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Santa Marina: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Santa Marina

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 Nazionale 2, Santa Marina.

Santa Marina and Policastro, on the gulf south of Cilento

Santa Marina has its main village on a hill, above 400 metres, and the hamlet of Policastro Bussentino on the sea, at the head of the Gulf of Policastro, in the far south of Salerno province. The two parts differ in landscape, housing and the rhythm of the year: up top a compact village looking over the gulf, down below an old coastal centre that fills up in summer.

The question for a buyer is which of the two lives they want. On the coast there are flats and houses often used as holiday homes, with a market that follows the summer season. On the hill, village houses and detached homes are more common, quieter but with uphill roads and services further away. Near the sea and the streams running down to the gulf, the flood maps are worth checking; on the slopes, the gradient. The report checks both for the address.

Unlike many nearby municipalities, the population here is growing: Istat, the national statistics office, counts 3,239 residents in 2023, up 2.3% on 2011. The average age is 45.4, almost the same as the provincial figure (45.2), with 23.5% over 65 and 3.4% foreign residents. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Santa Marina is in seismic zone 2, like 96 other municipalities in Salerno province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.118 g in the built-up area. The risk is moderate. In the older houses of the hill village and of Policastro, ask whether floors and roofs have been strengthened.

Key points

  • Hill village plus a seaside hamlet, Policastro Bussentino.
  • 3,239 residents, up 2.3% since 2011.
  • Average age 45.4, province 45.2.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.118 g.

Overview

Santa Marina is a municipality in the province of Salerno, in Campania. At the end of 2023 it had 3,239 residents, ranked 61 of 158 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Santa Marina is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (97 of 158) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.118 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Santa Marina, 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 2.3%. The estimated average age is 45 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 21%). Foreign residents make up 3.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Santa Marina declared an average taxable income of 17,383 euros, below the provincial average (19,912 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Santa Marina is in climate zone D, with 1,563 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 415 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Santa Marina has 5 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 3 healthcare facilities, 1 sports facility and 3 parks and green areas.

There are 0.9 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.4).

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 7.8% of the land in Santa Marina, compared with 8.0% in the province and 10.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Santa Marina. 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 Marina: 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 Marina 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 40 inhabited census areas in Santa Marina. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 7.9%
  • fair 91.2%
  • good 0.9%

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 065127. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.