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Siena: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Siena

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 Cassia Sud 1, Siena.

Siena, city of the Palio

Twice a year, on 2 July and 16 August, the contrade (the historic neighbourhood districts) of Siena race against each other in the Palio in Piazza del Campo, and loyalty to one's contrada still shapes life in the UNESCO-listed historic centre. The city has an ancient university and is home to Monte dei Paschi, founded in the fifteenth century and regarded as the oldest bank still in operation.

Siena is a compact provincial capital whose population has hardly moved: 52,833 residents at the end of 2023, just 6 fewer than the 52,839 counted in the 2011 census. The municipality holds 20.3% of the province's population. The estimated average age is 48.3, against 47.6 for the province, and 28.2% of residents are over 65, above the Tuscan average of 26.5%. The average household has 2.01 people.

For a city of this size, services are plentiful. Overture Maps data record 48 schools and education sites, 0.91 per 1,000 residents compared with 0.90 across the province, 74 healthcare facilities (1.40 against 0.63) and 80 sports facilities. The Ministry of Health lists 19 pharmacies.

Earthquakes: Siena is in seismic zone 3, like 31 of the 35 municipalities in the province, while 4 are in zone 2. The expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.139 g, a moderate value, towards the top of the range typical for zone 3. For the masonry houses of the old town and for older buildings generally, documentation of structural work is still something to request.

The land registry poses no obstacle: the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) maps cover Siena, and the report derives the sheet and parcel (foglio and particella) from the address. Between the hills of the centre and the surrounding countryside, landslide and flood hazard and local prices are only read at the address itself.

Key points

  • The Palio, the contrade and a UNESCO-listed historic centre.
  • Stable population: 52,833 residents, 6 fewer than in 2011.
  • Well served: 0.91 education sites per 1,000 residents.
  • Seismic zone 3; expected ground acceleration about 0.139 g.

Overview

Siena is the capital of the province of Siena, in Toscana. At the end of 2023 it had 52,833 residents, the most populous municipality in the province. 20% of the province's residents live here.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Siena is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (31 of 35) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.139 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.

Population

Compared with the 2011 census, the number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 28% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 26%). Foreign residents make up 9.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Siena declared an average taxable income of 30,472 euros, above the provincial average (25,404 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Siena is in climate zone D, with 1,943 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 322 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Siena has 48 schools and 19 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 36 grocery shops and supermarkets, 74 healthcare facilities, 80 sports facilities and 7 parks and green areas.

There are 1.4 healthcare facilities per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (0.6).

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 12.3% of the land in Siena, compared with 4.0% in the province and 6.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Siena is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Toscana in 2025. 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 3 contaminated sites, or sites still under investigation, in Siena, and 15 more have been cleaned up or closed. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Siena: 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 Siena 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 556 inhabited census areas in Siena. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 70 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 0.6%
  • fair 29.5%
  • good 37.7%
  • very good 21.8%
  • excellent 10.3%

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

ISTAT code 052032. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.