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Letterkenny Panorama (10827296124)

LetterkennyCo. Donegal

The town has 22,549 residents and lies in Co. Donegal. The population grew 9% between 2016 and 2022.

6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Miguel Mendez from Malahide, Ireland · CC BY 2.0
Letterkenny Panorama (10827296124)

Letterkenny, Co. Donegal · Photo: Miguel Mendez from Malahide, Ireland · CC BY 2.0

Population
22,549
CSO, Census 2022 · Donegal County Council
Median age
35.7
12% are 65+ · Co. Donegal 16%
Degree level
40%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
13%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
TownGrade
D
#282 of 320

Is Letterkenny a good place to live?

Letterkenny grades low on several counts. Safety lags: for every 1,000 residents, gardaí record 10.7 violent crimes and 6.8 burglaries or acts of criminal damage a year. With a D overall, Letterkenny sits #6 of 6 in Co. Donegal. That leaves it better than 12% of Irish towns. Hazard risk is higher than most: an estimated 5% of homes are above the radon reference level. Buying a home costs less than in most towns: set against the median household income, the median home, at €188,000, costs 3.8 times as much. Walkability is weaker too — on the way to work, 13% walk, cycle or take the bus or train, where the typical Irish town has 23%.

Figures: prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · radon, EPA · commuting, CSO Census 2022.

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.

What makes Letterkenny stand out

The 3 things Letterkenny does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

How Letterkenny grades

Each subject compares Letterkenny 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 grading works

How TownRatings grades Irish towns →

81 places on the register, on Letterkenny’s outline
Letterkenny’s story

Letterkenny: 81 buildings on the National Inventory

42 archaeological sites are on the record here too.

2% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.

  • 1500Old Leck Church
  • 1600Conwal Parish Church Graveyard
  • 1600Kiltoy Church of Ireland Church
Explore the history →

Letterkenny’s American namesake

Letterkenny Township, Pennsylvania, is named after Letterkenny.

USUS edition
Pennsylvania, USALetterkenny TownshipSettled in 1890 · 2,550 people
Skinner Tavern · Photo: Smallbones · CC0

Letterkenny Township, Pennsylvania, settled in 1890, takes its name from this large town.

Letterkenny, Co. Donegal5,260 km · Letterkenny Township, PA
People2,55022,549 here
Settled18903 places on the National Register
TownGradeB−against U.S. towns#739 of 1032 in Pennsylvania · here D against Irish towns
Explore Letterkenny Township, PA

Named after: each U.S. town’s Wikipedia article. Grades compare each town with towns in its own country, so they aren’t a head-to-head.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Letterkenny.

Natural hazardsHazard risk D

Radon in Letterkenny: an estimated 5.3% of homes are above the reference level

1.7% of homes stand on ground with high landslide susceptibility, above both Co. Donegal’s towns (0.2%) and Irish towns (0%). Only a handful of its homes, if any, sit low beside water.

5%of homes in high-radon areasDHazard risk Grade

Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes

In high-radon areas5%
On high landslide susceptibility1.7%
Share of homesLetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
On high landslide susceptibility1.7%0.2%0%
In high-radon areas5%0%0%
5.3%
of homes over the radon level
9,756
homes mapped for these shares

EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.

SafetySafety C−

Letterkenny has more crime per resident than 82% of Irish towns

Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more incidents per resident: they are counted where they happen, not where victims live.

The overall crime rate is 78 per 1,000 residents a year. The commonest graded crime in Letterkenny was assaults and harassment (2023–2025). Among the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, Letterkenny has more crime per resident than 76% of them.

10.7violent incidents per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 24% of the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.

Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025

Public order15.9
Theft14.6
Dangerous acts10.9
Road traffic10.2
Assault9.4
Drugs6.3
Damage5.4
Against justice2.4
Burglary1.4

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 yearLetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
Violent crime10.76.65.7
All recorded crime7846.854.3
Burglary & damage6.84.96.4
Theft14.64.415.3
10.7
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
6.8
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
2,069
incidents a year, Letterkenny Garda area
17.5
against residents per 1,000, as graded

CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations

HealthHealth C−

For its ages, Letterkenny reports more bad health than Co. Donegal’s towns or Irish towns: 148 per 100 expected

In the HSE West and North West health region, 34% of people hold a medical card. Allowing for its ages, Letterkenny has 113 residents with a disability per 100 expected, close to Co. Donegal’s towns (113) and above Irish towns (106). Asked at the census, 87% of residents of Letterkenny said they were in good or very good health.

87%good or very good healthC−Health Grade

Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised

Bad health148
Disability113
Co. Donegal124
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 2%
Census 2022LetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
Unpaid carers5.1%6%5.4%
Good or very good health87%85%88%
Bad or very bad health2.4%2.3%2%
With a disability23%25%22%
148
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Donegal 124
113
disability per 100 expected · Co. Donegal 113
83.5 · 79.5
life expectancy, women · men, the Border region, 2016
34%
hold a medical card, HSE West and North West

CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios

Schools

Schools around Letterkenny are filling: pupils +18% since 2019, more than in Co. Donegal’s towns and across Irish towns

20% of the schools are in the DEIS scheme, below Co. Donegal’s towns (43%) and Irish towns (35%) alike. For secondary school, the closest is Errigal College, 0.4 km from the town. Within 3 km of Letterkenny there are 15 schools (9 primary schools, 4 secondary schools and 2 special schools).

