Buying a house in Milan, Forlanini the most searched for but the demand moves to the suburbs

Despite its very active real estate market, Milan 's neighborhoods are not among the most sought-after in Italy. This is stated in a report by Idealista, which measured the intensity of demand compared to the supply of homes for sale in the neighborhoods of the main Italian cities. Milan appears only in 37th place with the Forlanini neighborhood, a growing area located on the outskirts, while there are surprises such as the Centro Storico which is instead one of the least sought-after neighborhoods by those who want to buy a house in Milan.

The ranking of the neighborhoods

In first place is Forlanini , which in the first quarter of 2025 recorded a relative demand index of 4.7, an indicator that summarizes the pressure of demand on supply in each area of ​​Italy by segment of houses for sale and is based on the number of contacts received per advertisement.

The value may seem high, but instead it places the neighborhood far from the top positions, all led by Roman neighborhoods . Comasina – Bicocca follows, a neighborhood on the far northern edge of the city, with an index of 3.8. In third place is Città Studi – Lambrate , which is located in the north-east of Milan and where there is the highest concentration of academic institutes in the city, with a score of 3.8. Outside the podium are Baggio , now a neighborhood but once an independent municipality, with a value of 3.7, and Corvetto – Rogoredo , a peripheral area with a strong multi-ethnic presence, with 3.6.

• Forlanini – 4.7;
• Comasina-Bicocca – 3.8;
• Città Studi-Lambrate – 3.8;
• Baggio – 3.7;
• Corvetto-Rogoredo – 3.6;
• Lorenteggio-Bande Nere – 3.5;
• Cermenate-Missaglia – 3.5;
• Fiera-De Angeli – 3.4;
• Porta Vittoria – 3.3;
• Greco-Turro – 3.2.

At the bottom of the Milan ranking for relative demand index are some historic and peripheral neighborhoods. Certosa and Garibaldi-Porta Venezia register a score of 2.9, followed by Famagosta – Barona with 2.8. Even lower down is the Historic Center, with an index of 2.7, a sign of a more balanced market where supply manages to keep up with demand. Closing the ranking is San Siro-Trenno-Figino , with a value of just 1.7, indicative of very low demand pressure compared to the rest of the city.

The importance of services in neighborhoods

Curiously, Forlanini is preceded by a district in the hinterland, Sesto Marelli in Sesto San Giovanni (5.3) in twenty-fourth position. This is a particularly attractive area for those who want to live in the immediate vicinity of Milan, benefiting from lower costs than in the city. The strategic position, well connected to the center by public transport, combined with a good supply of services, schools and proximity to the Bicocca University, makes it a very popular choice.

Neighborhoods with the presence of academic centers (Città Studi-Lambrate, Comasina-Bicocca and Fiera-De Angeli) maintain high scores, although far from the Roman "peaks". On the contrary, peripheral areas formerly autonomous or with a strong multi-ethnic composition (Baggio, Corvetto-Rogoredo and San Siro-Trenno-Figino) show lower indices, confirming that infrastructure, perception of safety and urban reputation weigh in the choice of buyers.

Historic and central neighborhoods such as Garibaldi-Porta Venezia and Centro Storico are even below many peripheral areas , probably due to a wider offer and a more mature balance between demand and price. In this sense, belt areas such as Sesto Marelli and Comasina-Bicocca are more in demand than many “inner city” areas, proving the trade-off between distance from the center and purchase costs .