Sesto Calende: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Varese, Lombardia. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
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Search for an address in Sesto Calende
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 Piave 1, Sesto Calende.
Sesto Calende, where the Ticino leaves Lake Maggiore
At the southern tip of Lake Maggiore the Ticino becomes a river again, and Sesto Calende is built right on that threshold. On the far bank is Piedmont, with Castelletto sopra Ticino, reached by a bridge. The Ticino regional park starts here, and the municipality also includes lakeside hamlets such as Lisanza.
Transport links are good for a town of this size. The railway station is on the line running down to Gallarate and Milan, motorways towards Milan and Piedmont pass a few kilometres away, and public transport data list 3 bus lines in the municipality. Many residents work around Gallarate and Malpensa airport or commute to Milan.
The river and the lake give the town a holiday feel, with its riverside promenade, marinas and plenty of places to eat: 7.67 bars and restaurants per 1,000 residents, well above the 3.88 of the province of Varese. Schools and sports facilities are also more widespread than the provincial average.
The population is almost stable. Istat, the national statistics office, counted 10,957 residents in 2023, up 1.3% on 2011. The town is a little older than its surroundings, with an estimated average age of 47.3 against 46.5 and over-65s at 26.0%. Foreign residents make up 11.2%. Average declared incomes are above the provincial figure.
Earthquakes are a minor concern here: all 136 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4, the lowest in the national classification, with an expected acceleration of about 0.038 g. Water matters more. When Lake Maggiore rises, floods can reach the lowest ground near the shore and the river, so for a house on the lakefront or in Lisanza ask whether it has flooded before. The report checks the hazard maps at the exact address.
The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps for Sesto Calende, so the report can trace an address to the plot of the building.
Key points
- On the Piedmont border, where the Ticino leaves Lake Maggiore.
- Railway station and 3 bus lines in the municipality.
- 10,957 residents in 2023, over-65s at 26.0%.
- Seismic zone 4; low ground near the water needs checking.
Overview
Sesto Calende is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 10,957 residents, ranked 17 of 136 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Sesto Calende is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 136 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.038 g, a low 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 grown by 1.3%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 11.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Sesto Calende declared an average taxable income of 29,380 euros, above the provincial average (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Sesto Calende is in climate zone E, with 2,620 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 198 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Sesto Calende has 15 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 4 grocery shops and supermarkets, 4 healthcare facilities, 12 sports facilities and 3 parks and green areas.
There are 0.4 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).
Public transport
Within the municipality there are 1 public transport stops, served by 3 bus lines. That is about 0.1 stops per 1,000 residents.
How built-up it is
Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 15.6% of the land in Sesto Calende, compared with 21.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Sesto Calende is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Lombardia in 2023. 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 open contaminated sites in Sesto Calende; 4 have been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Sesto Calende: 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 Sesto Calende 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 263 inhabited census areas in Sesto Calende. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 5.7%
- fair 83.5%
- good 10.8%
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
- 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.
- Public transport timetables (GTFS): Trenord, Regione Lombardia - Trenord, orari ferroviari (GTFS). Licence CC BY 4.0, version 20261111.
- 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 Lombardia, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2023.
- Contaminated sites, Regione Lombardia. Licence CC0 1.0 (pubblico dominio), updated to 15 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 012120. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.