Venice often feels like a stage set: gondoliers serenade couples beneath bridges, tourists pose in St. Mark’s Square, and waves lap at marble steps worn by centuries of history. But with all the cruise ships, day-trippers, and souvenir shops, many people start to wonder:
Do people actually live in Venice full-time?
Is there still a real community beneath the beauty and the crowds? Or has the city become a ghost town with only tourists and hotels?
The answer is yes, but it’s complicated. While the population has declined dramatically over the past 70 years, thousands of resilient Venetians still call the lagoon home. In this in-depth article, we explore what it means to live in Venice year-round—from raising children to commuting by boat—and why some Venetians refuse to leave, no matter how hard life gets.
📖 Table of Contents
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Yes—People Still Live in Venice (But Fewer Every Year)
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How Many Full-Time Residents Are Left?
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Where the Real Venetians Live
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Who Still Lives in Venice (And Why)
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What’s Daily Life Like in Venice?
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The Challenges of Living Full-Time in Venice
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Raising Children in Venice
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Is There a Real Local Community?
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How Locals Deal with the Cost of Living
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How Tourism Affects Residential Life
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Venice and the Fight Against Depopulation
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Are Young People Staying or Leaving?
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Does Anyone Still Work Outside of Tourism?
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Local Schools, Hospitals, and Public Services
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How Venetians Adapt to Water, Weather & Acqua Alta
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Full-Time Life on the Islands: Giudecca, Murano & Lido
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Can Foreigners or Expats Live in Venice Full-Time?
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Do People Retire in Venice?
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What the Future Holds for Residential Venice
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Final Thoughts: A City That Refuses to Sink
1. Yes—People Still Live in Venice (But Fewer Every Year)
Keywords: do people live in Venice, full-time residents in Venice, Venice population 2025
Despite how surreal it may feel, Venice is still home to thousands of full-time residents. Children go to school. Groceries get delivered by boat. Laundry hangs from windows. Daily life continues, just not as visibly as the tourist rush.
However, the number of residents has dropped from over 175,000 in the 1950s to fewer than 49,000 today in the historic center (2025 estimate). The reasons are many: rising costs, limited housing, overtourism, and the challenges of living in a city without roads.
2. How Many Full-Time Residents Are Left?
Venice is divided into several zones. Here’s where people still live full-time:
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Historic center (Centro Storico): ~49,000
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Giudecca, Murano, Burano, Lido, Sant’Erasmo, Pellestrina: ~27,000
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Mainland areas (Mestre, Marghera): ~175,000
👉 While people still live full-time in Venice itself, more Venetians now live in Mestre—on the mainland—and commute.
3. Where the Real Venetians Live
Tourists tend to crowd areas like San Marco and Rialto, but locals often live in:
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Cannaregio: Family-friendly, local shops, Jewish Ghetto
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Castello: Quiet, authentic, residential
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Dorsoduro: Mix of students, artists, locals
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Giudecca: Working-class island with beautiful views
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Murano, Burano, Pellestrina: Artisan villages with strong communities
4. Who Still Lives in Venice (And Why)
Who are today’s Venetians?
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Generational families who’ve lived here for centuries
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Young couples trying to raise kids in a special place
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Artists and artisans keeping traditions alive
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Teachers, porters, shop owners who rely on proximity
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Seniors who never left their birthplace
Most stay because they love it, despite the hardships. For many, Venice is not just home—it’s identity.
5. What’s Daily Life Like in Venice?
Imagine doing everything without a car:
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Walking everywhere or taking waterbuses
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Carrying groceries up stone bridges
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Timing errands around tides and tourist waves
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Taking your kids to school by boat
It’s slower, more physical—and incredibly beautiful. But it’s also logistically challenging.
6. The Challenges of Living Full-Time in Venice
Venetians face real problems:
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🏠 Lack of affordable housing due to Airbnb and second homes
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🚤 Overcrowded vaporetti during peak hours
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🌊 Acqua Alta flooding, especially in winter
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💰 Rising prices for everything from coffee to rent
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🚫 Noise, waste, and disrespect from some tourists
Many residents feel like guests in their own city.
7. Raising Children in Venice
Is Venice a good place to raise kids?
Surprisingly, many locals say yes:
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It’s safe, with no cars
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Children grow up outdoors, walking and exploring
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Schools are small and community-based
But challenges include:
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Long commutes if parents work outside Venice
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Shrinking number of schools due to low birth rates
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Limited housing for growing families
8. Is There a Real Local Community?
Absolutely.
Venice has a tight-knit social fabric. People know their neighbors. They shop at the same bakeries, go to church in centuries-old chapels, and celebrate events like:
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🥁 Redentore festival
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🛶 Vogalonga rowing marathon
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🎭 Carnival (Carnevale)—with local-only versions in Castello and Cannaregio
Behind the crowds, a real community still flourishes.
