Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The neighbourhood has 8,844 residents and lies in Dublin. It grew by 10% between the 2016 and 2022 censuses.
The everyday basics are strong; the price of a home is the catch. Its standout strength is jobs & income: jobs reach 74% of 15 to 64s, and unemployment is 7%. It is strong on walkability as well. 47% of commuters walk, cycle or take the bus or train (the typical Irish town: 23%). Prices are high against local incomes: set against the median household income, the median home, at €426,500, costs 5 times as much. Overall, that makes an A−, good for #55 of 320 Irish towns. Set against the rest, it does better than 83% of Irish towns. The rest of its grades are middling: B for safety and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: work and commuting, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · radon, EPA.
The 3 things Sandyford does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Sandyford 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 →
2 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
1% 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 Sandyford. Best known first.
Museum · Office of Public WorksPearse Museum - St. Enda's Park2.9 km outside town, to the west
MuseumNational Maritime Museum of Ireland4.9 km outside town, to the east
Castle · Office of Public WorksMonkstown Castle3.6 km outside town, to the eastCastleCastle · Office of Public WorksRathfarnham Castle3.4 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttraction · Office of Public WorksNature Room2.9 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sandyford.
Irish-medium schools make up 12%, above both Co. Dublin’s towns (7%) and Irish towns (8%). For secondary school, the closest is St Benildus College, 0.9 km from the town. Within 3 km of Sandyford there are 67 schools (41 primary schools, 24 secondary schools and 2 special schools).
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| ST Olaf's National SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 591 | Catholic |
| St Andrews College Fee-payingLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 1,011 | Presbyterian |
| Coláiste Eoin GaelcholáisteTeaches through IrishPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 517 | Catholic |
| Ballinteer Community School DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Community school | Post-primary · Community school | 415 | Inter-denominational |
| Schools within 3 km | Sandyford | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 8% | 40% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 12% | 7% | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 54% | 40% | 39% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +7% | +4% | +4% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · These schools carry no letter or result: Ireland doesn’t release them school by school.
Before tax, the average household brings in €85,600 a year. The car took 34% of commuters, lower than both Co. Dublin’s towns (53%) and Irish towns (66%). 6.8% of the labour force are out of work.
| Census 2022 | Sandyford | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €85,600 | €72,400 | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 74% | 71% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.8% | 7.4% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 30.8 min | 31.1 min | 27.6 min |
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.
Households that own their home make up 47%. Renting cost €2,310 a month on average, higher than both Co. Dublin’s towns (€2,063) and Irish towns (€1,606). In 2010 the typical home in Sandyford sold for €303K; by 2025 it was €452K, 49% more.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €425,000 | 473 |
| The last 12 months | €490,000 | 158 |
| Housing | Sandyford | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 39% | 19% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 47% | 66% | 61% |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €2,310 | €2,063 | €1,606 |
| Median sale price | €427K | €454K | €350K |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
4.4% of residents give unpaid care to a relative or friend, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (5.3%) and Irish towns (5.4%). Disability touches nearly a fifth of Sandyford’s population. At the census, 1.7% of people here described their health as bad or very bad.
| Census 2022 | Sandyford | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 4.4% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 19% | 22% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 91% | 89% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.7% | 1.9% | 2% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Per 1,000 residents, 33.6 crimes of all kinds are recorded a year. Burglary and damage came to 4.6 per 1,000 residents a year, below Co. Dublin’s towns (7.5) and Irish towns (6.4) alike. What’s more, the violent crime rate is 3.7 per 1,000 residents a year. For its size, Sandyford records less crime per resident than just over three quarters of the 201 Irish towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people.
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 | Sandyford | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary & damage | 4.6 | 7.5 | 6.4 |
| All recorded crime | 33.6 | 59.2 | 54.3 |
| Violent crime | 3.7 | 5.3 | 5.7 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Across the year it averages 10.2°C, close to both Co. Dublin’s towns (10.3°C) and Irish towns (10.3°C). In July, daytime highs in Sandyford average 19.6°C. The town is 0.2°C warmer over the year than in 1981–2010.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Sandyford | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 19.6°C | 19.9°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 869 mm | 770 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.2°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
The sea makes up 6.2% of the area within 5 km, above Co. Dublin’s towns (3.7%) and Irish towns (0%) alike. Green space in Sandyford adds up to 44 ha, across 2 parks. 97% of homes are a short walk (400 m) from green space.
| Outdoors | Sandyford | 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 | 4.8% | 2.2% | 2.7% |
| Sea within 5 km | 6.2% | 3.7% | 0% |
| Near a park | 97% | 100% | 92% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Some 1 mm of rain falls today, driven by wind of up to 31 km/h; the low reaches 10°C. Rain peaks later in the week on Tuesday, at about 6 mm for the day. Set beside Sandyford’s forecast, a normal November runs from 5°C at night to 11°C by day.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 229 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 186 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 195 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 8°C | 260 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Young adults of 15 to 24 are one in ten residents, below both Co. Dublin’s towns (12%) and Irish towns (12%). Degrees are held by 57% of adults. 18% of residents are children under 15.
50.1% of Sandyford’s residents are women
4,430 women and 4,414 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Sandyford | Co. Dublin | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 41% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 18% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 14% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 6.6% | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 8.1% | 11% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 23% | 30% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 5.1% | 5.2% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 57% | 44% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Dublin and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
With 16 of 40 seats, Fine Gael are the largest group on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, short of the 21 a majority needs. Sandyford is split between local electoral areas: 64% of its residents are in Sandyford-Glencullen, most of the rest in Dundrum. Also worth knowing: 61% voted at the general election. Turnout at the last local elections was 45%, above Co. Dublin’s towns (42%) but below Irish towns (46%).
| Turnout | Sandyford | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 61% | 57% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 45% | 42% | 46% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Scaled to its population, Sandyford has 6 inventory buildings per 10,000 people, below Co. Dublin’s towns (10) and Irish towns (48) alike. 2 archaeological sites are on the record. Homes built before 1919 account for 0.8% of the housing.
| Heritage | Sandyford | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 6 | 10 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 2 | 7 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 0.8% | 1.2% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Sandyford’s nearest bathing water is Seapoint, 4.5 km away, rated excellent in 2025. Landslides: none of Sandyford lies in a high-susceptibility zone. Low ground by water holds almost none of its homes.
| Share of homes | Sandyford | Co. Dublin | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 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.
Sandyford’s built heritage counts 5 inventory entries, each of regional standing. 2 recorded monuments and archaeological sites lie here.
No notable person born in Sandyford is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Stephen Roche: Eric HOUDAS, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Neale Richmond: EPP Group in the CoR, CC BY 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandyford | 8,844 | — | A− | D | B | A− |
| Stillorgan | 18,212 | 1.3 | A | D− | B+ | A+ |
| Dundrum | 16,570 | 1.9 | A− | D− | B | A |
| Stepaside | 22,796 | 2.1 | A | C | B | A |
| Ballinteer | 16,038 | 2.6 | A− | D− | B+ | A |
| Blackrock | 12,816 | 2.8 | A | D− | A− | A+ |
| Clonskeagh | 14,142 | 3.2 | B | D− | B− | A− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Sandyford had 8,844 people at the 2022 census, up from 8,035 in 2016: 10.1% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Sandyford is 35.2, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Neighbourhood in Dublin
8,844 people live in Sandyford, in the area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown 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).