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Valstrona: what to know before buying a home

A municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piemonte. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.

Liveability index free for any address

Search for an address in Valstrona

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 Roma 2, Valstrona.

Valstrona, the wooded valley climbing from Omegna

From Omegna, at the northern tip of Lake Orta, a road climbs the valley of the Strona stream up to the mountains on the border with the Valsesia: this whole narrow, wooded valley is the municipality of Valstrona, with its hamlets spread along the stream and up the slopes. The town hall stands at around 520 metres, and the area is almost entirely woods and pasture, with very little built-up land.

For work, secondary schools and shops you go down to Omegna and the lake, and from there to Verbania or Novara. Houses are mainly stone buildings with stone-slab roofs, often second homes, plus a few newer homes in the lower hamlets. On the valley floor the winter sun does not last long, so check the energy rating, damp and the state of the roof before making an offer. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.

The valley has 1,155 residents in 2023, 8.9% fewer than in 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office. The average age is 48.4, slightly below the 49.0 of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola; over-65s are 25.5% and foreign residents 1.3%.

Seismic hazard is low: Valstrona is in zone 4 of the Civil Protection classification, like 45 other municipalities in the province, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.053 g. In mountain houses what matters most is the roof, which carries the snow, and the soundness of the stone walls.

The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes cadastral maps and the report traces the address to its land parcel. In such a narrow valley, position relative to the Strona and the slopes makes all the difference: landslides and flooding are read on the official maps for the individual house.

Key points

  • Strona valley, from Omegna towards the Valsesia border.
  • Almost all woodland, with stone houses and hamlets.
  • Seismic zone 4, expected acceleration 0.053 g.
  • Population down 8.9% since 2011.

Overview

Valstrona is a municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 1,155 residents, ranked 30 of 74 municipalities in the province.

Earthquakes

For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Valstrona is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. Most municipalities in the province (46 of 74) are in the same zone.

In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.053 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 8.9%. The estimated average age is 48 years, in line with the province. 26% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 1.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.

Income and climate

In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Valstrona declared an average taxable income of 20,000 euros, below the provincial average (23,146 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.

Valstrona is in climate zone E, with 2,987 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 525 metres above sea level.

Services

In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Valstrona has 6 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 1 green area.

The data shows no healthcare facilities 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 0.9% of the land in Valstrona, compared with 2.8% in the province and 6.7% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.

Radon and contaminated sites

Valstrona 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 one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Valstrona. The report tells you whether one is close to the address.

Landslides and flooding

Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Valstrona: 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 Valstrona 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 25 inhabited census areas in Valstrona. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 61 or more.

Residents by band

  • fair 66.0%
  • good 34.0%

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 103069. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.