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Tirano: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Tirano

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: Viale Italia 1, Tirano.

Tirano, the sanctuary and the Bernina railway

Tirano is the last town in the Valtellina before the Swiss border, on the floor of the Adda valley at about four hundred and forty metres. It is known for the sanctuary of the Madonna di Tirano and as the end of the line for the red Bernina train, the Rhaetian Railway route that crosses the Alps to St. Moritz and is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The town is also the terminus of the railway down to Sondrio, Lecco and Milan: published timetables show 1 station with 2 train lines, as well as buses to the upper valley. Many residents work across the border in Switzerland, which keeps up demand for homes to buy and rent.

At the end of 2023 there were 8,821 residents according to Istat, the national statistics office, down 2.8% on 2011. Tirano ranks number 3 by population in the province of Sondrio. The estimated average age is 47.7, slightly above the provincial 46.8, and over-65s make up 26.6%. Foreign residents account for 8.0%, and declared incomes are above the provincial average.

The earthquake hazard is moderate: Tirano is in seismic zone 3, like 64 municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.080 g. Winters are cold, and in older houses insulation, windows and the boiler make the real difference to running costs.

In an Alpine valley, the Adda, the side streams and the steep slopes all matter. The report reads the official flood and landslide maps at the exact address and, with the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps, which are published, traces it to the land parcel.

Key points

  • End of the line for the Bernina train and the railway to Milan.
  • Many cross-border workers keep demand for homes steady.
  • Number 3 in the province by size, 8,821 residents.
  • Seismic zone 3, expected acceleration about 0.080 g.

Overview

Tirano is a municipality in the province of Sondrio, in Lombardia. At the end of 2023 it had 8,821 residents, the third most populous in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Tirano is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. Most municipalities in the province (64 of 77) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.080 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 resident population has fallen by 2.8%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 27% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 24%). Foreign residents make up 8.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.2 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Tirano declared an average taxable income of 24,708 euros, in line with the province (23,822 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Tirano is in climate zone E, with 2,696 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 441 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Tirano has 9 schools and 3 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 12 grocery shops and supermarkets, 6 healthcare facilities, 8 sports facilities and 2 parks and green areas.

There are 1.4 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (1.0).

Public transport

Within the municipality there are 1 public transport stops, served by 2 train lines, 1 bus line. That is about 0.1 stops per 1,000 residents.

How built-up it is

Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 9.5% of the land in Tirano, compared with 2.7% in the province and 12.2% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 1.5 hectares.

Radon and contaminated sites

Tirano 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 Tirano; 4 have been cleaned up or closed.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Tirano: 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 Tirano 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 43 inhabited census areas in Tirano. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 76 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 10.4%
  • good 63.3%
  • very good 26.2%

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 014066. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.