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Tertenia: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Tertenia

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 Roma 1, Tertenia.

Tertenia, the village and the Sarrala coast in Ogliastra

Tertenia lies in southern Ogliastra and is one of the province's larger municipalities by population. The village sits in a valley that opens towards the Tyrrhenian Sea, a few kilometres inland, on the main east-coast road, the Orientale Sarda; on the coast is the Sarrala seaside area, with beaches and holiday homes.

Buyers face two markets. In the village, family houses, often extended over time, and detached houses on the edges; at the coast, summer houses used for a few months a year, where it is worth asking about utility connections, upkeep and management in the empty months. Distances in Ogliastra are measured in driving time: for hospital care and wider services, the reference is the Tortolì and Lanusei area. Average declared incomes are below the provincial average.

In 2023 there were 3,862 residents, up 1.2% on 2011, while many inland Sardinian villages are losing people. The average age is 46.6 against 47.9 for the province, over-65s make up 26.5% and foreign residents 1.7%. Households are small, 1.94 people on average.

Earthquakes are not an issue: the 23 municipalities of Ogliastra are all in seismic zone 4, the lowest, and the expected ground acceleration in the built-up area is about 0.050 g. In older houses the roof, damp and systems matter more; the climate is mild (climate zone C).

In eastern Sardinia rain can be very intense, and the streams running from the mountains to the sea rise quickly. The report checks the official flood and landslide maps for the address and, using the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps, traces the plot.

Key points

  • Southern Ogliastra, with the village inland and the Sarrala coast.
  • 3,862 residents, up 1.2% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, like all 23 municipalities in Ogliastra.
  • Intense rain and streams: check flood hazard for the address.

Overview

Tertenia is a municipality in the province of Ogliastra, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 3,862 residents, the third most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Tertenia is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 23 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 g, a moderate 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 1.2%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 1.7% of the population. On average, a household has 1.9 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Tertenia declared an average taxable income of 16,940 euros, below the provincial average (19,512 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Tertenia is in climate zone C, with 1,201 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 139 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Tertenia has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop, 2 healthcare facilities and 1 sports facility.

There are 0.3 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, fewer than the province average (0.7).

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 2.3% of the land in Tertenia, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Tertenia is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Tertenia: 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 Tertenia 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 57 inhabited census areas in Tertenia. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 65 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 39.5%
  • good 60.5%

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 116016. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.