structural surveys or strengthening work have been done.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are available, and the report uses them to find the plot, also checking slope and landslide hazard on the hillside.
Key points
- On Etna's south-west flank, between Paternò and Biancavilla.
- Residents up 3.3% since 2011, average age 42.2.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.188 g.
- Lava stone, slopes and Etna's ash to take into account.
Overview
Santa Maria di Licodia is a municipality in the province of Catania, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 7,563 residents, ranked 37 of 58 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Santa Maria di Licodia is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (54 of 58) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.188 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Santa Maria di Licodia, 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 3.3%. The estimated average age is 42 years, lower than the province average (44). 19% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 3.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Santa Maria di Licodia declared an average taxable income of 17,023 euros, below the provincial average (20,793 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Santa Maria di Licodia is in climate zone C, with 1,340 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 442 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Santa Maria di Licodia has 7 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 9 sports facilities.
The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 11.4% of the land in Santa Maria di Licodia, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 2.1 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Santa Maria di Licodia. 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 Santa Maria di Licodia: 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 di Licodia 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 32 inhabited census areas in Santa Maria di Licodia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 72 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 26.5%
- good 73.5%
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
- 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 087047. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.