Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The neighbourhood, home to 8,707 people, lies in Cork. It has 33 buildings on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Real strengths, and real weak spots. It is hard to get around without a car. nearly one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take the bus or train (the typical Irish town: 23%). Ballyvolane’s overall grade, B−, puts it better than 49% of Irish towns. The ranking puts it #163 of 320 Irish towns. Prices are high against local incomes (C−): it takes 5.3 years of the median household income to buy the median home, at €393,700. Hazard risk is higher than most: an estimated 14% of homes are above the radon reference level. Households here earn well (A): the unemployment rate is 6%, with 70% of 15 to 64s in work.
Figures: work and commuting, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · radon, EPA.
This town's Hazard risk Grade uses radon and landslides only: open LiDAR heights don't cover enough of its homes to measure flooding, so flood isn't counted for or against it.
The 3 things Ballyvolane does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Ballyvolane with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
38 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
5% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Ballyvolane. Best known first.
CathedralSt. Fin Barre's Cathedral3.4 km outside town, to the southwest
CathedralCathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne2.4 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleMTU Blackrock Castle Observatory600 m outside town, to the southeast
MuseumCork Butter Museum2.6 km outside town, to the southwest
Abbey or prioryRed Abbey3 km outside town, to the southwest
Art galleryCrawford Art Gallery2.6 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ballyvolane.
2.1% of homes stand on ground with high landslide susceptibility, above both Co. Cork’s towns (0.4%) and Irish towns (0%). Low ground by water holds almost none of its homes.
| Share of homes | Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 79% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 2.1% | 0.4% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
The car took four in five commuters, above both Co. Cork’s towns (71%) and Irish towns (66%). Household income averages €73,840 a year before tax. The unemployment rate comes to 6.4%.
| Census 2022 | Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €73,840 | €51,591 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 8% | 9.2% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 27% | 33% | 31% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 70% | 69% | 68% |
CSO, Census 2022 travel to work, work and education · CSO Geographical Profiles of Income 2022 · Live Register · Census day was 3 April 2022, with working from home still common; shares are of those who travelled.
Just over one in ten households are private tenants. Social housing holds one in ten households, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (13%).
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €421,200 | 172 |
| Second-hand homes | €315,000 | 92 |
| The last 12 months | €435,000 | 179 |
| Housing | Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 77% | 59% | 61% |
| Households renting privately | 12% | 21% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 10% | 14% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €394K | €340K | €350K |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Unpaid carers make up 6.8% of residents, above Co. Cork’s towns (5.9%) and Irish towns (5.4%) alike. Disability, age-adjusted: 96 for every 100 expected in Ballyvolane. Self-reported good health: 92% of the town’s residents.
| Census 2022 | Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 6.8% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 92% | 88% | 88% |
| With a disability | 20% | 24% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.5% | 2% | 2% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Single-sex secondaries: 29%, lower than both Co. Cork’s towns (44%) and Irish towns (39%). Families in Ballyvolane have 60 schools within 3 km to choose from: 34 primary schools, 17 secondary schools and 9 special schools. For secondary school, the closest is Mayfield Community School, 1.9 km from the town.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverstown N.S. Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 666 | Catholic |
| Glanmire Community CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 1,141 | Inter-denominational |
| Gaelcholáiste Mhuire GaelcholáisteTeaches through IrishPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 690 | Catholic |
| Scoil Oilibheir DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 511 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 13% | 9% | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 29% | 44% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 45% | 35% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −1% | +2% | +4% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · There are no letters or results on these cards, because Ireland publishes none school by school.
1,188 mm of rain falls in a year, above Co. Cork’s towns (1,114 mm) and Irish towns (937 mm) alike. Ballyvolane’s year-round mean comes to 10.2°C. The coldest nights come in January, when Ballyvolane averages a low of 2.7°C.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 19.5°C | 20.0°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.2°C | 10.8°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.7°C | 3.5°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,188 mm | 1,114 mm | 937 mm |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Protected nature near Ballyvolane includes Cork Harbour SPA. This Co. Cork town has 4 parks, with 72 ha of green space in all. Within 5 km, 2.8% of the land is protected nature, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (1.4%) and Irish towns (1.8%).
| Outdoors | Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland within 1 km | 6.7% | 4% | 2.7% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 8.2 ha | 4.2 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 2.8% | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 1.6 km per km² | 1.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
The heaviest rain of the week is due on Tuesday, around 17 mm. Ballyvolane’s November average makes a useful yardstick: afternoons reach 11°C, nights fall to 5°C. Rain totals about 1 mm today, the wind freshens to 30 km/h, and the low is 6°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 349 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 249 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 254 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 337 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
12% of residents have a birthplace overseas. Children under 15 make up 21%, above Co. Cork’s towns (19%) and Irish towns (20%) alike. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 13% of the town.
51.0% of Ballyvolane’s residents are women
4,444 women and 4,263 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 19% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 7.2% | 8.3% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6% | 5.9% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 35% | 38% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cork and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
43% voted at the last local elections. Cork City Council runs Ballyvolane: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it. Also worth knowing: there is no majority on Cork City Council; Fianna Fáil have the most seats, 9 of 31, short of 16.
| Turnout | Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 43% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Per 10,000 residents, Ballyvolane counts 38 inventory buildings. 4.6% of homes were built before 1919.
| Heritage | Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 38 | 106 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 38 | 9 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 4.6% | 7.7% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Of the graded crimes in Ballyvolane, assaults and harassment came up most often (2023–2025). Homes see 4.6 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. In addition, violent crime ran at 5.1 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Co. Cork’s towns (6) and Irish towns (5.7).
Not in the gradeTheft, public order and offences found by Garda checks (drugs, road traffic, dangerous acts) are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence, burglary and damage.
| Per 1,000 a year | Ballyvolane | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary & damage | 4.6 | 4.9 | 6.4 |
| Violent crime | 5.1 | 6 | 5.7 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Ballyvolane’s built heritage counts 33 inventory entries, each of regional standing. 38 recorded monuments and archaeological sites lie here.
No notable person born in Ballyvolane is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Dara Murphy: European People's Party, CC BY 2.0 · Martha Wilmot: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballyvolane | 8,707 | — | B− | C− | B− | A− |
| Mayfield | 2,846 | 1.6 | D | B− | C | D− |
| Tivoli | 4,449 | 2.2 | B | B− | C | B |
| Montenotte | 4,113 | 2.4 | C | D | C | B− |
| The Glen | 6,119 | 2.5 | D | C+ | D | D |
| Riverstown | 3,664 | 2.5 | A | C− | A | A |
| Glanmire | 4,454 | 2.8 | A− | C | A | A |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
11% mostly work from home, and 27% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
The median age in Ballyvolane is 38.4, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Neighbourhood in Cork
8,707 people live in Ballyvolane, in the area of Cork City Council. TownRatings splits Cork into neighbourhoods made from the CSO’s Electoral Divisions, named from Tailte Éireann’s gazetteer, so each has figures of its own.
Built from Tailte Éireann’s boundaries and the CSO’s Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0)
Sources: CSO, Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics (CC BY 4.0) · Tailte Éireann, Urban Areas and Electoral Divisions 2022 (CC BY 4.0) · TownRatings grades, run #544 (Irish towns only). 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).