Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
In Co. Donegal, this town has 2,246 residents.
Ballyshannon’s strongest is cost of living: the median home here went for €162,300, 4.4 times the median household income. Jobs and pay trail most towns (C−): jobs reach 62% of 15 to 64s, and unemployment is 15%. It also trails on health (C−): bad health runs at 125 and disability at 124 per 100 expected for its ages. Safety lags (C): per 1,000 residents a year, gardaí record 8.3 violent crimes and 5.2 burglaries and acts of criminal damage.
Figures: prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · work and health, CSO Census 2022 · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025. Ballyshannon is graded subject by subject, but Irish towns need 2,500 residents for an overall grade.
Rents for this town aren't published on their own, so its Cost Grade uses the county's average rent. Health less sure: few enough residents report bad health that the town's figure could be well above or below its true level. 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 Ballyshannon does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Ballyshannon 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 record adds 30 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 12%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ballyshannon.
Households had €37,263 a year before tax, lower than both Co. Donegal’s towns (€39,838) and Irish towns (€57,760). Workers spend 21.1 min getting to work, on average. The census counted 9.2% of workers working mainly from home.
| Census 2022 | Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 59% | 56% | 31% |
| Unemployment rate | 15% | 13% | 9.2% |
| Median household income | €37,263 | €39,838 | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 62% | 63% | 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.
In the HSE West and North West health region, 34% of people hold a medical card. Asked at the census, 83% of residents of Ballyshannon said they were in good or very good health. At the census, 31% of people here had a disability, higher than both Co. Donegal’s towns (25%) and Irish towns (22%). Unpaid caring falls to 6.8% of the town’s residents.
| Census 2022 | Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 31% | 25% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 83% | 86% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 6.8% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3% | 2.4% | 2% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
62% of households own their home, above Co. Donegal’s towns (55%) and close to Irish towns (61%). Private renters make up a fifth of households. Social renters account for 16% of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €155,000 | 128 |
| The last 12 months | €155,000 | 41 |
| Housing | Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €162K | €181K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 20% | 24% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 62% | 55% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 16% | 15% | 13% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Since 2019/20, pupils changed +8%, higher than both Co. Donegal’s towns (+7%) and Irish towns (+4%). Coláiste Cholmcille is the nearest secondary school, 0.6 km away. Within 3 km of Ballyshannon there are 6 schools (5 primary schools and 1 secondary school).
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. an Br M O CleirighLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 211 | Catholic |
| Coláiste Cholmcille DEISLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Community school | Post-primary · Community school | 682 | Inter-denominational |
| Gaelscoil Eirne GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 29 | Inter-denominational |
| Holy Family National School DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 193 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 83% | 38% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 17% | 7% | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 0% | 39% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +8% | +7% | +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.
Among the graded crimes in Ballyshannon, the most frequent was assaults and harassment (2023–2025). Counting every kind of crime, the yearly rate is 62.1 per 1,000 residents. Thefts came to 3.9 per 1,000 a year (not part of the grade), below both Co. Donegal’s towns (4.9) 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 | Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft | 3.9 | 4.9 | 15.3 |
| Violent crime | 8.3 | 8.2 | 5.7 |
| All recorded crime | 62.1 | 49.1 | 54.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 5.2 | 5.4 | 6.4 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
The EPA estimates that just over one in ten homes in Ballyshannon are above the radon reference level. The nearest bathing water to Ballyshannon is Rossnowlagh, 5.6 km away, rated excellent in 2025. On high landslide susceptibility: 0.3% of homes, in line with Co. Donegal’s towns (0.5%) and Irish towns (0%).
| Share of homes | Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Midsummer afternoons in Ballyshannon peak at about 18.4°C. The year’s mean temperature is 9.8°C, near Co. Donegal’s towns (9.7°C) and lower than Irish towns (10.3°C). The coldest nights come in January, when Ballyshannon averages a low of 2.7°C.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 18.4°C | 18.6°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,261 mm | 1,316 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.8°C | 9.7°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.7°C | 2.5°C | 2.9°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
73% of homes are within 400 m of green space. Protected nature near Ballyshannon includes Donegal Bay SPA. Within 1 km, 1.3% of the land is woodland, lower than both Co. Donegal’s towns (4.5%) and Irish towns (2.7%).
| Outdoors | Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 73% | 54% | 92% |
| Sea within 5 km | 17% | 8.7% | 0% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 1.3% | 4.5% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.3 km per km² | 0.4 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Little rain is due later in the week: 5 of the next 6 days stay dry. Expect a dry, calm day today: wind no stronger than 18 km/h, and 6°C at the coldest. December follows with normal highs of 8°C and lows of 3°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 3°C | 362 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 243 mm |
| Summer | 18°C | 11°C | 296 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 7°C | 360 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
The share of residents under 15 is 16%. One measure of its mix: 19% of residents were born abroad.
Women make up 52.5% of Ballyshannon
1,180 women and 1,066 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 21% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 25% | 16% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 15% | 14% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 18% | 16% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 4.9% | 6.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 24% | 29% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Donegal and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Donegal County Council is the council for Ballyshannon, and the only one: Ireland has a single tier of local government. At the general election 61% voted, above Co. Donegal’s towns (59%) and Irish towns (59%) alike. No party holds a majority on Donegal County Council: Fianna Fáil lead with 10 of 37 seats, short of the 19 needed.
| Turnout | Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 57% | 53% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 61% | 59% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
11.8% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both Co. Donegal’s towns (4.7%) and Irish towns (3.4%). 30 archaeological sites are on the record. Ballyshannon has 76 buildings on the national inventory of architectural heritage, 1 of them rated of national or international importance.
| Heritage | Ballyshannon | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 338 | 105 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 11.8% | 4.7% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 30 | 18 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Ballyshannon. Best known first.
MuseumBallyshannon and District Museumin townMuseumMuseumThe Water Wheelsin townVisitor farmVisitor farmCampview Farm400 m outside town, to the southwestNatural landscapeNatural landscapeFairy Bridges and Wishing Chair3.8 km outside town, to the westWater parkWater parkWaterworld Bundoran4.7 km outside town, to the southwestTheme parkTheme parkBundoran Adventure Park4.5 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Ballyshannon has 76 buildings on the national inventory of architectural heritage, 1 of them rated of national or international importance. Archaeologists have recorded 30 sites here.
13 notable people were born in Ballyshannon.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballyshannon | 2,246 | — | — | A− | C | C− |
| Bundoran | 2,599 | 6.5 | C | A− | C− | C− |
| Kinlough Leitrim | 1,196 | 8.9 | — | A− | B+ | C− |
| Donegal | 2,749 | 17 | A− | B+ | B− | B |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
The median age in Ballyshannon is 45, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Ballyshannon had 2,246 people at the 2022 census, down from 2,269 in 2016: 1% fewer, while the median of Irish towns grew 7.6%.
Urban area in Co. Donegal
Ballyshannon has 2,246 people, in the area of Donegal County Council. TownRatings uses the CSO’s 2022 Urban Areas as Ireland’s towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a county or a council area, so its figures cover the town itself.
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).