Towns and villages · Ireland

Best places to live in Ireland. Explore every town in depth.

Each town gets detailed pages on 12 subjects, drawn from 13 public data sets: 42,100 heritage buildings and monuments, 3,940 schools and 786,000 property sales. How deep the data goes →

26Counties

320Towns ranked

1,039Places

Explore this townWestport#2 of 6 in County MayoA

KilcullenKildareA⁺

CallanKilkennyA⁺

Ireland by county

Start with a county

All 26 counties, each with its best-ranked town. Dublin has the most ranked towns, 116.

Carlow

3 ranked towns · 17 places

#1Muinebeag (Bagenalstown)B⁺

Cavan

5 ranked towns · 19 places

#1BallyjamesduffB⁺

Clare

5 ranked towns · 41 places

#1SixmilebridgeB⁺

Cork

54 ranked towns · 144 places

#1CarrigtwohillA⁺

Donegal

6 ranked towns · 64 places

#1DonegalA⁻

Dublin

116 ranked towns · 127 places

#1PortmarnockA⁺

Galway

20 ranked towns · 57 places

#1SalthillA

Kerry

5 ranked towns · 39 places

#1CastleislandA⁺

Kildare

14 ranked towns · 44 places

#1KilcockA⁺

Kilkenny

3 ranked towns · 28 places

#1CallanA⁺

Laois

3 ranked towns · 21 places

#1MountmellickC⁺

Leitrim

1 ranked town · 14 places

#1Carrick-On-ShannonB⁻

Limerick

15 ranked towns · 56 places

#1Newcastle WestA⁻

Longford

1 ranked town · 12 places

#1LongfordD

Louth

3 ranked towns · 21 places

#1ArdeeC

Mayo

6 ranked towns · 34 places

#1ClaremorrisA⁺

Meath

11 ranked towns · 33 places

#1AshbourneA⁺

Monaghan

3 ranked towns · 19 places

#1MonaghanA⁻

Offaly

4 ranked towns · 27 places

#1ClaraB

Roscommon

2 ranked towns · 22 places

#1RoscommonA⁻

Sligo

1 ranked town · 21 places

#1SligoC

Tipperary

9 ranked towns · 48 places

#1CahirA

Waterford

12 ranked towns · 32 places

#1Grange UpperB

Westmeath

4 ranked towns · 21 places

#1MoateA⁻

Wexford

5 ranked towns · 45 places

#1WexfordC

Wicklow

9 ranked towns · 33 places

#1Greystones-DelganyA⁻

Rankings

The best-graded towns in Ireland

The 10 top-graded of 320 ranked towns of 2,500 or more, with each town’s rank in its own county.

The full ranking →

Most affordable

Cost of living grade: home prices and rents against local incomes

See the top 100 of 320 →

Safest

Crime recorded by the Gardaí per resident

See the top 100 of 320 →

Best big towns

Overall grade, the 32 ranked towns of 20,000+

All 32 towns →

Best in your county

Choose a countyThe best places to live in each county, town by town.

See every townof 320 ranked towns

More lists across Ireland

Best small towns Healthiest Jobs & income Most walkable Lowest hazard risk Highest incomes Most historic Mildest winters Warmest summers Coolest summers Driest Wettest

See every townof 320 ranked towns

Compare towns

Next door can be a world apart

Set up to four towns side by side: home prices, safety, health, commutes and more, row by row. Here’s Blackrock beside its neighbours.

Compare any towns →

Blackrock vs StillorganMore of Stillorgan lives within a walk of a bakery

Blackrock vs FoxrockMore of Blackrock gets to work without a car

Blackrock vs SallynogginSallynoggin has grown faster since 2016

Town history

Every town has a past. We went and found it.

Every building on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and every monument in the Sites and Monuments Record, 57,499 of them, placed in its town.

See Drogheda’s history →

On the record · 324

Drogheda - The Laurence Town Centre (5633923893).
William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland (CC BY-SA 2.0)

History town of the day

Drogheda, Co. Louth

324 buildings on the NIAH6 of national or international interest105 recorded monumentsHistoric town

Drogheda, recorded since 1350: 324 buildings on the National Inventory. Among them: Barlow House, Boyne Viaduct and Corn Market.

