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Simbario: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Vibo Valentia, Calabria. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Simbario

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 Giuseppe Bertucci Ceraso 1, Simbario.

Simbario, a mountain village in the Serre of Vibo Valentia

Far from the coast and the beach resorts of the province, Simbario lies in the Serre, the wooded mountain range that crosses central Calabria. The village is above 700 metres, near Serra San Bruno, in country of beech and fir forest where small towns sit a few bends of provincial road apart.

The climate is mountain climate, with cold, damp winters (climate zone E) and summers cooler than on the coast. For work, offices and the hospital, people travel to the larger towns of the area or to Vibo Valentia, on mountain roads that take time. Homes are mostly masonry houses in the village centre, on two or three floors, often altered at different periods, with newer houses on the edges of the village.

According to Istat, the national statistics office, Simbario had 921 residents in 2023, 3.7% fewer than in 2011. The average age is 46.6, close to the provincial figure of 45.5, and over-65s make up 25.0%. Foreign residents account for 8.8%; households are small, at 1.92 people on average. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

Earthquakes need to be taken seriously here. All 50 municipalities in the province of Vibo Valentia are in seismic zone 1, the highest in the Civil Protection classification, and in Simbario the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is 0.237 g. Before buying, find out when the building was put up, whether it was designed to earthquake standards and whether floors or extensions were added later.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps for the municipality, and the report checks the address against the official landslide and flood maps.

Key points

  • Village in the Serre near Serra San Bruno, above 700 metres.
  • All 50 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 1.
  • Expected acceleration 0.237 g: check design and later extensions.
  • 921 residents in 2023, over-65s at 25.0%.

Overview

Simbario is a municipality in the province of Vibo Valentia, in Calabria. At the end of 2023 it had 921 residents, ranked 44 of 50 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Simbario is in seismic zone 1, the highest-risk zone, where very strong earthquakes are possible. All 50 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.237 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Simbario, 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 3.7%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 25% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 8.8% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Simbario declared an average taxable income of 15,954 euros, below the provincial average (17,878 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Simbario is in climate zone E, with 2,662 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 766 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Simbario has 1 school and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop.

The data shows no healthcare facilities within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.4 per 1,000 residents.

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 3.7% of the land in Simbario, compared with 5.9% 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 Simbario.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Simbario: 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 Simbario 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 8 inhabited census areas in Simbario. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 100.0%

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

ISTAT code 102038. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.