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Valle San Nicolao: what to know before buying a home

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

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Valle San Nicolao

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: Frazione Ferrere 1, Valle San Nicolao.

Valle San Nicolao, hills and hamlets around Biella

Among meadows, woods and roads that wind up and down, Valle San Nicolao spreads its hamlets over the hills of the Biella area, a short distance from Biella itself. Like much of the province, it grew around the wool industry, which gave work to generations in the Biella valleys.

The striking figure is the fall in population. Istat, the national statistics office, counted 836 residents at the end of 2023, against 1,086 in 2011: 250 fewer, or 23.0%. The average age is 51.5, close to the 49.7 of the province, and over-65s are 30.7%.

For buyers this means a market with plenty of detached houses and small villas, often with a garden or a patch of woodland. Before choosing, look at which way the house faces (on north-facing slopes there is little winter sun), the access road in snow and the state of the boiler: the climate zone is E and winters are long. Anyone working in Biella or the nearby valleys drives hill roads every day, so try the journey before deciding.

Earthquake risk is low. Valle San Nicolao is in seismic zone 4 of the Civil Protection classification, like 50 of the 74 municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of about 0.041 g.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) cadastral maps are published and the report links the address to its land parcel. In an area of slopes and small streams, landslides and flooding are read on the official maps for the exact plot.

Key points

  • Biella hills a short distance from Biella.
  • Population down 23.0% since 2011.
  • Seismic zone 4, like 50 of 74 municipalities in the province.
  • Check which way the house faces and winter access.

Overview

Valle San Nicolao is a municipality in the province of Biella, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 836 residents, ranked 45 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Valle San Nicolao is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (50 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.041 g, a low 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 23.0%. The estimated average age is 51 years, higher than the province average (50). 31% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 4.4% of the population. On average, a household has 2.1 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Valle San Nicolao declared an average taxable income of 23,717 euros, below the provincial average (25,111 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Valle San Nicolao is in climate zone E, with 2,647 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 464 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Valle San Nicolao has 2 schools and 1 pharmacy.

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 2.8% of the land in Valle San Nicolao, compared with 8.0% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Valle San Nicolao is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte 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 contaminated sites in Valle San Nicolao.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Valle San Nicolao: 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 Valle San Nicolao 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 22 inhabited census areas in Valle San Nicolao. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 60 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 77.4%
  • good 22.6%

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 096074. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.