Rathgar’s story
Old homes in Rathgar: 22% built before 1919
The register holds 1 building on the National Inventory in Rathgar.
8 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
- 1780Weir, Rathfarnham
RathgarDublin
Home to 5,768 people, this neighbourhood lies in Dublin. It grew by 23% between the 2016 and 2022 censuses.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
5,768
CSO, Census 2022 · Dublin City Council
Median age
34.2
18% are 65+ · Co. Dublin 14%
Degree level
72%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
42%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
TownGrade
B
#114 of 320
Is Rathgar a good place to live?
On health it is strong — 76 residents in bad health and 100 with a disability for every 100 its ages predict. With a B overall, Rathgar is better than nearly two thirds of Irish towns. That places it #42 of 116 in Co. Dublin. Add walkability to its strengths. 42% of commuters walk, cycle or take the bus or train (the typical Irish town: 23%). The drawback is cost of living: home prices sit at a median €940,000, which is 10.5 years of the town’s median household income. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for safety, B for jobs & income and B for hazard risk.
Figures: health, commuting and work, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · radon, EPA.
What makes Rathgar stand out
The 3 things Rathgar does most differently from other towns.
Degree or higher, residents 15+
Education
The median of Irish towns: 36%
CSO, Census 2022
Residents aged 15 to 24
Who lives here
24% are 15 to 24
The median of Irish towns: 12%
CSO, Census 2022
Median sale price
Housing
€704,700 median home
1.9 times the median of Irish towns, €372,600
Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025.
How Rathgar grades
Each subject compares Rathgar with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesA−Open →Health100 with a disability per 100 predictedA−Open →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsC−Open →Jobs & income6% unemployedBOpen →Hazard risk4% of homes above the radon reference levelBOpen →Safety6.7 burglaries and acts of criminal damage per 1,000 residentsB−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 →Dublin Castle and 146 more in and around Rathgar
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Rathgar. Best known first.
CastleCastle · Office of Public WorksDublin Castle3.3 km outside town, to the north
Big drawMuseumNational Museum of Ireland3 km outside town, to the north · 783K visitors a year
CathedralSt Patrick's Cathedral3 km outside town, to the north
MuseumNational Library of Ireland3.1 km outside town, to the north
Historic houseLeinster House3 km outside town, to the north
Garden · Office of Public WorksSaint Stephen's Green2.7 km outside town, to the north
Big drawMuseumNational Museum of Ireland3 km outside town, to the north · 783K visitors a yearCathedralSt Patrick's Cathedral3 km outside town, to the northMuseumNational Library of Ireland3.1 km outside town, to the northHistoric houseLeinster House3 km outside town, to the northGarden · Office of Public WorksSaint Stephen's Green2.7 km outside town, to the northPlaces: 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 (5)
- National Museum of Ireland: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Patrick's Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
- Saint Stephen's Green: Dronepicr (edited by King of Hearts ) Edit corrects CA and sharpens image, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rathgar.
Schools
DEIS support reaches 21% of schools around Rathgar, below Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
Within 3 km of Rathgar there are 105 schools (61 primary schools, 34 secondary schools and 10 special schools). Single-sex secondaries: 56%, higher than both Co. Dublin’s towns (40%) and Irish towns (39%). For secondary school, the closest is Stratford College, 0.3 km from the town.
105schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Christopher's NS DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 598 | Catholic |
| The High School Fee-payingLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 811 | Church of Ireland |
| Gaelscoil na Fuinseoige GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 441 | Multi-denominational |
| Ballinteer Community School DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Community school | Post-primary · Community school | 415 | Inter-denominational |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic69
Multi-denominational19
Church of Ireland10
Inter-denominational3
Other4
| Schools within 3 km | Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 21% | 40% | 35% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 56% | 40% | 39% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +8% | +4% | +4% |
34,594
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+8%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.4 km
to the nearest primary school
0.3 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.
HealthHealth A−
91% of people in Rathgar say their health is good or very good, more than in Co. Dublin’s towns or across Irish towns
At the census, 1.5% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below Co. Dublin’s towns (1.9%) and Irish towns (2%) alike. Ages taken into account, Rathgar counts 100 people with a disability for every 100 predicted. Family carers: 4.6% of the people in Rathgar look after someone without pay.
