The Markets with the Highest Intensity of Large Floor Areas: Mantua, Cremona and Pavia Lead Lombardy (2023–2025 Data)
Official data, Italian Revenue Agency
While in the Milan metropolitan area the high cost per square metre forces demand to concentrate on small and medium-small sizes, the southern belt of Lombardy shows the opposite dynamic. The provinces of Mantua, Cremona and Pavia are the three regional markets with a high and very high intensity of large floor areas, where homes above 85 sqm make up the vast majority of residential sales (Normalised Number of Transactions - NTN).
According to the official surveys for 2023, 2024 and 2025, these three provinces generated a combined 19,906.63 residential sales in 2025. Of these, as many as 13,360.10 transactions (67.11% of the combined total) concerned homes with a floor area above 85 sqm.
1. The Lead of the Three Provinces: 2025 Data Compared
The central role of large floor areas in the three provincial contexts emerges clearly from the comparison with the Lombardy regional average (where the >85 sqm size accounts for 54.98%) and with Milan city (where it stops at 35.03%).
Detail of the Large Floor Area Market (Year 2025)
- Province of Mantua: The market with the highest intensity of large floor areas in the whole region. Out of 5,566.90 NTN in total, as many as 4,131.50 sales (74.22%) concern homes above 85 sqm. In addition, 48.98% of the market (2,726.71 NTN) exceeds 115 sqm, and almost one home in three (32.88% - 1,830.19 NTN) has a floor area above 145 sqm.
- Province of Cremona: Second in the region by share. Out of 5,009.32 NTN in total, 3,568.64 transactions (71.24%) are above 85 sqm. Homes above 115 sqm represent 43.94% of sales (2,200.87 NTN), while the over 145 sqm band covers 25.79% (1,291.74 NTN).
- Province of Pavia: The third high-intensity hub of the Lower Plain. Out of 9,330.41 NTN in total, 5,659.96 sales (60.66%) concern homes above 85 sqm. Floor areas above 115 sqm cover 34.01% (3,173.40 NTN), with the over 145 sqm band at 19.26% (1,797.13 NTN).
2. Comparative Table: Distribution of Floor Areas (>85 sqm) in 2025
| Province | Total sales 2025 | Share 85–115 sqm | Share 115–145 sqm | Share over 145 sqm | Total share >85 sqm | Total share >115 sqm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mantua | 5,566.90 | 25.23% (1,404.79) | 16.10% (896.52) | 32.88% (1,830.19) | 74.22% | 48.98% |
| Cremona | 5,009.32 | 27.30% (1,367.77) | 18.15% (909.13) | 25.79% (1,291.74) | 71.24% | 43.94% |
| Pavia | 9,330.41 | 26.65% (2,486.56) | 14.75% (1,376.27) | 19.26% (1,797.13) | 60.66% | 34.01% |
| Lombardy (Average) | 162,189.39 | 27.03% | 13.24% | 14.71% | 54.98% | 27.95% |
| Milan city | 25,172.96 | 20.08% | 7.97% | 6.98% | 35.03% | 14.95% |
Source: official data, Italian Revenue Agency
3. Evolution over the Three Years (2023–2025): Solid Growth
The preference for large living spaces in these three provinces is not a cyclical phenomenon but a structural trend that consolidated and expanded throughout 2023–2025.
The Trend in Total Sales Volumes
- Province of Pavia (+13.66% from 2023): Goes from 8,208.98 NTN in 2023 to 8,524.00 NTN in 2024 (+3.84%), then reaches 9,330.41 NTN in 2025 (+9.46%). The push comes both from the provincial capital and from the municipalities of the Oltrepò and Lomellina.
- Province of Cremona (+10.03% from 2023): Grows uninterruptedly from 4,552.82 NTN in 2023 to 4,764.19 NTN in 2024 (+4.64%), exceeding the threshold of 5,000 transactions in 2025 (5,009.32 NTN, +5.15%).
- Province of Mantua (+9.67% from 2023): Rises from 5,076.17 NTN in 2023 to 5,142.58 NTN in 2024 (+1.31%), recording a strong acceleration in 2025 (5,566.90 NTN, +8.25%).
4. Structural Factors and Prevailing Housing Types
The high share of floor areas above 85 sqm in these three provinces responds to precise features of the urban and social fabric of southern Lombardy:
- Predominance of Detached and Semi-Detached Housing: Unlike vertical metropolitan contexts, the housing stock of Mantua, Cremona and Pavia includes a high percentage of single-family villas, parts of two-family houses, renovated farmhouses and terraced houses with private gardens.
- Affordable Prices per Square Metre: Lower average property values allow families to buy larger living spaces (over 115 or 145 sqm) with budgets equivalent to those needed for a one-bedroom flat in the Milan urban area.
- Low Share of Micro-Sizes: In Mantua homes below 50 sqm account for only 2.78% of sales (155.00 NTN), in Cremona 3.92% (196.46 NTN) and in Pavia 6.68% (623.01 NTN), confirming a market oriented almost exclusively to the main home of residents.
Summary observations on the data
- For those analysing residential supply: The provinces of Mantua, Cremona and Pavia are the preferred markets for large two-bedroom flats, three-bedroom flats and detached homes, with more than two thirds of total transactions above the 85 sqm threshold.
- For those monitoring floor area trends: The regional comparison shows a clear polarisation: while Milan city concentrates a third of the region's micro-sizes, southern Lombardy absorbs the majority of large floor areas intended for families.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions on Large Floor Area Data
Which Lombardy province has the highest percentage of homes above 85 sqm?
The Province of Mantua leads the regional ranking: in 2025 74.22% of residential sales (4,131.50 out of 5,566.90 NTN) concerned homes with a floor area above 85 sqm.
How many homes above 145 sqm are sold in Mantua, Cremona and Pavia?
In 2025 1,830.19 sales above 145 sqm were recorded in Mantua (32.88% of the provincial total), 1,291.74 in Cremona (25.79%) and 1,797.13 in Pavia (19.26%), for a total of 4,919.06 detached or large homes traded in the three provinces.
How do these data compare with Milan city?
In Milan city homes above 85 sqm account for only 35.03% of transactions, and those above 115 sqm just 14.95%. In Mantua and Cremona the share of large floor areas is more than double that of the regional capital.
Informative article based on the official data of the Italian Revenue Agency (NTN 2023-2025).