Villabassa: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
Land sheet 6 free checks
Search for an address in Villabassa
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 Frau Emma 1, Villabassa.
Villabassa, the upper Puster Valley by rail and meadow
Villabassa, Niederdorf in German, is a village in the upper Puster Valley (Alta Pusteria), the eastern part of the long valley that crosses South Tyrol towards Austria. It sits above a thousand metres on the broad, flat valley floor of the river Rienza, surrounded by meadows and woods, with the Dolomites close by. Like most of the valley it is mainly German-speaking, and summer and winter tourism matter a great deal.
The village is served by the Puster Valley railway: the public transport data list 1 rail line and 9 bus lines, with 11 stops. For year-round residents this is a real practical advantage, since Brunico and the other towns in the valley can be reached without a car. The climate is alpine, climate zone F, so insulation, windows and the heating system are the first things to check.
Istat, the national statistics office, counts 1,622 residents in 2023, up 9.7% since 2011. The population is young, with an average age of 42.9 and over-65s at 18.3%, and foreign residents make up 8.9%.
Earthquake risk is low: all 116 municipalities in the province of Bolzano are in seismic zone 4, and here the expected ground acceleration is 0.061 g.
South Tyrol uses the tavolare system: ownership and rights are recorded in the land register (libro fondiario), and the Revenue Agency maps are not published here. A purchase needs a land register search through a notary or surveyor. Buyers should also look into the provincial rules on homes reserved for residents, which restrict some sales.
Key points
- Upper Puster Valley, above 1,000 metres, mainly German-speaking.
- 1 rail line and 9 bus lines in the data.
- Residents up 9.7% since 2011.
- Tavolare system: a land register search is needed.
Overview
Villabassa is a municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. At the end of 2023 it had 1,622 residents, ranked 84 of 116 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Villabassa is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 116 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.061 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 grown by 9.7%. The estimated average age is 43 years, in line with the province. 18% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 22%). Foreign residents make up 8.9% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Villabassa declared an average taxable income of 25,494 euros, below the provincial average (28,222 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Villabassa is in climate zone F, with 4,161 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 1,158 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Health lists, Villabassa has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 1 grocery shop and 3 sports facilities.
The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Public transport
Within the municipality there are 11 public transport stops, served by 9 bus lines, 1 train line. That is about 6.8 stops per 1,000 residents.
How built-up it is
Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 5.4% of the land in Villabassa, compared with 2.7% in the province and 2.9% in the region. In 2024 built-up land stayed almost the same.
Radon and contaminated sites
Villabassa is not among the radon priority areas designated by the Provincia autonoma di Bolzano in 2026. 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 Villabassa. 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 Villabassa: 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
For Villabassa the Revenue Agency does not publish cadastral maps: the land registry here uses the tavolare (land book) system. The report cannot give a parcel reference, but it still checks risks, services and transport at the address and states this clearly.
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 34 inhabited census areas in Villabassa. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 71 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 23.5%
- good 74.6%
- very good 1.9%
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.
- Public transport timetables (GTFS): STA Alto Adige, STA - Strutture Trasporto Alto Adige, Open Data Hub Alto Adige (GTFS). Licence CC0 1.0, version 20261111.
- 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), Provincia autonoma di Bolzano, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 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 021113. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.