Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
It skews young: only 6% of residents are 65 or over. Home to 1,632 people, this town lies in Co. Galway.
Police record less crime here than in most towns: burglary and criminal damage run at 2.3 per 1,000 residents a year, violent crime at 1.5. Residents are healthier than most: bad health runs at 48 and disability at 90 per 100 expected for its ages. The weak point is cost of living — the median home here went for €362,900, 5.7 times the median household income. Hazard risk is weaker too — an estimated 48% of its homes exceed the radon reference level.
Figures: crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · health, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · radon, EPA. Baile Chláir is graded subject by subject, but Irish towns need 2,500 residents for an overall grade.
Health less sure: few enough residents report bad health that the town's figure could be well above or below its true level.
Each subject compares Baile Chláir 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 →
The 3 things Baile Chláir does most differently from other 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.
3 of Baile Chláir’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage, all at regional importance. The national record lists 2 archaeological sites in and around the town.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Baile Chláir.
In 2023–2025, damage to property led the graded crimes in Baile Chláir. Every kind together came to 26.9 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Co. Galway’s towns (78.6) and Irish towns (54.3).
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 | Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1.5 | 8.7 | 5.7 |
| Burglary & damage | 2.3 | 6.5 | 6.4 |
| All recorded crime | 26.9 | 78.6 | 54.3 |
| Theft | 1.9 | 15.1 | 15.3 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
At the census, 16% of people here had a disability, lower than both Co. Galway’s towns (22%) and Irish towns (22%). 0.6% of residents report bad or very bad health. In the HSE West and North West health region, just over a third of people hold a medical card. Asked at the census, 93% of residents of Baile Chláir said they were in good or very good health.
| Census 2022 | Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 16% | 22% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 0.6% | 1.9% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 93% | 88% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 5% | 5% | 5.4% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
100% of its homes sit in high-radon areas, close to Co. Galway’s towns (100%) and above Irish towns (0%). A flood relief scheme, the Clare River (Claregalway) Flood Relief Scheme, protects parts of Baile Chláir. The nearest bathing water to Baile Chláir is Ballyloughane Beach, 9.7 km away, rated good in 2025.
| Share of homes | Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 78% | 4.3% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 100% | 100% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Driving is how 78% of commuters got to work at the census. Households had €64,106 a year before tax, above Co. Galway’s towns (€54,305) and Irish towns (€57,760) alike. Among people aged 15 to 64, 72% were working at the census.
| Census 2022 | Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22.5 min | 23.8 min | 27.6 min |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 72% | 68% | 68% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 41% | 37% | 31% |
| Median household income | €64,106 | €54,305 | €57,760 |
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 owner-occupied share of households is 51%. 31% rent privately, lower than Co. Galway’s towns (36%) yet higher than Irish towns (22%).
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €367,500 | 45 |
| Second-hand homes | €346,500 | 114 |
| The last 12 months | €440,000 | 88 |
| Housing | Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 16% | 10% | 13% |
| Households renting privately | 31% | 36% | 22% |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €1,678 | €1,331 | €1,606 |
| Households owning their home | 51% | 52% | 61% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
The nearest secondary, Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, is 0.8 km away. Within 3 km of Baile Chláir there are 3 schools (2 primary schools and 1 secondary school). DEIS, the support scheme, covers 33% of them, about level with Irish towns (35%) and above Co. Galway’s towns (27%).
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S N Chlair na GaillimheLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 311 | Catholic |
| Coláiste Bhaile ChláirLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 1,269 | Multi-denominational |
| Claregalway Educate Together NS DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 220 | Multi-denominational |
| Schools within 3 km | Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 15% | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 31% | 39% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +9% | +2% | +4% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 33% | 27% | 35% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Results by school aren’t published in Ireland, so the cards carry none.
July afternoons in Baile Chláir average 19.3°C. January nights bottom out at 2.8°C locally, lower than Co. Galway’s towns (3.0°C) and near Irish towns (2.9°C). The nearest weather station is Athenry, 12 km away.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 19.3°C | 19.3°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,203 mm | 1,261 mm | 937 mm |
| January low | 2.8°C | 3.0°C | 2.9°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Among the protected sites near Baile Chláir is Lough Corrib SAC. Woodland covers 0.3% of the land within 1 km, below both Co. Galway’s towns (1.8%) and Irish towns (2.7%). This Co. Galway town has 1.3 ha of green space for every 1,000 residents.
| Outdoors | Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 55% | 80% | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 3.5% | 14% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.3 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.3% | 1.8% | 2.7% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Only a trace of rain is due today, with light wind of up to 6 km/h and a low of 5°C. What counts as normal for Baile Chláir in November: highs come to 11°C and lows to 5°C. December follows with normal highs of 9°C and lows of 3°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 352 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 236 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 273 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 341 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
48% of adults hold a degree, near Co. Galway’s towns (47%) and higher than Irish towns (36%). The 65-and-over age group makes up 5.6% of residents. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for just over a tenth of the town.
50.4% of Baile Chláir’s residents are women
822 women and 810 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 29% | 17% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 14% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 33% | 31% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 21% | 22% | 24% |
| 65+ | 5.6% | 12% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 4.4% | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 7.6% | 10% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 33% | 29% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 7.2% | 5.5% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 48% | 47% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Galway and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Galway County Council has no ruling majority: Fine Gael hold 13 of its 39 seats, short of the 20 needed. In the Dáil, Baile Chláir is part of Galway West, which elects 5 TDs. This Co. Galway town sits in the Athenry-Oranmore local electoral area, which elects 7 councillors.
| Turnout | Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 53% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
For its size, Baile Chláir has 18 buildings on the national inventory per 10,000 residents. 2 archaeological sites are on the record, lower than both Co. Galway’s towns (19) and Irish towns (11). Before 1919: that is when 0.7% of homes were built.
| Heritage | Baile Chláir | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 18 | 33 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 2 | 19 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 0.7% | 1.7% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Baile Chláir. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryClaregalway Friary100 m outside town, to the north
CastleKilleen Castle, Castlegar3.3 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumClaregalway Museum and Forge1.8 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumLackagh Museum and Heritage Centre4.2 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
3 notable people were born in Baile Chláir.
Urban area in Co. Galway
Baile Chláir has 1,632 people, in the area of Galway County Council. TownRatings uses the CSO’s 2022 Urban Areas as Ireland’s towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a county or a council area, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from Tailte Éireann’s boundaries and the CSO’s Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baile Chláir | 1,632 | — | — | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Ballybane | 15,082 | 7.2 | C+ | B | C+ | C+ |
| Castlegar | 4,315 | 7.9 | D− | C− | C− | D |
| Mervue | 4,126 | 8.4 | C | C+ | C− | C− |
| Oranmore | 5,819 | 8.5 | A− | C | B+ | A |
| Murrough | 2,909 | 8.6 | C+ | C+ | C− | B+ |
| Ballinfoile and Terryland | 5,851 | 8.8 | D | D | C− | B− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Baile Chláir had 1,632 people at the 2022 census, up from 1,482 in 2016: 10.1% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Baile Chláir is 34.6, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
11% mostly work from home, and 41% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
1.9% of residents speak Irish every day outside school, against 1.1% in the median of Irish towns; 46% can speak it.
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).