9. How Locals Manage the Cost of Living
Housing is the hardest part. Locals cope by:
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Living in multi-generational households
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Renting on the outskirts or other islands
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Commuting from Mestre or Treporti
Some residents rely on:
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Social housing (case popolari)
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Rent-controlled apartments
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Family-owned property passed down
Groceries, transport, and utilities are higher than mainland prices.
10. How Tourism Affects Residential Life
Keywords: living in Venice with tourists, life in Venice full-time
Tourism brings jobs—but also stress.
Negatives include:
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Noise and crowds
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Loss of local shops (replaced by tourist stores)
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Long queues at banks, pharmacies, and vaporetti
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Rising rents due to vacation apartments
Some locals leave the city during summer or peak Carnival days. Others plan their errands early in the morning, before tourist waves arrive.
11. Venice and the Fight Against Depopulation
Venetians are fighting back:
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Petitions and protests to regulate Airbnb
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Campaigns to keep post offices, schools, and hospitals open
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Initiatives like #VeneziaNonÈUnaDisneyland (“Venice is not a theme park”)
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Local cooperatives restoring abandoned buildings
One proposal even suggested giving financial incentives to families who return to the historic center.
12. Are Young People Staying or Leaving?
Sadly, many young people leave due to:
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Lack of jobs outside of tourism
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High housing costs
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Limited nightlife or entertainment
But some stay—or come back—especially those working in:
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Arts
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Heritage preservation
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Sustainable tourism
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Local food and crafts
13. Does Anyone Still Work Outside Tourism?
Yes—though most employment is tied to tourism indirectly.
Other sectors include:
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Public transport & porters
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Education
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Healthcare
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Artisanal crafts (Murano glass, gondola-making, etc.)
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Cultural institutions (museums, Biennale)
There’s also a growing number of remote workers, expats, and digital creatives.
14. Local Schools, Hospitals, and Public Services
Yes, there are still:
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Public and private schools (some closing due to low enrollment)
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Hospitals (Ospedale Civile near Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo)
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Community centers and libraries
But many services are under pressure, especially during peak tourism.
15. How Venetians Deal with Water, Weather & Acqua Alta
Flooding is part of life. Venetians prepare with:
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Rubber boots always by the door
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Elevated home entrances
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Apps like Hi!Tide Venice to track water levels
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Local news reports from the Centro Maree
Most adapt, and some even enjoy the poetic side of it: reflections, quiet streets, a city turned into a mirror.
16. Life on the Islands: Giudecca, Murano, Lido
Not all full-time residents live in central Venice.
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Giudecca – Quiet, working class, strong community
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Murano – Famous for glassmakers, fewer tourists
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Burano – Colorful fishing village with island pride
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Lido – Has roads, beaches, cars, and more space
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Pellestrina & Sant’Erasmo – Rural, traditional, peaceful
These areas are often more affordable and community-driven.
17. Can Foreigners or Expats Live in Venice Full-Time?
Yes—many do!
Some foreigners move to Venice full-time as:
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Retirees
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Artists or musicians
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University professors
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Remote workers or entrepreneurs
Challenges include:
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Navigating bureaucracy
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Learning Italian
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Finding legal long-term rentals
But the payoff is extraordinary—living in a city with no cars, constant beauty, and infinite stories.
18. Do People Retire in Venice?
Many locals stay for life. Others return in retirement after working elsewhere.
Benefits include:
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Familiarity and history
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Slow pace of life
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Public health care
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Accessible beauty
Drawbacks include:
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Flooding
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High stairs and bridges
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Rising costs of living
Still, many elderly Venetians say they would never live anywhere else.
19. What the Future Holds for Residential Venice
Without intervention, Venice risks becoming:
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A hollow city of tourists
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A museum with no residents
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A luxury destination with no workers
But Venetians are resourceful and proud. Solutions include:
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Sustainable tourism
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Rent regulation
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Community projects
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Government support
The hope? To revive Venice not just as a destination, but as a home.
20. Final Thoughts: A City That Refuses to Sink
So, do people really still live in Venice full-time?
Yes. Thousands do. And they love, struggle, adapt, and resist—every single day.
Venice is not a stage. It’s not a theme park. It’s a living city full of laughter, laundry, barking dogs, children, workers, artisans, and old ladies gossiping in dialect.
If you visit Venice, be more than a tourist. Be a guest.
🛶 Respect the bridges.
🛍️ Shop from local stores.
📚 Learn its stories.
❤️ Help it stay alive—not just in your photos, but in real life.
📍 Want to see real Venice ?
At Tour Leader Venice, we offer private tours and experiences that go beyond the postcards. Let us show you the side of Venice that never makes the headlines—but never stops beating.
