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Ternate: 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

Search for an address in Ternate

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 Varese 1, Ternate.

Ternate, Lake Comabbio and the train to Milan

Ternate lies on the shore of Lake Comabbio, in the south of the Varese area, among glacial hills, woods and the small lake it shares with neighbouring villages. It is heavily built-up for its size: much of the land is taken up by houses, roads and business areas, with little farmland left.

Its main advantage is the train. In the open timetables the municipality has 1 station served by 2 rail lines, plus 1 bus line: a real option for anyone working in Milan, Varese or the Gallarate area who would rather not drive every day. The report shows for every address how far the nearest stop is.

According to Istat, the national statistics office, there were 2,484 residents in 2023, up 0.4% since 2011, so practically stable. The average age is 47.4, slightly above 46.5 for the province of Varese, and 24.0% of residents are over 65. Foreign nationals make up 4.2%. Declared incomes are in line with the provincial average.

The market offers detached and terraced houses and flats in small blocks, with a few older houses in the historic core. The climate is zone E: cold, damp winters with fog near the lake, which is why the energy rating and damp are among the first things to check.

Seismic hazard is the lowest: Ternate is in zone 4 of the Civil Protection classification, like 135 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.038 g. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastre is published and the report finds the land parcel; near the shore, the official flood maps are read address by address.

Key points

  • On the shore of Lake Comabbio, in the south of the Varese area
  • 1 station with 2 rail lines in the open timetables
  • 2,484 residents, almost unchanged since 2011
  • Seismic zone 4, the lowest

Overview

Ternate is a municipality in the province of Varese, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 2,484 residents, ranked 88 of 136 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ternate 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 number of residents is nearly unchanged. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 24% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 4.2% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ternate declared an average taxable income of 27,344 euros, in line with the province (27,186 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Ternate is in climate zone E, with 2,513 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 281 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Ternate has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 1 healthcare facility, 4 sports facilities and 2 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 2 train lines, 1 bus line. That is about 0.4 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 35.3% of the land in Ternate, compared with 21.1% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 0.6 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Ternate 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Ternate. 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 Ternate: 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 Ternate 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 10 inhabited census areas in Ternate. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 79 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 25.9%
  • good 30.2%
  • very good 43.9%

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 012126. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.