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Tonara: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Tonara

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 Monsignor Raimondo Tore 1, Tonara.

Tonara, the nougat village in the Gennargentu mountains

On the western slopes of the Gennargentu, the mountainous heart of Sardinia, Tonara is a hillside mountain village among chestnut, hazel and woodland. It is known across the island for its torrone (nougat) and for its handmade cowbells. The centre is at around 900 metres, and the roads to Nuoro and to the coast are long and winding: living here means choosing a remote village, with the main services some distance away.

Homes are mostly village houses in stone and masonry, often on several levels to follow the slope, alongside some newer buildings. The climate zone is E, and winters at this height are cold, sometimes with snow, so heating, insulation and the condition of the roof deserve careful attention. The gradient of the plot and winter access to the house are practical points to check.

Istat, the national statistics office, records 1,757 residents in 2023, down 17.0% since 2011. The average age is 49.9, above the provincial 48.3, and over-65s make up 30.6%. Households are small, 2.01 people on average, and foreign residents are 3.4%. Declared incomes are close to, and slightly above, the average for the province of Nuoro.

The seismic picture is calm: all 53 municipalities in the province, Tonara included, are in seismic zone 4, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.050 g. For old houses, wall maintenance and waterproofing matter most.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps, so from the address the report identifies the land parcel and checks the slope and the official landslide maps for that spot.

Key points

  • Mountain village in the Gennargentu, known for nougat and cowbells.
  • Residents down 17.0% since 2011, over-65s at 30.6%.
  • All 53 municipalities in the province in seismic zone 4.
  • Cold winters: check heating and roof carefully.

Overview

Tonara is a municipality in the province of Nuoro, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 1,757 residents, ranked 24 of 53 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Tonara is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 53 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 fallen by 17.0%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (48). 31% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 3.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Tonara declared an average taxable income of 20,039 euros, in line with the province (19,512 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Tonara is in climate zone E, with 2,259 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 910 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Tonara has 4 schools 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 0.6 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 2.0% of the land in Tonara, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Tonara 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 high. 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 Tonara: 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 Tonara 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 11 inhabited census areas in Tonara. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 74 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 0.1%
  • good 99.9%

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 114052. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.