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Sarnano: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Sarnano

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: Contrada Vecciola 43, Sarnano.

Sarnano, spa waters and ski slopes below the Sibillini

Sarnano is a hill and mountain town at the foot of the Sibillini range, in the province of Macerata. Its medieval centre covers a hill at around 540 metres, with stone and brick houses packed around the upper square. The town has a spa tradition and, above the built-up area, the ski resort of Sassotetto.

With the spa on one side and the mountains on the other, Sarnano is also a place of second homes and holiday lets. Buyers find flats in the old town, often on several levels and reached by steps, detached houses lower down and farmhouses in the countryside. Before buying, check whether the building was damaged in the 2016 earthquakes and whether any rebuilding work is finished or still open.

There were 3,053 residents in 2023, 9.3% fewer than in 2011. The mean age is 48.6 against 47.2 for the province, over-65s are 29.4% and foreign residents 10.7%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average. The climate is zone E, with cold winters and snow higher up.

Sarnano is in seismic zone 2 of the Civil Protection classification, like 48 other municipalities in the province, and the expected ground acceleration in the town is 0.183 g, a fairly high value. In the old centre, where houses are built against one another, work on one building can involve its neighbours, so ask about strengthening work and any joint rebuilding schemes. The Revenue Agency cadastral maps are published, and the report adds the official landslide maps for the address.

Key points

  • Medieval town below the Sibillini, spa and skiing at Sassotetto.
  • Many second homes and holiday homes.
  • 3,053 residents, down 9.3% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration 0.183 g.

Overview

Sarnano is a municipality in the province of Macerata, in Marche. At the end of 2023 it had 3,053 residents, ranked 24 of 55 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Sarnano is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (49 of 55) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.183 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Sarnano, 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 9.3%. The estimated average age is 49 years, in line with the province. 29% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 10.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Sarnano declared an average taxable income of 21,887 euros, below the provincial average (23,312 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Sarnano is in climate zone E, with 2,270 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 539 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Sarnano has 5 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 7 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 healthcare facilities and 4 sports facilities.

There are 2.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.8).

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 4.0% of the land in Sarnano, compared with 5.7% in the province and 7.0% 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 Sarnano.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Sarnano: 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 Sarnano 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 77 inhabited census areas in Sarnano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 69 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 40.8%
  • good 59.2%

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 043049. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.