Ballyowen’s story
Ballyowen has 2 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 3 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 0%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1675Kieran Brady
- 1750Ballyowen Cottage
BallyowenDublin
14,739 people live in this neighbourhood in Dublin.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
14,739
CSO, Census 2022 · South Dublin County Council
Median age
33.6
4% are 65+ · Co. Dublin 14%
Degree level
48%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
23%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
TownGrade
B−
#167 of 320
Is Ballyowen a good place to live?
Some subjects shine; others lag. Its lowest grade is for cost of living — home prices sit at a median €458,100, which is 5.2 years of the town’s median household income. With a B− overall, Ballyowen sits #167 of 320 Irish towns. It comes out better than 48% of Irish towns. Where it does best is health: bad health runs at 84 and disability at 86 per 100 expected for its ages. The local economy does well: unemployment is 6%, and 71% of 15 to 64s have a job.
Figures: health and work, CSO Census 2022 · 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. Rents for this town aren't published on their own, so its Cost Grade uses the county's average rent.
What makes Ballyowen stand out
The 3 things Ballyowen does most differently from other towns.
Median gross household income
Income
Gross, a year (the median of Irish towns: €57,760)
CSO household income for the electoral division.
Health
Health
Better than 91%
of Irish towns on health
Its health grade: A.
Degree or higher, residents 15+
Education
48% have a degree
Against 36% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
How Ballyowen grades
Each subject compares Ballyowen with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Health86 with a disability per 100 predictedAOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnDOpen →Safety7.7 burglaries and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Jobs & income6% unemployedA−Open →Walkability23% walk, cycle or take a bus or train to workB+Open →Hazard risk7% of homes above the radon reference levelC+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 →Phoenix Park Visitor Centre - Ashtown Castle and 7 more in and around Ballyowen
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Ballyowen. Best known first.
Castle · Office of Public WorksPhoenix Park Visitor Centre - Ashtown Castle5 km outside town, to the east
CastleTully's Castle2.5 km outside town, to the southeastWater parkWater parkAquazone5 km outside town, to the northeastHistoric houseHistoric houseFarmleigh House and Estate3 km outside town, to the eastCastleCastleLeixlip Castle3.9 km outside town, to the westChurchChurchSt Mary's Church Leixlip3.9 km outside town, to the westPlaces: 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 (2)
- Phoenix Park Visitor Centre - Ashtown Castle: Frank Winkelmann, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tully's Castle: Ian Paterson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ballyowen.
HealthHealth A
Fewer people in Ballyowen have a disability than its ages would predict: 86 per 100 expected, under Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
1.1% of residents report bad or very bad health. At the census, 93% of people in Ballyowen called their health good or very good, above Co. Dublin’s towns (89%) and Irish towns (88%) alike. A disability affects 16% of people in the town.
93%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health84
Disability86
Co. Dublin103
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 93%Fair 6%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2022 | Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 16% | 22% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 93% | 89% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.1% | 1.9% | 2% |
| Unpaid carers | 4.5% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
84
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Dublin 103
86
disability per 100 expected · Co. Dublin 99
83.4 · 80.1
life expectancy, women · men, the Dublin region, 2016
28%
hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and Midlands
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
HousingCost of living D
Ballyowen is a renters’ town: 28% of households rent privately, more than in Co. Dublin’s towns or across Irish towns
6% live in social housing, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (13%). Owners make up nearly two thirds of households.
€458Kmedian sale priceDCost of living Grade
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Ballyowen€458K
Co. Dublin€450K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 6% | 10% | 13% |
| Households renting privately | 28% | 19% | 22% |
| Median sale price | €458K | €450K | €350K |
| Households owning their home | 66% | 66% | 61% |
66%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
28%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€2,159
a month on new tenancies, County Dublin
6.4
times median household income, County Dublin
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area K78, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Schools
Schools around Ballyowen have lost ground: pupils −1% since 2019, below Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
28% of the secondaries are single-sex, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (39%). 68 schools lie within 3 km of Ballyowen: 45 primary schools, 18 secondary schools and 5 special schools.
68schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Patricks N.S.Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 867 | Catholic |
| Castleknock Community CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 1,318 | Multi-denominational |
| Coláiste Cois Life GaelcholáisteTeaches through IrishPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 592 | Multi-denominational |
| Phobailscoil Iosolde DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Community school | Post-primary · Community school | 764 | Inter-denominational |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic42
Multi-denominational18
Church of Ireland3
Inter-denominational5
| Schools within 3 km | Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −1% | +4% | +4% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 28% | 40% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 32% | 40% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 9% | 7% | 8% |
31,032
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−1%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.3 km
to the nearest primary school
1 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Letters and results are missing here for a reason: Ireland publishes neither school by school.
SafetySafety C−
Ballyowen has more crime per resident than 80% of Irish towns
For its size, Ballyowen records more crime per resident than 72% of the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people. Violence came to 9.1 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (5.3) and Irish towns (5.7); what’s more, recorded crime of every kind runs at 74.6 per 1,000 residents a year. Among the graded crimes locally, the most frequent was assaults and harassment (2023–2025).
9.1violent incidents per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 28% 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
Theft21.6
Road traffic12.6
Drugs8
Assault7.8
Dangerous acts7.1
Damage5.7
Public order4.3
Against justice4.3
Burglary1.9
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 | Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 9.1 | 5.3 | 5.7 |
| All recorded crime | 74.6 | 59.2 | 54.3 |
| Theft | 21.6 | 18.5 | 15.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 7.7 | 7.5 | 6.4 |
9.1
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
7.7
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
2,215
incidents a year, Lucan Garda area
16.7
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
Work & commuteJobs & income A−
Households in Ballyowen earn more than in Co. Dublin’s towns or across Irish towns: €87,710 a year
Nearly two thirds of commuters drove, about level with Irish towns (66%) and above Co. Dublin’s towns (52%). The unemployment rate comes to 6.4%. On average, the journey to work lasts 32.9 min.
23%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van66%
Bus16%
Walk3%
Bicycle3%
Train, DART or Luas1%
| Census 2022 | Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €87,710 | €72,400 | €57,760 |
| Average trip | 32.9 min | 31.1 min | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 19% | 23% | 31% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 7.4% | 9.2% |
€87,710
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Dublin €71,123
11%
worked mainly from home, 2022
12%
trips of an hour or more
48,940
on the Live Register, County Dublin, September 2026
B+
Walkability: better than 71% 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.
Climate
Winter nights bite in Ballyowen: January lows of 2.4°C, colder than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns
Ballyowen gets 793 mm of rain a year. Here July highs average 20.1°C, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (19.9°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C). Over twelve months, Ballyowen averages 10.1°C.
20.1°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.6°C
Spring13.2°C
Summer19.4°C
Autumn14.1°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.4°C | 2.9°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 20.1°C | 19.9°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.1°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 793 mm | 770 mm | 937 mm |
20.1°C
July high
2.4°C
January low
793 mm
Rain a year
85 mm
Wettest month
33
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Ballyowen is made for walking: 7.5 km per km² of paths, more than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns
Within 1 km, 6% of the land is woodland, above Co. Dublin’s towns (2.2%) and Irish towns (2.7%) alike. Ballyowen counts 4 parks, adding up to 78 ha of green space. Also worth knowing: 100% of homes are a short walk (400 m) from green space.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Ballyowen5.3 ha
Co. Dublin7.6 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paths per km² of town | 7.5 km per km² | 5.4 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Woodland within 1 km | 6% | 2.2% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 100% | 100% | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0% | 0.2% | 1.8% |
100%
Near a park
5.3 ha
Green space
99 km
Footpaths
6%
Woodland
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Who lives here
Ballyowen has fewer older residents than Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns: 3.7% are 65 or over
Aged 15 to 24: 16% of residents. Children under 15 make up 23%, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (17%) and Irish towns (20%). Overseas births account for nearly a third of the people living here.