15schools within 3 km
SchoolLevelPupilsEthos
Scoil Choilmcille DEISLargest primary schoolPrimaryPrimary659Catholic
St Eunan's College BoysLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondaryPost-primary · Voluntary secondary1,003Catholic
Gaelscoil Adhamhnain GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimaryPrimary410Catholic
Errigal College DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · ETBPost-primary · ETB662Multi-denominational

See all 15 schools →

Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km

Catholic10
Multi-denominational2
Church of Ireland1
Inter-denominational1
Other1
Schools within 3 kmLetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
Pupils since 2019/20+18%+5%+4%
Teach through Irish13%0%8%
Single-sex secondaries50%0%39%
In the DEIS scheme20%43%35%
6,825
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+18%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
1 km
to the nearest primary school
0.4 km
to the nearest secondary school

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.

Climate

July afternoons in Letterkenny reach 18.8°C (Co. Donegal towns 18.4°C, Irish towns 19.9°C)

A year brings 1,280 mm of rain, below Co. Donegal’s towns (1,351 mm) but above Irish towns (937 mm). The annual mean in Letterkenny is 9.6°C. Midwinter nights in Letterkenny bottom out at 2.0°C on average.

18.8°CJuly afternoon high

Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages

Winter8.2°C
Spring12.8°C
Summer18.3°C
Autumn13.5°C
Climate, 1991–2020LetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
July high18.8°C18.4°C19.9°C
January low2.0°C2.6°C2.9°C
Average temperature over the year9.6°C9.7°C10.3°C
Rain a year1,280 mm1,351 mm937 mm
18.8°C
July high
2.0°C
January low
1,280 mm
Rain a year
154 mm
Wettest month

Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.

Outdoors

Letterkenny borders Lough Swilly SAC

Protected nature near Letterkenny includes Lough Swilly SAC. 5 parks and 54 ha of green space in all: that is the town’s share. Within 1 km, 4.9% of the land is woodland, above Co. Donegal’s towns (4%) and Irish towns (2.7%) alike.

51%of homes near green space

Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents

Letterkenny2.4 ha
Co. Donegal2.1 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
OutdoorsLetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
Near a park51%55%92%
Woodland within 1 km4.9%4%2.7%
Sea within 5 km5.3%12%0%
Paths per km² of town0.7 km per km²0.3 km per km²2.1 km per km²
51%
Near a park
2.4 ha
Green space
42 km
Footpaths
4.3%
Protected for nature

OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.

Weather

Letterkenny’s November turns cool today: 5 degrees

Letterkenny’s November pattern is steady: afternoons average 10°C, nights 4°C. Expect no rain today, only a light breath of wind up to 9 km/h, and a low of 4°C. Later in the week, highs run between 6°C and 10°C, peaking on Thursday.

5°C / 4°CToday

This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages

November10°C
December8°C
January8°C
February9°C
SeasonHighLowRain
Winter8°C2°C417 mm
Spring13°C5°C251 mm
Summer18°C11°C262 mm
Autumn13°C7°C350 mm
5°C / 4°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
9 km/h
Wind
91%
Humidity
9 h 07 min
Daylight

Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020

Who lives here

Irish is an everyday language in Letterkenny: 2.6% speak it daily, above Co. Donegal

Degrees are held by 40% of adults, above both Co. Donegal’s towns (27%) and Irish towns (36%). 31% of the people living here were born in another country. People 65 and over make up just over a tenth of the town.

35.7median age
LetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland

Ages · share of residents

Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education

Primary or none11%
Lower secondary12%
Leaving Cert31%
Diploma or cert7%
Degree or higher40%

Women and men · all residents

51.1% of Letterkenny’s residents are women

11,514 women and 11,035 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.

Ages and education in Letterkenny
LetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
Under 1522%21%20%
15–2412%11%12%
25–4432%26%29%
45–6422%24%24%
65+12%16%14%
Primary or none11%15%9.7%
Lower secondary12%17%14%
Leaving Cert31%35%35%
Diploma or cert6.8%5.8%5.8%
Degree or higher40%27%36%

CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Donegal and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+

Town hall

Donegal County Council is one of the most divided councils: the largest party has 10 of 37 seats

With 10 of 37 seats, Fianna Fáil are the largest group on Donegal County Council, short of the 19 a majority needs. There is just one council for Letterkenny, Donegal County Council: Ireland has only one tier of local government. Just over half of voters turned out at the last local elections, lower than Co. Donegal’s towns (53%) yet higher than Irish towns (46%).

