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Scafa: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Scafa

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: Corso I Maggio 1, Scafa.

Scafa, in the Pescara valley below the Majella

Scafa lies on the floor of the Pescara valley, where the valley widens as it leaves the gorges and heads for the coast, with the Majella massif closing the horizon to the south. The town grew along its transport routes: the Rome to Pescara railway and the A25 motorway both run through the valley, making it one of the crossing points of inland Pescara province. Pescara and Chieti are within daily reach for work and services.

The centre is fairly modern in character, with small apartment blocks and houses along the main roads, while the surrounding hills hold scattered homes and small clusters. Buyers should distinguish between the flat valley floor near the river and the sloping hill areas, where access and ground conditions change.

In 2023 there were 3,468 residents, down 9.6% since 2011, according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 47.2, slightly above the provincial 46.6, and over-65s are 26.5%. Foreign residents are 3.7%. Average declared incomes are below the provincial average.

The province of Pescara has municipalities in seismic zones 1 and 2. Scafa is in zone 2, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.191 g, a high value. For a flat in a block, ask for the year of construction, the structural design and any seismic improvement work.

Near the Pescara and the ditches that run off the hills, flooding should be checked for the address, as should landslides on the clay slopes, and the report does this with the official maps. The Revenue Agency's cadastral maps are available.

Key points

  • Pescara valley floor, with the Majella to the south.
  • Rome to Pescara railway and A25 motorway in the valley.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.191 g.
  • 3,468 residents, down 9.6% since 2011.

Overview

Scafa is a municipality in the province of Pescara, in Abruzzo. At the end of 2023 it had 3,468 residents, ranked 14 of 46 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Scafa is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (28 of 46) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.191 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Scafa, 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 9.6%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 3.7% of the population. On average, a household has 2.4 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Scafa declared an average taxable income of 19,445 euros, below the provincial average (23,063 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Scafa is in climate zone D, with 1,433 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 108 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Scafa has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 6 healthcare facilities, 2 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 1.7 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 12.5% of the land in Scafa, compared with 7.3% in the province and 5.1% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Scafa.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Scafa: 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 Scafa 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 Scafa. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 54 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 8.2%
  • fair 91.8%

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 068039. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.