Ballsbridge’s story
Ballsbridge: 8 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 7 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 35%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1780Grand Canal
- 1785Eustace Bridge
- 1785Lock, Huband Bridge
BallsbridgeDublin
62% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. The neighbourhood, home to 12,743 people, lies in Dublin.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Sarah777 at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Population
12,743
CSO, Census 2022 · Dublin City Council
Median age
35
11% are 65+ · Co. Dublin 14%
Degree level
77%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
62%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
TownGrade
B+
#100 of 320
Is Ballsbridge a good place to live?
A well-rated place to live, with prices to match. People here tend to be in good health: 50 residents in bad health and 81 with a disability for every 100 its ages predict. With a B+ overall, Ballsbridge is better than 69% of Irish towns and ranks #100 of 320 Irish towns. The trade-off is cost of living — half the homes sold for more than €900,000, a price of 9.1 times what the median household earns.
Figures: health, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO.
What makes Ballsbridge stand out
The 3 things Ballsbridge does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
62% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Households renting privately
Housing
Against 22% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Degree or higher, residents 15+
Education
Against 36% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
How Ballsbridge grades
Each subject compares Ballsbridge with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Jobs & income5% unemployedA+Open →Cost of livingAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD−Open →Health81 with a disability per 100 predictedA+Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesAOpen →Hazard risk4% of homes above the radon reference levelCOpen →Safety7.2 burglaries and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →National Print Museum and 156 more in and around Ballsbridge
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Ballsbridge. Best known first.
MuseumNational Print Museumin town
Big drawMuseumNational Museum of Ireland900 m outside town, to the northwest · 783K visitors a year
MuseumNational Library of Ireland1 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic houseLeinster House900 m outside town, to the northwest
CathedralSt Patrick's Cathedral1.5 km outside town, to the west
Art galleryNational Gallery of Ireland900 m outside town, to the northwestPlaces: 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 (6)
- National Print Museum: Miguel Mendez from Malahide, Ireland, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Museum of Ireland: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Library of Ireland: YvonneM, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leinster House: Jean Housen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Patrick's Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Gallery of Ireland: Copyright © 2006 Kaihsu Tai, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ballsbridge.
Work & commuteJobs & income A+
The car carries only 21% of commuters in Ballsbridge, fewer than in Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
18% of workers worked mainly from home, above Co. Dublin’s towns (14%) and Irish towns (11%) alike. Households take home €99,170 a year before tax, on average. Also worth knowing: the census found 80% of 15- to 64-year-olds in work.
62%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Walk41%
Car or van21%
Bicycle10%
Bus6%
Train, DART or Luas4%
| Census 2022 | Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €99,170 | €72,400 | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 80% | 71% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 7.4% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 26.2 min | 31.1 min | 27.6 min |
€99,170
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Dublin €71,123
18%
worked mainly from home, 2022
4%
trips of an hour or more
48,940
on the Live Register, County Dublin, September 2026
A
Walkability: better than 92% 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.
HousingCost of living D−
Private renting is more common in Ballsbridge than in Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: 58% of households
Social housing holds 3% of households, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (13%). 37% of households are owner-occupiers. A buyer in Ballsbridge paid 62% more for a typical home in 2025 than in 2010: €800K against €493K.
€900Kmedian sale priceD−Cost of living Grade
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Ballsbridge€900K
Co. Dublin€450K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €1,716,700 | 76 |
| Second-hand homes | €825,000 | 454 |
| The last 12 months | €831,000 | 181 |
| Housing | Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €900K | €450K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 58% | 19% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 37% | 66% | 61% |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €2,570 | €2,063 | €1,606 |
37%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
58%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€2,570
a month on new tenancies, Ballsbridge
12.7
times median household income, County Dublin
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
HealthHealth A+
For its ages, fewer people in Ballsbridge live with a disability than in Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: 81 per 100 expected
93% of Ballsbridge’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (89%) and Irish towns (88%). This Co. Dublin town ranks 2nd of the 40 Irish towns nearest its size on the Health Grade. Disability touches 17% of the town’s population.