Open Drogheda’s history →

Historic buildingsEvery NIAH building, rated International, National or Regional

MonumentsThe Sites and Monuments Record, from ring forts to tower houses

On the mapEach building and monument where it stands, with its date

Old homesHow many of the town’s homes were built before 1919

Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Monuments: National Monuments Service, Sites and Monuments Record. Homes by year built: CSO, Census 2022.

Attractions

Where people go

Museums, castles, gardens and days out: 1,783 places to visit across Ireland, each with its own page and the towns around it.

Castle1Castle · in Temple BarDublin Castle

2Museum · in St Stephen's GreenNational Museum of Ireland783K visitors a year National park3National parkKillarney National Park

4Cathedral · in ChristchurchSt Patrick's Cathedral

5Abbey or prioryGlendalough

6Museum · in St Stephen's GreenNational Library of Ireland

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (18)

National Museum of Ireland: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
St Patrick's Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Glendalough: Schcambo at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
National Library of Ireland: YvonneM, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Dublin Zoo: Harold Strong, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fota Wildlife Park: Hywel Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks: self, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Science Gallery: Infoeco, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rock of Cashel: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Blarney Castle and Gardens: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kilkenny Castle: Tolivero~commonswiki, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Bunratty Castle: Jon Sullivan, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Cahir Castle: Chmouel Boudjnah Original uploader was Chmouel at fr.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chester Beatty: Aligatorek, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kilmainham Gaol: Nol Aders, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Irish Museum of Modern Art: self, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Town of the day

Wexford: its architectural heritage runs to 629 buildings on the national inventory

Real strengths, and real weak spots. Crime is the sore point: for every 1,000 residents, gardaí record 8.7 violent crimes and 9.9 burglaries or acts of criminal damage a year. Wexford grades C overall and ranks #237 of 320 Irish towns. On that grade it does better than just over a quarter of Irish towns. Health is a weak point: 143 residents in bad health and 123 with a disability for every 100 its ages predict. Cost of living is where it shines — the median sale, €250,000, comes to 5.3 times what the median household here earns. The rest of its grades are middling: B− for jobs & income and B− for walkability.

Open Wexford →

WexfordCounty WexfordA town in Co. Wexford, home to 21,524 people. Over-65s are 17% of the population.Who lives here40.6Median age of residents, Census 2022History629Buildings on the NIAHGrowth+11%Population growth, 2016 to 2022COverall#1 of 5 in County WexfordDSafetyBCost of livingDHealthB⁻Jobs & incomeB⁻WalkabilityA⁻Hazard riskSee all of Wexford →

County report cards

How the 26 counties compare

All 26 counties have an overall grade, from 7 subjects. Kildare comes first and Donegal last; 7 are in the A band and 4 in the D band.

Open the full map →

Inside a town

What a town’s pages cover

Take a look at these pages in Wexford, today’s town.

SafetyCrime recorded by the Gardaí, per resident, graded against Irish towns.Wexford: Safety →Housing & costWhat homes sell for, rents on new tenancies, and what they cost against local incomes.Wexford: Housing & cost →Work & commuteJobs, incomes, and how people get to work.Wexford: Work & commute →SchoolsEvery primary and post-primary school nearby: shown, never graded.Wexford: Schools →HealthHow healthy people say they are in the census, against Ireland’s rates for the same ages.Wexford: Health →Natural hazardsRadon, flooding and landslides, and how much of the town they reach.Wexford: Natural hazards →Who lives hereAges, households, where people were born, and how they travel.Wexford: Who lives here →HistoryEvery NIAH building and recorded monument, and how old its homes are.Wexford: History →OutdoorsParks, green space, protected nature and the coast nearby.Wexford: Outdoors →AttractionsMuseums, castles, gardens and days out in and around town.Wexford: Attractions →ClimateA year of weather: rain, sunshine, frost and summer highs.Wexford: Climate →Town hallThe county council, the local electoral area, its councillors and TDs.Wexford: Town hall →

The map

All 1,039 towns on one map

Zoom into your corner of Ireland. Each dot is a town you can open.

Open the full map →

Scroll to zoom · drag to pan · click a town to open it

Mapping Ireland…

Ireland, one map

Click any dot to open that town.