33.6median age
BallyowenCo. DublinIreland
Ages · share of residents
16%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none4%
Lower secondary8%
Leaving Cert33%
Diploma or cert7%
Degree or higher48%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 50.2% of Ballyowen
7,395 women and 7,344 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 16% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 30% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 3.7% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 4% | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 8.4% | 11% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 33% | 30% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.9% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 48% | 44% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Dublin and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Fewer vote in Ballyowen: 38% turned out at the last local elections, below Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
General election turnout: 56%, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (57%) and Irish towns (59%). Ballyowen is split between local electoral areas: 63% of its residents are in Palmerstown-Fonthill, most of the rest in Lucan. South Dublin County Council has no ruling majority: Independent hold 10 of its 40 seats, short of the 21 needed.
10/40seats held by Independent
Seats on South Dublin County · June 2024
Independent10
Fine Gael9
Fianna Fáil5
Sinn Féin5
People Before Profit–Solidarity4
Labour Party3
Social Democrats2
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 38% | 42% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 56% | 57% | 59% |
5
Councillors
10/40
Independent seats on South Dublin County, the largest party
38%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Dublin Mid-West
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
2 buildings in Ballyowen are on the national inventory, all of regional importance
Ballyowen has 1 inventory buildings for every 10,000 residents. The pre-1919 share of homes is 0.3%. 3 archaeological sites are on the record, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (7) and Irish towns (11).
2inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional2
Among them
- Kieran Brady 1675
- Ballyowen Cottage 1750
3
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1675
earliest dated inventory building
0%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 1 | 10 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 0.3% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 3 | 7 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Natural hazardsHazard risk C+
Some of Ballyowen’s homes have high radon: an estimated 7.5%, above the reference level
Sandymount Strand, 15 km from Ballyowen, is the closest bathing water; it was rated sufficient in 2025. Landslides: none of Ballyowen lies in a high-susceptibility zone. Next to none of its homes lie low beside a river or the sea.
0%of homes in high-radon areasC+Hazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water0%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river0%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Ballyowen | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 0% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
15 km
to Sandymount Strand bathing water (sufficient)
4,068
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ballyowen
15pages on Ballyowen
Landmarks
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 2 buildings in Ballyowen, each rated of regional importance. 3 archaeological sites are on the record here.
Famous people from around Ballyowen
No notable person born in Ballyowen is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
J
John Francis NortonIrish-born Roman Catholic bishop in Aus… · born in Lucan · 1891–1963K
Killian DonnellyIrish actor · born in Ronanstown · born 1984Photo credits
Andy Boyle: Вячеслав Евдокимов, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Catherine Murphy: Urbanchum, CC BY 3.0 · John Curran: Houses of the Oireachtas, CC BY 4.0 · Michael Fitzgerald: Files2Fly, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ballyowen’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
EskerRonanstownLucanPalmerstonDeansrathCarpenterstownBallyowen
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballyowen | 14,739 | — | B− | D | C− | A |
| Esker | 19,110 | 1.5 | C | D | C | B+ |
| Ronanstown | 11,130 | 1.9 | D− | B− | D− | D− |
| Lucan | 23,033 | 2.3 | B+ | C− | B | A |
| Palmerston | 11,012 | 2.6 | D | C | D | C |
| Deansrath | 13,743 | 2.8 | D− | C+ | D | D− |
| Carpenterstown | 20,967 | 3.2 | A | B− | C+ | A+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Ballyowen
Is Ballyowen growing?
Ballyowen had 14,739 people at the 2022 census, up from 14,037 in 2016: 5% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How old are the people of Ballyowen?
The median age in Ballyowen is 33.6, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
How do people in Ballyowen get to work?
11% mostly work from home, and 19% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
About Ballyowen
Neighbourhood in Dublin
14,739 people live in Ballyowen, in the area of South Dublin County 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
- 14,739 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Dublin
- Council
- South Dublin County Council
- Local electoral area
- Palmerstown-Fonthill
- Dáil constituency
- Dublin Mid-West
- Name in Irish
- Baile Eoghain
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km²)
- CSO code
- ED:SD:LUCAN-ESKER#ballyowen
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).