Varzo: 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
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Search for an address in Varzo
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 San Domenico 1, Varzo.
Varzo, the Divedro valley on the Simplon route
Varzo is the main village of the Val Divedro, the valley that climbs from Domodossola towards the Simplon pass and Switzerland. The Simplon road and the international railway through the tunnel to Brig both run through it, with a station in the village. The municipality also takes in the Alpe Veglia, part of the Veglia Devero nature park, and the ski area of San Domenico.
This is a real mountain municipality, with the centre at around 570 metres and hamlets and summer pastures much higher up. Homes range from stone buildings with piode roofs, the heavy stone slabs typical of the Ossola valleys, to blocks of flats and holiday homes in the resort areas. In climate zone F, heating costs weigh for many months, so check windows, insulation and boiler first. For anyone working in Switzerland, the border is close.
According to Istat, the national statistics office, there were 1,945 residents at the end of 2023, down 7.6% on 2011. The average age is 50.2, slightly above 49.0 in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, and over-65s are 31.1%. Foreign residents make up 4.3%. Declared incomes are below the provincial average.
The seismic zone is 3, with an expected ground acceleration of 0.106 g. In stone houses, check the roof, which is very heavy with piode, and the condition of the beams.
In the mountains conditions vary between valley floor, slopes and the fans of the streams, so the report reads the official landslide and flood maps for each address. Cadastral maps are published by the Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate).
Key points
- Val Divedro, on the Simplon road and railway.
- Includes the Alpe Veglia and San Domenico.
- Climate zone F: insulation and heating come first.
- Population down 7.6% since 2011.
Overview
Varzo is a municipality in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piemonte. At the end of 2023 it had 1,945 residents, ranked 16 of 74 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Varzo is in seismic zone 3, a zone where strong earthquakes are possible but rare. The region uses a finer breakdown: here the classification is 3S. Only 28 of 74 municipalities in the province are in zone 3.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.106 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
Even in zone 3, seismic standards apply to new buildings: for an older building, ask about the design year and any structural work.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has fallen by 7.6%. The estimated average age is 50 years, in line with the province. 31% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 4.3% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Varzo declared an average taxable income of 18,834 euros, below the provincial average (23,146 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Varzo is in climate zone F, with 3,043 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 568 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Varzo has 3 schools and 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 2 sports facilities and 4 parks and green areas.
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 1.2% of the land in Varzo, 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
Varzo is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Regione Piemonte in 2023. 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.
Official databases list one contaminated site, or site still under investigation, in Varzo. 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 Varzo: 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 Varzo 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 52 inhabited census areas in Varzo. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 59 or more.
Residents by band
- modest 2.1%
- fair 54.9%
- good 43.0%
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
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Piemonte, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2023.
- Contaminated sites, Regione Piemonte, Anagrafe regionale dei siti contaminati (ASCO). Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 9 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 103071. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.