Santa Teresa di Riva: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Messina, Sicilia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
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Search for an address in Santa Teresa di Riva
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 Regina Margherita 1, Santa Teresa di Riva.
Santa Teresa di Riva, Ionian coast between Messina and Taormina
Santa Teresa di Riva is a long, narrow town on the Ionian coast, roughly halfway between Messina and Taormina. The main road, the railway and the seafront run parallel to the beach, and behind them the Peloritani hills rise straight away, with Savoca and other inland villages. The town began as the seaside quarter of Savoca and became separate in the nineteenth century; today it is the shopping and services centre for the surrounding villages.
Buyers choose between flats near the sea, mostly in blocks built a few decades ago, and quieter houses towards the hills, where the roads are narrow and steep. In summer the population swells with holidaymakers. The climate zone is B, with very mild winters, and on the seafront salt and wind mean façades, balconies and window frames need frequent upkeep.
At the end of 2023 there were 9,265 residents, almost the same as in 2011 (up 0.3%). The average age of 46.9 is in line with the province of Messina (46.7); people over 65 make up 25.1% and foreign residents 4.7%. Declared incomes are close to the provincial average.
Here the first question to ask is about earthquakes, before the price. Santa Teresa is in seismic zone 1, the highest class in the Civil Protection Department's scale, shared by only 17 of the 108 municipalities in the province, with expected ground acceleration of about 0.240 g. The Strait of Messina area is one of the most earthquake-prone in Europe: ask for the year of construction, the structural design, the inspection certificate and any upgrading work.
The hills are cut by fiumare, riverbeds that stay dry for most of the year but fill within hours during storms and run through the town to the sea. Homes near them should be checked against the official flood maps; the report does this for the address after finding the land parcel on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) maps.
Key points
- Ionian coast between Messina and Taormina, below Savoca.
- Seismic zone 1, the highest: acceleration about 0.240 g.
- Seasonal riverbeds to check on the flood maps.
- 9,265 residents, average age 46.9.
Overview
Santa Teresa di Riva is a municipality in the province of Messina, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 9,265 residents, among the most populous in the province (10 of 108).
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Santa Teresa di Riva is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. Only 17 of 108 municipalities in the province are in zone 1.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.240 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Santa Teresa di Riva, 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 4.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Santa Teresa di Riva declared an average taxable income of 20,956 euros, in line with the province (20,687 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Santa Teresa di Riva is in climate zone B, with 637 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 6 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Santa Teresa di Riva has 15 schools and 2 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 6 grocery shops and supermarkets, 10 healthcare facilities and 10 sports facilities.
There are 0.2 pharmacies per 1,000 residents, fewer 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 22.8% of the land in Santa Teresa di Riva, compared with 6.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Official databases list no contaminated sites in Santa Teresa di Riva.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Santa Teresa di Riva: 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 Teresa di Riva 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 35 inhabited census areas in Santa Teresa di Riva. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 100.0%
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 083089. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.