Sassari: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Sassari, Sardegna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in Sassari
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 18 Sassari-Argentiera 1, Sassari.
Sassari, Sardinia's second city
Sassari is Sardinia's second largest city and the main centre for the north-west of the island. It has a long-established university, a historic centre with the cathedral of San Nicola, and deeply rooted traditions such as the Cavalcata Sarda and the Discesa dei Candelieri, an August festival recognised by UNESCO together with other Italian festivals where huge structures are carried on shoulders. The economy rests on services, public administration, the university, retail and farming.
The municipality covers a very large area. From the city it stretches all the way to the sea, taking in several stretches of coastline, and includes the former mining village of Argentiera. The port of Porto Torres and the town of Alghero, with its airport, are close by. House hunters can therefore choose between city flats, rural hamlets and homes near the coast, which are very different propositions.
That is exactly why the report works address by address. Distance from the sea, flood and landslide risk and nearby services all vary across a municipality of this size, and a single verdict for Sassari would make no sense.
On earthquakes the picture is simple. Sardinia is the least seismic region in Italy, and all 66 municipalities in the province of Sassari are in seismic zone 4, the lowest of the four classes. That does not remove the need to check a building's condition, but it shifts the focus to upkeep, heating and electrics, and energy performance.
The land registry holds no surprises either: Sassari uses the standard cadastral maps published by the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate), and the report traces the sheet and parcel number (foglio and particella) from the address.
Key points
- Sardinia's second city, with a university and services for the north-west.
- A very large municipality reaching the coast.
- All 66 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 4, the lowest.
- Revenue Agency cadastral maps available.
Overview
Sassari is the capital of the province of Sassari, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 121,085 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 38% of the province's residents live here.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Sassari is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 66 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 2.2%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 4.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Sassari declared an average taxable income of 24,481 euros, above the provincial average (21,361 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Sassari is in climate zone C, with 1,185 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 225 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Sassari has 98 schools and 37 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 59 grocery shops and supermarkets, 187 healthcare facilities, 139 sports facilities and 26 parks and green areas.
There are 1.5 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.9).
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 Sassari, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 90.1 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Sassari is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. 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.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Sassari: 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 Sassari 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 918 inhabited census areas in Sassari. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 83 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 0.0%
- fair 10.6%
- good 28.7%
- very good 48.7%
- excellent 12.0%
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.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Sardegna, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2022.
- 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 112050. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.