93%good or very good healthA+Health Grade
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health50
Disability81
Co. Dublin103
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 93%Fair 6%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2022 | Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 93% | 89% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 0.8% | 1.9% | 2% |
| With a disability | 17% | 22% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 4.1% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
50
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Dublin 103
81
disability per 100 expected · Co. Dublin 99
83.4 · 80.1
life expectancy, women · men, the Dublin region, 2016
27%
hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and South East
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Schools
Pupil numbers around Ballsbridge grew +10% since 2019, above Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
The nearest secondary, St Conleths College, is 0.7 km away. Single-sex secondaries: 46%, above Co. Dublin’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (39%) alike. 116 schools lie within 3 km of Ballsbridge: 67 primary schools, 39 secondary schools and 10 special schools.
116schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Christopher's NS DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 598 | Catholic |
| Belvedere College S.J BoysLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 1,011 | Catholic |
| Coláiste Eoin GaelcholáisteTeaches through IrishPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 517 | Catholic |
| Larkin Community College DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 403 | Inter-denominational |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic80
Multi-denominational18
Church of Ireland9
Inter-denominational3
Other6
| Schools within 3 km | Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +10% | +4% | +4% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 46% | 40% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 42% | 40% | 35% |
31,567
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+10%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.1 km
to the nearest primary school
0.7 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Ireland doesn’t publish results for individual schools, so none of these carries a letter.
Natural hazardsHazard risk C
55% of Ballsbridge’s homes stand on low ground beside the River Dodder: more than in 95% of Irish towns
For a swim, the nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 2.3 km from Ballsbridge, rated sufficient in 2025. Radon tests would find about 3.8% of the town’s homes above the reference level, by estimate. The town is protected by the River Dodder (Tidal).
0%of homes in high-radon areasCHazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water55%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river55%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 55% | 0% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
1
flood relief scheme: River Dodder (Tidal)
2.3 km
to Sandymount Strand bathing water (sufficient)
3,409
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
SafetySafety C+
Ballsbridge records burglary at 1.7 times the rate of a typical town its size
Damage to property topped the graded crimes in Ballsbridge (2023–2025). Theft, shown but not graded, ran at 24 per 1,000 a year, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (18.5) and Irish towns (15.3). Violent crime runs at 4.8 per 1,000 residents a year.
4.8violent incidents per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 52% of the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025
Theft24
Road traffic8.4
Public order7.3
Damage4
Assault3.6
Burglary3.3
Dangerous acts2.2
Drugs1.6
Robbery0.6
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 | Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft | 24 | 18.5 | 15.3 |
| Violent crime | 4.8 | 5.3 | 5.7 |
4.8
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
7.2
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
1,446
incidents a year, Irishtown Garda area
12.1
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
Climate
Ballsbridge has milder winters than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: January lows of 3.4°C
Ballsbridge’s year-round mean comes to 10.7°C. 751 mm of rain falls in a year, close to Co. Dublin’s towns (770 mm) and below Irish towns (937 mm). The nearest weather station is Phoenix Park, 8.1 km away.
19.9°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.9°C
Spring13.1°C
Summer19.3°C
Autumn14.4°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 10.7°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 3.4°C | 2.9°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 751 mm | 770 mm | 937 mm |
19.9°C
July high
3.4°C
January low
751 mm
Rain a year
84 mm
Wettest month
33
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Ballsbridge is made for walking: 6.3 km per km² of paths, more than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns
The sea makes up 18% of the area within 5 km, above Co. Dublin’s towns (3.7%) and Irish towns (0%) alike. Among the protected sites near Ballsbridge is South Dublin Bay SAC. Across its 9 parks, Ballsbridge has 39 ha of green space.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Ballsbridge3.0 ha
Co. Dublin7.6 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea within 5 km | 18% | 3.7% | 0% |
| Paths per km² of town | 6.3 km per km² | 5.4 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Woodland within 1 km | 1.3% | 2.3% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 100% | 100% | 92% |
100%
Near a park
3.0 ha
Green space
76 km
Footpaths
1.2%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Weather in Ballsbridge: light showers today, up to 11 degrees
Over the coming week, Tuesday looks wettest, with about 6 mm of rain. Around 2 mm of rain is due today, on a breeze of up to 31 km/h, with a low of 10°C. In December, the normal shifts to highs of 9°C and lows of 4°C.