10/37seats held by Fianna Fáil

Seats on Donegal County · June 2024

Fianna Fáil10
Sinn Féin10
Independent9
100% Redress4
Fine Gael3
Labour Party1
TurnoutLetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
Local elections, June 202451%53%46%
General election, November 202459%59%59%
7
Councillors
10/37
Fianna Fáil seats on Donegal County, the largest party
51%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Donegal

Department of Housing count sheets, 2024

History

Archaeology runs deep around Letterkenny: 42 sites on the record, more than in Co. Donegal’s towns and across Irish towns

1.6% of its homes were built before 1919, below Co. Donegal’s towns (5.3%) and Irish towns (3.4%) alike. Letterkenny has 36 inventory buildings for every 10,000 residents.

81inventory buildings

Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH

International0
National0
Regional81
42
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1500
earliest dated inventory building
2%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
5
places pictured on the history page
HeritageLetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents3611348
Archaeological sites on the record421711
Homes built before 19191.6%5.3%3.4%

NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built

HousingCost of living B

Private renting is more common in Letterkenny than in Co. Donegal’s towns or Irish towns: 33% of households

Home ownership stands at 51% of households. In 2010 the typical home in Letterkenny sold for €141K; by 2025 it was €200K, 42% more. Rent averaged €1,138 a month, above Co. Donegal’s towns (€868) but below Irish towns (€1,606). This Co. Donegal town is the second most expensive of the 6 towns in Co. Donegal, at €188,000.

€188Kmedian sale priceBCost of living Grade

Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025

Letterkenny€188K
Co. Donegal€176K
Irish towns€350K
By typeMedianSales
New homes€324,500163
Second-hand homes€173,500856
The last 12 months€240,000380
HousingLetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
Households renting privately33%23%22%
Rent on a new tenancy, a month€1,138€868€1,606
Households owning their home51%58%61%
Median sale price€188K€176K€350K
51%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
33%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,138
a month on new tenancies, Letterkenny
4.4
times median household income, County Donegal

Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure

Work & commuteJobs & income B−

Trips to work from Letterkenny are shorter than from Co. Donegal’s towns or Irish towns: 19 min on average

Working mainly from home: 14% of workers, above Co. Donegal’s towns (11%) and Irish towns (11%) alike. Unemployment stands at 12%. Average household income comes to €49,625 a year before tax.

13%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2022

Car or van73%
Walk11%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
Train, DART or Luas0%
Census 2022LetterkennyCo. DonegalIreland
Average trip19 min21.5 min27.6 min
Trips under 15 minutes55%56%31%
Unemployment rate12%14%9.2%
Median household income€49,625€38,343€57,760
€49,625
median household income, 2022 · Co. Donegal €42,497
14%
worked mainly from home, 2022
4%
trips of an hour or more
6,785
on the Live Register, County Donegal, September 2026
D
Walkability: better than 14% of Irish towns

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.

Nearby attractions

Cathedral of St. Eunan and St. Columba and 6 more in and around Letterkenny

Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Letterkenny. Best known first.

All attractions →
Places: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata

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

Photo credits (1)
Keep exploring

Everything we know about Letterkenny

15pages on Letterkenny

Landmarks

Letterkenny’s built heritage counts 81 inventory entries, each of regional standing. 42 recorded monuments and archaeological sites lie here.

All historic buildings →

Famous people from Letterkenny

49 notable people were born in Letterkenny.

See all 49 →
Photo credits

Philip Deignan: Balloholic, Public domain · Michael Conaghan: The Irish Labour Party, CC BY 2.0 · Kevin McHugh: Johnfullerton at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Michael Murphy: sinky8, CC BY 2.0

Letterkenny’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.

RameltonConvoyRaphoeMilfordNewtowncunninghamBallybofey-StranorlarRameltonConvoyRaphoeMilfordNewtowncunninghamBallybofey-StranorlarLetterkenny
How the neighbours grade
TownPeoplekmOverallCostSafetyHealth
Letterkenny22,549—DBC−C−
Ramelton1,28810—B−A−B
Convoy1,70212—A−BD
Raphoe1,16113—AA−D−
Milford1,07615—ACB−
Newtowncunningham1,19215—A−AC−
Ballybofey-Stranorlar5,40618C+AC+C

People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Letterkenny

Do people in Letterkenny drive to work?

73% of working residents drive to work and 13% walk, cycle or take the bus or train (the median of Irish towns: 23%).

Has Letterkenny grown?

Letterkenny had 22,549 people at the 2022 census, up from 20,687 in 2016: 9% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.

Is Letterkenny a young town or an old one?

The median age in Letterkenny is 35.7, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 22% of residents are under 15 and 12% are 65 or over.

About Letterkenny

Urban area in Co. Donegal

Letterkenny has 22,549 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)

Population
22,549 (CSO, Census 2022)
County
Donegal
Council
Donegal County Council
Local electoral area
Letterkenny
Dáil constituency
Donegal
Name in Irish
Leitir Ceanainn
Area
10.2 sq mi (26.5 km²)
CSO code
UA:33091

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).