Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
At the 2022 census, 5% of the labour force was out of work. 17,508 people live in this neighbourhood in Dublin.
Where it does best is health — 57 residents in bad health and 85 with a disability for every 100 its ages predict. Overall, Rathfarnham earns an A, better than 95% of Irish towns. Its place in the ranking is #18 of 320 Irish towns. Households here earn well (A): among 15 to 64s, 74% are in work; unemployment stands at 5%. Homes are dear: the median sale, €617,000, comes to 7 times what the median household here earns.
Figures: health and work, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO.
The 3 things Rathfarnham does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Rathfarnham 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 →
11 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
2% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Rathfarnham. Best known first.
Museum · Office of Public WorksPearse Museum - St. Enda's Parkin town
CathedralSt Patrick's Cathedral3.9 km outside town, to the north
Big drawMuseumNational Museum of Ireland4.1 km outside town, to the north · 783K visitors a year
MuseumNational Library of Ireland4.2 km outside town, to the north
Historic houseLeinster House4.2 km outside town, to the north
Garden · Office of Public WorksSaint Stephen's Green3.8 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rathfarnham.
Among the 40 Irish towns closest to its size, Rathfarnham ranks 3rd on the Health Grade. 92% of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (89%) and Irish towns (88%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 1.3% of the town.
| Census 2022 | Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 6.8% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 92% | 89% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.3% | 1.9% | 2% |
| With a disability | 21% | 22% | 22% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Social renters account for 1% of households. 13% rent privately, below Co. Dublin’s towns (20%) and Irish towns (22%) alike. The typical sale price in Rathfarnham reached €703K in 2025, up 87% from €375K in 2010.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €937,500 | 48 |
| Second-hand homes | €612,000 | 973 |
| The last 12 months | €730,000 | 344 |
| Housing | Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €617K | €450K | €350K |
| Households owning their home | 84% | 66% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 1% | 10% | 13% |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €2,244 | €2,063 | €1,606 |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Workers spend 30.2 min getting to work, on average. 27% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, below Co. Dublin’s towns (36%) but above Irish towns (23%). Average household income comes to €88,130 a year before tax.
| Census 2022 | Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €88,130 | €72,400 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 7.4% | 9.2% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 74% | 71% | 68% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 21% | 23% | 31% |
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.
The violent crime rate is 2.6 per 1,000 residents a year. Every kind together came to 28 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (59.2) and Irish towns (54.3). Among the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, Rathfarnham has less crime per resident than 90% of them.
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 | Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary & damage | 4.2 | 7.5 | 6.4 |
| All recorded crime | 28 | 59.2 | 54.3 |
| Violent crime | 2.6 | 5.3 | 5.7 |
| Theft | 9.8 | 18.5 | 15.3 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Within 3 km of Rathfarnham there are 111 schools (65 primary schools, 37 secondary schools and 9 special schools). Loreto High School is the nearest secondary school, 0.3 km away. Also worth knowing: since 2019/20, pupils changed +6%, above Co. Dublin’s towns (+4%) and Irish towns (+4%) alike.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Colmcille Senior N.S.Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 744 | Catholic |
| Wesley College Fee-payingLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 942 | Methodist |
| Gaelscoil na Fuinseoige GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 441 | Multi-denominational |
| Tallaght Community School DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Community school | Post-primary · Community school | 840 | Inter-denominational |
| Schools within 3 km | Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 22% | 40% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 9% | 7% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +6% | +4% | +4% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · You won’t find letters or results below: Ireland publishes none for single schools.
821 mm of rain falls in a year, between Co. Dublin’s towns (770 mm) and Irish towns (937 mm). Rathfarnham is 0.2°C warmer over the year than in 1981–2010. Averaged across the seasons, Rathfarnham sits at 10.2°C.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain a year | 821 mm | 770 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.2°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.8°C | 2.9°C | 2.9°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
12 parks and 211 ha of green space in all: that is Rathfarnham’s share. Walkers have 5.5 km per km² of paths and tracks, close to Co. Dublin’s towns (5.4 km per km²) and above Irish towns (2.1 km per km²). 98% of homes have green space within 400 m.
| Outdoors | Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland within 1 km | 4.8% | 2.2% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 5.5 km per km² | 5.4 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 12.0 ha | 7.6 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Near a park | 98% | 100% | 92% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
The heaviest rain of the week is due on Tuesday, around 5 mm. Around 2 mm of rain is due today, on a breeze of up to 24 km/h, with a low of 9°C. In December, the normal shifts to highs of 9°C and lows of 3°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 216 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 175 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 187 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 243 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Among adults, 59% have a degree. 15% were born abroad, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (23%) and Irish towns (22%). Young adults of 15 to 24 account for just over a tenth of the town.
52.6% of Rathfarnham’s residents are women
9,211 women and 8,297 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 22% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 4.1% | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 7% | 11% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 25% | 30% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 59% | 44% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Dublin and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Turnout at the last local elections was 47%. South Dublin County Council is the council for Rathfarnham, and the only one: Ireland has a single tier of local government. With 10 of 40 seats, Independent are the largest group on South Dublin County Council, short of the 21 a majority needs.
| Turnout | Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 47% | 42% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 59% | 57% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Homes from before 1919 make up 2.3% of the total, above Co. Dublin’s towns (1.2%) but below Irish towns (3.4%). 11 archaeological sites are on the record, about level with Irish towns (11) and above Co. Dublin’s towns (6). 86 of Rathfarnham’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage; 1 rank of national or international importance.
| Heritage | Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 49 | 9 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 2.3% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
For a swim, the nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 6.6 km from Rathfarnham, rated sufficient in 2025. 4.1% of homes stand low near a river, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (0%) and Irish towns (0.5%). Landslides: none of Rathfarnham lies in a high-susceptibility zone.
| Share of homes | Rathfarnham | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 4.1% | 0% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
86 of Rathfarnham’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage; 1 rank of national or international importance. 11 recorded monuments and archaeological sites lie here.
11 notable people were born in Rathfarnham.
Edward Bulfin: James McBey, Public domain · James Henthorn Todd: Stephen Catterson Smith the younger, Public domain · Bríd Smith: Houses of the Oireachtas, CC BY 4.0 · Herbert Scaping: David Wright, CC BY-SA 2.0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rathfarnham | 17,508 | — | A | D− | A− | A+ |
| Ballyboden | 5,246 | 1.5 | A | D− | A− | A+ |
| Edmondstown | 5,451 | 1.6 | B− | D− | A− | C+ |
| Churchtown | 10,044 | 1.7 | A | D− | B+ | A |
| Rathgar | 5,768 | 2.4 | B | C− | B− | A− |
| Ballinteer | 16,038 | 2.5 | A− | D− | B+ | A |
| Templeogue | 18,076 | 2.5 | A− | D− | B | A+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Rathfarnham had 17,508 people at the 2022 census, up from 17,478 in 2016: 0.2% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Rathfarnham is 43.3, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Neighbourhood in Dublin
Rathfarnham has 17,508 people, 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)
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).