—towns in view

How grades work

One letter, the same everywhere

Each subject compares a town with every Irish town of 1,000 or more, from public data: Garda recorded crime by station (CSO), the census and incomes (CSO), home sales (the Property Price Register), rents (RTB), radon (EPA), landslides (Geological Survey Ireland) and our flood measure from the OPW’s LiDAR. The overall grade blends six of them (cost of living, safety, health, jobs and income, walkability and hazard risk) for towns of 2,500 or more; places of 1,000 to 2,499 get subject grades, and smaller places have their page with the figures, without grades. Health is graded from bad health and disability in Census 2022 against what Ireland’s rates at each age would give. Schools aren’t graded in Ireland (Education Act 1998, s.53). Irish towns are graded against each other only, never against towns in our other editions. Every town page shows the figures behind its letters.

How grades work →

A⁺top 5%
A85–95
A⁻75–85
B⁺65–75
B55–65
B⁻45–55
C⁺35–45
C25–35
C⁻15–25
D5–15
D⁻bottom 5%

Browse by county

Find a town by county

All 26 counties, A to Z. Each opens every one of its towns: its ranked towns of 2,500 or more first, with their grades and county ranks, then every other place from A to Z.

Questions about TownRatings Ireland

What is the best place to live in Ireland?

Among 320 ranked towns of 2,500 or more, Kilcock, Kildare ranks first, with its best grades in health and jobs & income. Every ranked town is on the list of the best places to live, and on its county’s where five or more are ranked.

Is my town graded?

Every town in Ireland has its page: all 1,039 places. What depends on size is the grading. The 321 towns of 2,500 or more get every grade the data allows, and 320 of them an overall grade; towns of 1,000 to 2,499 get subject grades, and smaller places have their page with the figures, without grades.

Where do the grades come from?

Public data under open licences: CSO recorded crime by Garda station, Census 2022 and the Geographical Profiles of Income, the Property Price Register, RTB rents, the EPA radon map, Geological Survey Ireland landslide susceptibility and the OPW’s LiDAR. Each town page names its sources.

Why aren’t schools graded in Ireland?

Section 53 of the Education Act 1998 rules out school league tables, so no school’s exam results are published school by school. Each town’s Schools page lists every primary and post-primary school nearby, but TownRatings gives no Schools grade in Ireland, and the overall grade is made from the other subjects.

Photos: Westport, Marathon (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Kilcullen, locardi (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Callan, A.-K. D. (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Muinebeag (Bagenalstown), A.-K. D. (CC0) · Ballyjamesduff, HENRY CLARK (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Sixmilebridge, Piotrek Gumiś (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Carrigtwohill, Robert Ashby (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Donegal, P L Chadwick (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Portmarnock, Gpwitteveen (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Salthill, Arnold Unterholzner from Schlanders, Italy (CC BY 2.0) · Castleisland, Jonathan Thacker (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Kilcock, Ben Brooksbank (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Mountmellick, Oliver Dixon (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Carrick-On-Shannon, Chris (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Newcastle West, Harold Strong (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Longford, 瑞丽江的河水 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Ardee, Jonathan Billinger (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Claremorris, Original author and uploader was Sarah777 at en.wikipedia (Public domain) · Ashbourne, Trounce (CC BY-SA 2.5) · Monaghan, Unknown author Unknown author (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Clara, Mike Searle (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Roscommon, 瑞丽江的河水 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Sligo, James Emmans (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Cahir, Colin Park (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Grange Upper, Charlie Doolally (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Moate, Spideog (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wexford, Gareth James (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Greystones-Delgany, 瑞丽江的河水 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Rathangan, Jonathan Billinger (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Celbridge, Eirian Evans (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Dunboyne, 瑞丽江的河水 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Enfield, Scaramanga731 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Kilrush, Chris (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Ballyhaunis, JohnArmagh (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Charleville, John Salter (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Crosshaven, TheLizardQueen (CC BY 2.0) · Passage West-Monkstown, Jonathan Thacker (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Blarney, Joseph Mischyshyn (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Douglas, Hywel Williams (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Ballincollig, Ian Paterson (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Blackrock, William Murphy (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Stillorgan, William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Foxrock, sarah777 (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Sallynoggin, Raymond Okonski (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Drogheda, William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources: TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranking Irish towns against each other only, run #54 of 3 November 2026 · CSO, Census 2022 (population). Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).

Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).