Santo Stefano del Sole: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Avellino, Campania. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
Land sheet 6 free checks
Search for an address in Santo Stefano del Sole
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: Strada Provinciale 109 1, Santo Stefano del Sole.
Santo Stefano del Sole, between Avellino and the Picentini mountains
Santo Stefano del Sole is a village in Irpinia, the inland area around Avellino, a short way from the city, on hills rising towards the Picentini mountains. It sits at over five hundred metres among chestnut woods, hazelnut groves and small plots, with Avellino a few minutes' drive away.
For many residents it is a practical choice: they work or study in Avellino and live in a quieter village, in detached houses with a bit of land. Most of the housing dates from after the Second World War or was rebuilt after the 1980 earthquake, with single-family homes and small blocks of flats; the oldest cores keep a few stone buildings. The village has 1 pharmacy and 3 school sites, while the food shopping is done in nearby towns.
Istat, the national statistics office, counted 2,052 residents in 2023, down 6.3% on 2011. The average age of 46.5 is close to 46.2 for the province, and 22.8% are over 65. Foreign nationals make up 5.6%. Declared incomes are slightly below the provincial average.
Irpinia is one of the most earthquake-prone parts of southern Italy. Santo Stefano is in seismic zone 2, with expected ground acceleration of 0.189 g, while 58 other municipalities in the province are in zone 1, the highest. For a rebuilt house, get hold of the plans and the structural inspection certificate (collaudo); for an older one, consider a structural survey.
On the hillsides and along the gullies, the report checks the official landslide and flood maps, starting from the parcel found on the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) maps.
Key points
- Irpinia hills towards the Picentini, close to Avellino.
- Population down 6.3% since 2011.
- Many rebuilt homes: ask for plans and certificates.
- Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.189 g.
Overview
Santo Stefano del Sole is a municipality in the province of Avellino, in Campania. At the end of 2023 it had 2,052 residents, ranked 57 of 118 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Santo Stefano del Sole is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (60 of 118) are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.189 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
For anyone buying in Santo Stefano del Sole, 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 fallen by 6.3%. The estimated average age is 46 years, in line with the province. 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 21%). Foreign residents make up 5.6% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Santo Stefano del Sole declared an average taxable income of 18,802 euros, below the provincial average (19,951 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Santo Stefano del Sole is in climate zone D, with 2,025 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 547 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Santo Stefano del Sole has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy.
The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets 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 9.0% of the land in Santo Stefano del Sole, compared with 7.4% in the province and 10.6% 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 Santo Stefano del Sole.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Santo Stefano del Sole: 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 Santo Stefano del Sole 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 30 inhabited census areas in Santo Stefano del Sole. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 55 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 1.7%
- fair 98.3%
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 064095. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.