Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
This town in Co. Donegal has a population of 1,161.
Raphoe’s best grade is for cost of living: homes sell for a median €133,000, about 3.8 times what a household here earns in a year. Recorded crime is low: gardaí record 2.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year, and 4 burglaries and acts of criminal damage. Health lags: for every 100 its ages would predict, 238 residents are in bad health and 136 have a disability. It also trails on jobs & income — the unemployment rate is 20%, with 53% of 15 to 64s in work.
Figures: prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · health and work, CSO Census 2022. Irish towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Raphoe has subject grades only.
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 Raphoe does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Raphoe with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Irish towns get an overall grade from 2,500 residents, so Raphoe has subject grades only.
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
14 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Raphoe.
Self-reported good health: 78% of Raphoe’s residents. 4.8% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, above both Co. Donegal’s towns (2.4%) and Irish towns (2%). Disability touches 31% of the town’s population.
| Census 2022 | Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 86% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.8% | 2.4% | 2% |
| With a disability | 31% | 25% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 5.9% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Household income averages €34,990 a year before tax. The average trip to work took 20.8 min, about level with Co. Donegal’s towns (20.9 min) and below Irish towns (27.6 min). The census counted 7.4% of workers working mainly from home.
| Census 2022 | Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In work, 15 to 64 | 53% | 63% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 20% | 13% | 9.2% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 48% | 56% | 31% |
| Median household income | €34,990 | €39,838 | €57,760 |
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.
About 4.7% of homes in Raphoe are estimated to pass the radon reference level. Low ground by water holds almost none of its homes.
| Share of homes | Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 1.2% | 0.5% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Deele College is the nearest secondary school, 0.2 km away. 4 schools lie within 3 km of Raphoe: 2 primary schools and 2 secondary schools. Pupil numbers changed +20% since 2019/20, higher than both Co. Donegal’s towns (+7%) and Irish towns (+4%).
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raphoe Central N.S. DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 185 | Church of Ireland |
| Deele College DEISLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 840 | Multi-denominational |
| The Royal and Prior School DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Comprehensive | Post-primary · Comprehensive | 609 | Church of Ireland |
| Schools within 3 km | Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 100% | 38% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +20% | +7% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 7% | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 0% | 39% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Without school-level results from Ireland, the cards show no letters.
Renting privately is how 18% of households live. 52% of households own their home, below Co. Donegal’s towns (55%) and Irish towns (61%) alike.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €136,000 | 33 |
| Housing | Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 27% | 15% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €133K | €181K | €350K |
| Households owning their home | 52% | 55% | 61% |
| Households renting privately | 18% | 24% | 22% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Of the graded crimes in Raphoe, damage to property came up most often (2023–2025). Theft, shown but not graded, ran at 1.3 per 1,000 a year, lower than 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 | Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 2.9 | 8.2 | 5.7 |
| All recorded crime | 15.4 | 49.1 | 54.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 4 | 5.4 | 6.4 |
| Theft | 1.3 | 4.9 | 15.3 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Raphoe gets 1,245 mm of rain a year. The year’s mean temperature is 9.4°C, lower than both Co. Donegal’s towns (9.7°C) and Irish towns (10.3°C). Midsummer afternoons in Raphoe peak at about 18.7°C.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 1.8°C | 2.5°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.4°C | 9.7°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 18.7°C | 18.6°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,245 mm | 1,316 mm | 937 mm |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Its one park gives Raphoe 21 ha of green space. 84% of homes are within 400 m of green space, higher than Co. Donegal’s towns (54%) yet lower than Irish towns (92%). A waymarked trail or greenway begins within 5 km.
| Outdoors | Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 84% | 54% | 92% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 18.1 ha | 2.2 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0% | 4.7% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.4 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.
Rain stays out of the forecast today, the air barely stirring above 13 km/h, and the low settles at 2°C. The days that follow stay mostly dry: 5 of 6 with little or no rain. A typical November day reaches 10°C and drops to 4°C at night: the forecast for Raphoe is set against that.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 384 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 4°C | 247 mm |
| Summer | 18°C | 10°C | 282 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 6°C | 333 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
People 65 and over make up a fifth of the town, higher than both Co. Donegal’s towns (16%) and Irish towns (14%). Born abroad: 13% of residents.
50.8% of Raphoe’s residents are women
590 women and 571 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 21% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 23% | 24% |
| 65+ | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 27% | 14% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 24% | 16% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 30% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 3.9% | 6.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 15% | 29% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Donegal and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
There is no majority on Donegal County Council; Fianna Fáil have the most seats, 10 of 37, short of 19. Donegal County Council is the council for Raphoe, and the only one: Ireland has a single tier of local government. Also worth knowing: 53% of voters turned out at the last local elections, near Co. Donegal’s towns (53%) and higher than Irish towns (46%).
| Turnout | Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 53% | 53% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 59% | 59% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
10.6% of its homes were built before 1919, higher than both Co. Donegal’s towns (4.7%) and Irish towns (3.4%). 14 archaeological sites are on the record, between Co. Donegal’s towns (18) and Irish towns (11). Raphoe’s built heritage counts 27 inventory entries, each of regional standing.
| Heritage | Raphoe | Co. Donegal | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 233 | 105 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 10.6% | 4.7% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Raphoe; with them, the best known within 40 km.
CathedralSt Eunan's Cathedralin town
National parkGlenveagh National Park33 km northwest
Castle · Office of Public WorksDoe Castle34 km northwest
CastleBurt Castle18 km north
MuseumDonegal County Museum13 km northwest
CastleGlenveagh Castle30 km northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Raphoe’s built heritage counts 27 inventory entries, each of regional standing. 14 recorded monuments and archaeological sites lie here.
No notable person born in Raphoe is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Philip Deignan: Balloholic, Public domain · Frances Browne: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raphoe | 1,161 | — | — | A | A− | D− |
| Convoy | 1,702 | 4 | — | A− | B | D |
| Lifford | 1,613 | 8.3 | — | A | C+ | D− |
| Letterkenny | 22,549 | 13 | D | B | C− | C− |
| Ballybofey-Stranorlar | 5,406 | 14 | C+ | A | C+ | C |
| Newtowncunningham | 1,192 | 15 | — | A− | A | C− |
| Ramelton | 1,288 | 19 | — | B− | A− | B |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Raphoe had 1,161 people at the 2022 census, up from 1,119 in 2016: 3.8% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Raphoe is 40.1, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 20% of residents are under 15 and 20% are 65 or over.
7% mostly work from home, and 48% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Urban area in Co. Donegal
Raphoe has 1,161 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).