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Ucria: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Ucria

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 Padre Bernardino 1, Ucria.

Ucria, a mid-mountain village in the Nebrodi

In the Nebrodi, the mountain range that divides the Tyrrhenian coast of the province of Messina from the Sicilian interior, Ucria occupies a hillside above 700 metres. Around it are woods, pastures and hazelnut groves, and the coast with its larger towns is reached by long, winding roads: the first practical point for anyone thinking of living here.

The houses are mostly stone, packed together along sloping streets. Buyers should budget for work on roofs and services, and for proper heating: the climate zone is D, but at this altitude winters are colder than on the coast. For everyday life, a house in the centre that you can drive right up to is worth more than one with the best view.

Depopulation is marked. At the end of 2023 there were 875 residents, down 20.8% from 1,105 in 2011. The average age is 50.3, against 46.7 in the province, and over-65s are 31.4%; foreign residents are few, at 1.9%. Average declared income is below the provincial level.

Ucria is in seismic zone 2, like 91 of the 108 municipalities in the province of Messina, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.192 g. That is a medium-high value: for a stone house, ask whether any strengthening has been done and whether the floors are anchored to the walls.

On the slopes of the Nebrodi, landslides need checking address by address, and the report does this on the official maps. The Revenue Agency publishes the cadastral maps, which link the address to its land parcel.

Key points

  • Nebrodi village above 700 metres, inland from the coast.
  • 875 residents, down 20.8% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 31.4%, average age 50.3.
  • Seismic zone 2, expected acceleration about 0.192 g.

Overview

Ucria is a municipality in the province of Messina, in Sicilia. At the end of 2023 it had 875 residents, ranked 83 of 108 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ucria is in seismic zone 2, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible. Most municipalities in the province (91 of 108) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.192 g, a medium-high value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.

For anyone buying in Ucria, 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 20.8%. The estimated average age is 50 years, higher than the province average (47). 31% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 23%). Foreign residents make up 1.9% of the population. On average, a household has 1.8 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ucria declared an average taxable income of 16,665 euros, below the provincial average (20,687 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Ucria is in climate zone D, with 1,840 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 1 November to 15 April, for up to 12 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 710 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Ucria has 3 schools and 2 pharmacies.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets 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 3.8% of the land in Ucria, compared with 6.0% in the province and 6.6% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Official databases list no contaminated sites in Ucria.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Ucria: 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 Ucria 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 14 inhabited census areas in Ucria. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 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 083102. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.