91%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 91%Fair 7%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 91% | 89% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 4.6% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.5% | 1.9% | 2% |
| With a disability | 23% | 21% | 22% |
76
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Dublin 103
100
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
HousingCost of living C−
Rathgar is a renters’ town: 36% of households rent privately, more than in Co. Dublin’s towns or across Irish towns
2% of households live in social housing. Owners make up 60% of households, lower than Co. Dublin’s towns (66%) and near Irish towns (61%). Only one of the 116 towns in Co. Dublin costs more to buy into than Rathgar, whose median sale is €940,000.
€940Kmedian sale priceC−Cost of living Grade
Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025
Rathgar€940K
Co. Dublin€450K
Irish towns€350K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €920,000 | 249 |
| The last 12 months | €1,017,000 | 81 |
| Housing | Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €940K | €450K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 36% | 19% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 2% | 10% | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 60% | 66% | 61% |
60%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
36%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,779
a month on new tenancies, Rathgar
13.2
times median household income, County Dublin
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Climate
Rainfall in Rathgar trails that of 77% of Irish towns: 784 mm a year
The year’s mean temperature is 10.4°C, near both Co. Dublin’s towns (10.3°C) and Irish towns (10.3°C). The nearest weather station is Phoenix Park, 8.1 km away. November is the wettest month in Rathgar, with 89 mm of rain on average.
19.9°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.8°C
Spring13.0°C
Summer19.3°C
Autumn14.2°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain a year | 784 mm | 770 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.4°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
19.9°C
July high
2.9°C
January low
784 mm
Rain a year
89 mm
Wettest month
33
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
6 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Rathgar
Woodland covers 3.5% of the land within 1 km, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (2.2%) and Irish towns (2.7%). Across its 10 parks, Rathgar has 54 ha of green space. Green space comes to 9.4 ha for every 1,000 people locally.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Rathgar9.4 ha
Co. Dublin7.6 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paths per km² of town | 4.8 km per km² | 5.5 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Woodland within 1 km | 3.5% | 2.2% | 2.7% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 9.4 ha | 7.6 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Near a park | 100% | 100% | 92% |
100%
Near a park
9.4 ha
Green space
45 km
Footpaths
0.1%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Forecast for Rathgar: light showers today and highs near 11 degrees
Plan indoor things for Tuesday, when about 5 mm of rain is forecast. Expect roughly 2 mm of rain today, wind picking up to 24 km/h, and a low of 9°C. By December, a normal day reaches 9°C and a normal night 3°C.
11°C / 9°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 | 200 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 6°C | 167 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 187 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 8°C | 231 mm |
11°C / 9°C
Today
1.9 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
16 km/h
Wind
80%
Humidity
9 h 18 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Rathgar is a graduates’ town: 72% hold a degree, more than in Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns
12% are under 15, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (17%) and Irish towns (20%). Aged 15 to 24: 24% of residents. In addition, the 65-and-over age group makes up 18% of residents.
34.2median age
RathgarCo. DublinIreland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none3%
Lower secondary4%
Leaving Cert17%
Diploma or cert4%
Degree or higher72%
Women and men · all residents
54.0% of Rathgar’s residents are women
3,112 women and 2,656 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 24% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 27% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 20% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 2.7% | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 4% | 11% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 17% | 30% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 4.4% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 72% | 44% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Dublin and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
General election turnout in Rathgar trails Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns: 48%
40% of voters turned out at the last local elections. No party holds a majority on Dublin City Council: Fine Gael lead with 11 of 63 seats, short of the 32 needed. There is just one council for Rathgar, Dublin City Council: Ireland has only one tier of local government.
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 | Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 48% | 57% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 40% | 42% | 46% |
6
Councillors
11/63
Fine Gael seats on Dublin City, the largest party
40%
turnout, June 2024
4
TDs elected for Dublin Bay South
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Old homes shape Rathgar: 22.4% were built before 1919, more than in Co. Dublin’s towns or Irish towns
Rathgar has 2 inventory buildings for every 10,000 residents. 8 archaeological sites are on the record, higher than Co. Dublin’s towns (6) yet lower than Irish towns (11). One building in Rathgar made the national inventory of architectural heritage, at regional importance.
1inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional1
Among them
- Weir, Rathfarnham 1780
1780
earliest dated inventory building
22%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 2 | 10 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 22.4% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Work & commuteJobs & income B
20% of workers in Rathgar worked mainly from home, more than in Co. Dublin’s towns and Irish towns
Of working-age residents (15 to 64), 61% were employed at the census. 38% of commuters drove, below Co. Dublin’s towns (53%) and Irish towns (66%) alike. The jobless rate is 5.8%.
42%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van38%
Bicycle14%
Bus12%
Walk10%
Train, DART or Luas5%
| Census 2022 | Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €89,790 | €72,400 | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 61% | 71% | 68% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 14% | 23% | 31% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 7.4% | 9.2% |
€89,790
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Dublin €71,123
20%
worked mainly from home, 2022
6%
trips of an hour or more
48,940
on the Live Register, County Dublin, September 2026
A−
Walkability: better than 84% 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.
Natural hazardsHazard risk B
Few natural hazards in Rathgar: low radon, steady ground and few homes low by big water
Radon above the reference level: an estimated 4.4% of homes in Rathgar. For a swim, the nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 4.6 km from Rathgar, rated sufficient in 2025. The ground under Rathgar carries no high landslide susceptibility.
0%of homes in high-radon areasBHazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water1.4%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river1.4%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 1.4% | 0% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
4.6 km
to Sandymount Strand bathing water (sufficient)
1,541
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
SafetySafety B−
Recorded crime per resident in Rathgar fell 36% from 2016 to 2025
The commonest graded crime in Rathgar was damage to property (2023–2025). Violent crime ran at 4 per 1,000 residents a year, below Co. Dublin’s towns (5.3) and Irish towns (5.7) alike. Among the 201 Irish towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, Rathgar has less crime per resident than 57% of them.
4violent incidents per 1,000 a yearB−Safety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 57% of the 201 Irish towns of 2,500 to 10,000 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
Theft23.2
Public order6.2
Road traffic6.1
Damage3.7
Assault3.1
Burglary3
Drugs2.3
Dangerous acts1.7
Against justice0.5
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 | Rathgar | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft | 23.2 | 18.5 | 15.3 |
| Violent crime | 4 | 5.3 | 5.7 |
4
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
6.7
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
1,644
incidents a year, Rathmines Garda area
10.7
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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rathgar
15pages on Rathgar
The big questions
Out and about
Famous people from Rathgar
9 notable people were born in Rathgar.
L
Laura DelanyIrish cricketer · born 1992U
Ulick O'ConnorIrish dramatist (& sportsman) · 1928–2019G
George Dawson PrestonBritish physicist · 1896–1972H
Harold LittledaleBritish writer · 1853–1930M
Mary Gertrude JoyceIrish nun and musician (1884–1964)Photo credits
Nicholas Donnelly: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
Rathgar’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
TerenureRathmines WestChurchtownRathmines EastClonskeaghRathfarnhamRathgar
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rathgar | 5,768 | — | B | C− | B− | A− |
| Terenure | 10,391 | 1.4 | A+ | D | B+ | A |
| Rathmines West | 22,667 | 1.4 | A | C | C+ | A |
| Churchtown | 10,044 | 1.6 | A | D− | B+ | A |
| Rathmines East | 16,923 | 1.7 | B+ | D | C+ | A+ |
| Clonskeagh | 14,142 | 2.3 | B | D− | B− | A− |
| Rathfarnham | 17,508 | 2.4 | A | D− | A− | A+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Rathgar
Has Rathgar grown?
Rathgar had 5,768 people at the 2022 census, up from 4,683 in 2016: 23.2% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
Is Rathgar a young town or an old one?
The median age in Rathgar is 34.2, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Rathgar
Neighbourhood in Dublin
Rathgar has 5,768 people, 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
- 5,768 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Dublin
- Council
- Dublin City Council
- Local electoral area
- Kimmage-Rathmines
- Dáil constituency
- Dublin Bay South
- Name in Irish
- Ráth Garbh
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²)
- CSO code
- ED:DC:RATHFARNHAM
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).