11°C / 10°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November11°C
December9°C
January9°C
February9°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 185 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 6°C | 158 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 186 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 8°C | 222 mm |
11°C / 10°C
Today
2.1 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
22 km/h
Wind
78%
Humidity
9 h 18 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Ballsbridge than in Co. Dublin’s towns or across Irish towns: 77% of adults
12% are under 15, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (17%) and Irish towns (20%). Overseas births account for two fifths of the people living here. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 10% of the population.
35median age
BallsbridgeCo. DublinIreland
Ages · share of residents
10%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none4%
Lower secondary3%
Leaving Cert13%
Diploma or cert3%
Degree or higher77%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 50.9% of Ballsbridge
6,488 women and 6,255 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 45% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 21% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 3.6% | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 3.1% | 11% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 13% | 30% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 3.2% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 77% | 44% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Dublin and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Fewer in Ballsbridge voted at the general election: 48%, below Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
Fine Gael lead Dublin City Council with 11 of 63 seats, but no party has a majority: 32 are needed. 37% of voters turned out at the last local elections, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (42%) and Irish towns (46%). Ballsbridge spans more than one of the local electoral areas: 60% of its residents vote in Pembroke, most of the rest in South East Inner City.
11/63seats held by Fine Gael
Seats on Dublin City · June 2024
Fine Gael11
Social Democrats10
Independent9
Sinn Féin9
Fianna Fáil8
Green Party8
Labour Party4
People Before Profit–Solidarity2
| Turnout | Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 48% | 57% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 37% | 42% | 46% |
5
Councillors
11/63
Fine Gael seats on Dublin City, the largest party
37%
turnout, June 2024
4
TDs elected for Dublin Bay South
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Old homes shape Ballsbridge: 35% were built before 1919, more than in Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns
For its size, Ballsbridge has 6 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, below Co. Dublin’s towns (10) and Irish towns (48) alike. The Sites and Monuments Record lists 7 sites here, above Co. Dublin’s towns (6) but below Irish towns (11). Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 8 buildings in Ballsbridge, each of regional importance.
8inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional8
Among them
- Grand Canal 1780
- Eustace Bridge 1785
- Lock, Huband Bridge 1785
- McKenney Bridge Lock 1785
1780
earliest dated inventory building
35%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
3
places pictured on the history page
| Heritage | Ballsbridge | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1919 | 35% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 6 | 10 | 48 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ballsbridge
15pages on Ballsbridge
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 8 buildings in Ballsbridge, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded 7 sites here.
Famous people from Ballsbridge
4 notable people were born in Ballsbridge.
N
Niamh McCormackIrish actress · born 2001R
Rita ChildersWife of the 4th President of Ireland (1915–2010)S
Sybil MulcahyPresenter · born 1974Photo credits
Garret FitzGerald: Christian Lambiotte, CC BY 4.0
Ballsbridge’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
Grand Canal DockSt Stephen's GreenSandymountPortobelloRathmines EastEast WallBallsbridge
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballsbridge | 12,743 | — | B+ | D− | C+ | A+ |
| Grand Canal Dock | 8,320 | 1 | C+ | D | D− | A− |
| St Stephen's Green | 5,319 | 1.2 | D | D | D− | C+ |
| Sandymount | 22,340 | 1.4 | B | D− | C+ | A− |
| Portobello | 5,732 | 1.6 | C+ | C− | D− | B+ |
| Rathmines East | 16,923 | 1.8 | B+ | D | C+ | A+ |
| East Wall | 15,907 | 2 | C | C | D− | C+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Ballsbridge
Has Ballsbridge grown?
Ballsbridge had 12,743 people at the 2022 census, down from 12,847 in 2016: 0.8% fewer, while the median of Irish towns grew 7.6%.
How old are the people of Ballsbridge?
The median age in Ballsbridge is 35, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 12% of residents are under 15 and 11% are 65 or over.
About Ballsbridge
Neighbourhood in Dublin
12,743 people live in Ballsbridge, in the area of Dublin City Council. TownRatings splits Dublin 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)
- Population
- 12,743 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Dublin
- Council
- Dublin City Council
- Local electoral area
- Pembroke
- Dáil constituency
- Dublin Bay South
- Name in Irish
- Droichead na Dothra
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²)
- CSO code
- ED:DC:PEMBROKE WEST
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).