Skip to content
Vicinalia
Italiano Sign up

Ussassai: 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 Ussassai

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 Nazionale 1, Ussassai.

Ussassai, a mountain village in inland Ogliastra

Ussassai is one of the mountain villages of inland Ogliastra, well away from the coast and built on a hillside at around 670 metres among hills, woods and pasture. The roads linking it to other towns are winding mountain roads: for the hospital, secondary schools and public offices people head towards Lanusei and Tortolì, the two main towns of the province, and travel times need to be factored in.

The village has lost many residents: 445 in 2023, against 599 in 2011, a fall of 25.7%. The estimated average age is 55.5, compared with 47.9 for the province, and over-65s make up 42.2% (27.0% provincially). Households are small, 1.73 people on average, and foreign residents account for 1.3%. Declared incomes are in line with the province.

Homes for sale are generally village houses in stone or block, on several floors, often built into the slope. The climate is zone D, but at this altitude winter makes itself felt: check the roof, windows and heating carefully, as well as damp in rooms against the hillside. On the slopes the report checks gradient and landslide hazard for the address.

On earthquakes the picture is calm: the 23 municipalities of Ogliastra are all in seismic zone 4, the lowest class on the national scale, and expected ground acceleration at Ussassai is about 0.050 g.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps cover this municipality too, so the report gets from the address to the land parcel.

Key points

  • Mountain village in inland Ogliastra, at about 670 metres.
  • 445 residents in 2023, down 25.7% since 2011.
  • Over-65s at 42.2%, against 27.0% in the province.
  • All 23 Ogliastra municipalities in seismic zone 4.

Overview

Ussassai is a municipality in the province of Ogliastra, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 445 residents, among the smallest in the province (23 of 23).

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Ussassai 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 fallen by 25.7%. The estimated average age is 56 years, higher than the province average (48). 42% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 1.3% of the population. On average, a household has 1.7 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Ussassai declared an average taxable income of 19,358 euros, in line with the province (19,512 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Ussassai is in climate zone D, with 1,784 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 670 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Ussassai has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 parks and green areas.

The data shows no grocery shops and supermarkets within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.7 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 1.6% of the land in Ussassai, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Ussassai 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 Ussassai: 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 Ussassai 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 2 inhabited census areas in Ussassai. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 57 or more.

Residents by band

  • modest 1.3%
  • fair 98.7%

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 116021. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.