Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Some 5,228 people live in this neighbourhood, in Cork. It grew by 15% between the 2016 and 2022 censuses.
Crime runs high: burglary and criminal damage run at 13.1 per 1,000 residents a year, violent crime at 23.3. Taken together, its subjects give Knockrea a B− overall, better than 47% of Irish towns. It ranks #170 of 320 Irish towns. At a median €385,600, a home costs 5.5 times the town’s median household income. Work and incomes are strong: three quarters of working-age residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 6%.
Figures: work, CSO Census 2022 · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO.
This town's house price is the median for its whole Eircode routing key, town and countryside together: fewer than 30 sales in the town itself were recorded on the Property Price Register in 2023 to 2025, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but much of it involves people who come in to work, shop or go out, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. 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 Knockrea does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Knockrea 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 →
The register holds 237 buildings on the National Inventory in Knockrea, 5 of them of national importance.
5 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Knockrea. Best known first.
CathedralSt. Fin Barre's Cathedral900 m outside town, to the west
CathedralCathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne1 km outside town, to the northwest
CastleMTU Blackrock Castle Observatory1.8 km outside town, to the east
Abbey or prioryRed Abbey400 m outside town, to the west
MuseumCork Butter Museum900 m outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Knockrea.
Of the graded crimes in Knockrea, assaults and harassment came up most often (2023–2025). Thefts came to 77.4 per 1,000 a year (not part of the grade), above both Co. Cork’s towns (10.2) and Irish towns (15.3).
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 | Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 23.3 | 5.5 | 5.7 |
| Theft | 77.4 | 10.2 | 15.3 |
| All recorded crime | 212.6 | 43.4 | 54.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 13.1 | 4.8 | 6.4 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
6.3% of the labour force were unemployed, below Co. Cork’s towns (8%) and Irish towns (9.2%) alike. The car carried 45% of commuters at the census. Working from home was the norm for 18% of workers at the census.
| Census 2022 | Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In work, 15 to 64 | 75% | 69% | 68% |
| Median household income | €70,750 | €51,591 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 8% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 24.7 min | 24.8 min | 27.6 min |
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.
Social housing holds 8% of households, below both Co. Cork’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (13%). Households that own their home make up 51%.
| Housing | Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 40% | 21% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 8% | 14% | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 51% | 60% | 61% |
| Median sale price | €386K | €340K | €350K |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area T12, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Families in Knockrea have 84 schools within 3 km to choose from: 50 primary schools, 25 secondary schools and 9 special schools. Just over a tenth of the schools teach through Irish, above both Co. Cork’s towns (9%) and Irish towns (8%). For secondary school, the closest is Ashton School, 0.3 km from the town.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Nioclais Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 714 | Catholic |
| Christian Brothers College BoysLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 919 | Catholic |
| Gaelcholáiste Mhuire GaelcholáisteTeaches through IrishPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 690 | Catholic |
| Coláiste Éamann Rís DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 811 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 49% | 35% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 11% | 9% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +1% | +2% | +4% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · No letters and no results: Ireland publishes none school by school.
90% of Knockrea’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (88%) and Irish towns (88%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 1.5% of the town. Ages taken into account, Knockrea counts 106 people with a disability for every 100 predicted.
| Census 2022 | Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad or very bad health | 1.5% | 2% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 90% | 88% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 5.4% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 23% | 24% | 22% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
The year’s mean temperature is 11.0°C, near Co. Cork’s towns (10.8°C) and higher than Irish towns (10.3°C). Knockrea gets 1,102 mm of rain a year. December is the wettest month in the town, with 124 mm of rain on average.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 11.0°C | 10.8°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 20.3°C | 20.0°C | 19.9°C |
| January low | 3.5°C | 3.5°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,102 mm | 1,114 mm | 937 mm |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
A short walk to green space: 100% of homes, above both Co. Cork’s towns (88%) and Irish towns (92%). Protected nature near Knockrea includes Cork Harbour SPA. Its 9 parks give Knockrea 50 ha of green space between them. Green space comes to 9.5 ha for every 1,000 people here.
| Outdoors | Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paths per km² of town | 4.7 km per km² | 1.7 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Near a park | 100% | 88% | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 3.7% | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 9.5 ha | 4.2 ha | 4.1 ha |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Knockrea’s November average makes a useful yardstick: afternoons reach 12°C, nights fall to 5°C. Only a trace of rain is due today, on a breeze of up to 27 km/h, with a low of 8°C. Rain peaks later in the week on Tuesday, at about 15 mm for the day.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 10°C | 4°C | 329 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 6°C | 231 mm |
| Summer | 20°C | 12°C | 229 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 8°C | 314 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
28% were born abroad, higher than both Co. Cork’s towns (19%) and Irish towns (22%). The under-15s are 14% of the population here. Young adults of 15 to 24 are a tenth of the population.
49.5% of Knockrea’s residents are women
2,586 women and 2,642 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 19% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 39% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 24% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 4.7% | 8.3% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 7.1% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 22% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 5% | 6% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 62% | 38% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Cork and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Knockrea spans more than one of the local electoral areas: 77% of its residents vote in Cork City South East, most of the rest in Cork City South Central. At the general election 60% voted, above Co. Cork’s towns (58%) and Irish towns (59%) alike. There is no majority on Cork City Council; Fianna Fáil have the most seats, 9 of 31, short of 16.
| Turnout | Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 60% | 58% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 46% | 45% | 46% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Before 1919: that is when 27.3% of homes were built. 5 archaeological sites are on the record. 237 of Knockrea’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage; 5 rank of national or international importance.
| Heritage | Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 453 | 100 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 27.3% | 7.7% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 5 | 12 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Landslides: none of Knockrea lies in a high-susceptibility zone. Few of its homes stand low beside water.
| Share of homes | Knockrea | Co. Cork | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 15% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0.4% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
237 of Knockrea’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage; 5 rank of national or international importance. The national record lists 5 archaeological sites in and around the town.
7 notable people were born in Knockrea.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knockrea | 5,228 | — | B− | C− | D− | B+ |
| Ballinlough | 5,435 | 0.9 | B+ | D | C | A+ |
| St Luke's | 4,278 | 1.1 | C+ | B− | D | B− |
| South Gate | 7,185 | 1.4 | D | C− | D− | D |
| Montenotte | 4,113 | 1.6 | C | D | C | B− |
| Tramore | 4,803 | 1.6 | B− | C− | C | B− |
| Cork City Centre | 3,701 | 1.7 | D− | C− | D− | D |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Knockrea had 5,228 people at the 2022 census, up from 4,547 in 2016: 15% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Knockrea is 37.4, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 14% of residents are under 15 and 13% are 65 or over.
Neighbourhood in Cork
5,228 people live in Knockrea, 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).