Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town in Co. Galway, home to 6,322 people. Its heritage includes 37 buildings on the national inventory.
Mostly strong, with a single weak spot. Its strongest subject is cost of living (A−): the median sale, €272,500, comes to 5.5 times what the median household here earns. Hazard risk is higher than most: an estimated 14% of homes are above the radon reference level. It also trails on safety (C): burglary and criminal damage run at 5 per 1,000 residents a year, violent crime at 7.9. The overall grade lands at B, better than 56% of Irish towns. That places it #143 of 320 Irish towns. The rest of its grades are middling: B− for health and B for jobs & income.
Figures: prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · radon, EPA · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · health and work, CSO Census 2022.
The 3 things Loughrea does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Loughrea 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 →
37 buildings on the National Inventory inside Loughrea, one of them of national importance.
The record adds 59 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 4%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Loughrea.
100% of its homes sit in high-radon areas, close to Co. Galway’s towns (100%) and above Irish towns (0%). Loughrea Lake, 1.8 km from Loughrea, is the closest bathing water; it was rated excellent in 2025.
| Share of homes | Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 34% | 3.7% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 100% | 100% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0.2% | 0% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
A buyer in Loughrea paid 118% more for a typical home in 2025 than in 2010: €327K against €150K. 32% rent privately, lower than Co. Galway’s towns (36%) yet higher than Irish towns (22%). Households that own their home make up 53%.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €260,000 | 305 |
| The last 12 months | €340,000 | 105 |
| Housing | Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €273K | €373K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 32% | 36% | 22% |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €1,283 | €1,368 | €1,606 |
| Households owning their home | 53% | 52% | 61% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Families in Loughrea have 6 schools within 3 km to choose from: 4 primary schools and 2 secondary schools. St Raphaels College is the nearest secondary school, 0.7 km away. Pupil numbers changed +10% since 2019/20, above both Co. Galway’s towns (+2%) and Irish towns (+4%).
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Ide NaofaLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 328 | Catholic |
| St Brigids CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 751 | Multi-denominational |
| Gaelscoil Riabhach GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 170 | Multi-denominational |
| Schools within 3 km | Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 33% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 29% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 17% | 14% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +10% | +2% | +4% |
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.
Of the graded crimes in Loughrea, assaults and harassment came up most often (2023–2025). Thefts came to 6.5 per 1,000 a year (not part of the grade), lower than both Co. Galway’s towns (18.5) and Irish towns (15.3). Per 1,000 residents, 55.8 crimes of all kinds are recorded a year.
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 | Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft | 6.5 | 18.5 | 15.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 5 | 7.2 | 6.4 |
| Violent crime | 7.9 | 9.5 | 5.7 |
| All recorded crime | 55.8 | 89.5 | 54.3 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Here July highs average 19.3°C, near Co. Galway’s towns (19.2°C) and lower than Irish towns (19.9°C). Across the year, Loughrea averages 9.8°C. This Co. Galway town gets 1,194 mm of rain a year.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.1°C | 3.0°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.8°C | 10.3°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 19.3°C | 19.2°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,194 mm | 1,265 mm | 937 mm |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Within 5 km, 4.7% of the land is protected nature, below Co. Galway’s towns (15%) but above Irish towns (1.8%). 2 parks, 25 ha of green space: that is the measure of Loughrea’s parkland. Protected nature near Loughrea includes Lough Rea SAC. Just over nine in ten homes have green space within 400 m.
| Outdoors | Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected nature within 5 km | 4.7% | 15% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.4 km per km² | 2.3 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Sea within 5 km | 0% | 21% | 0% |
| Near a park | 91% | 79% | 92% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
The sky keeps its rain today; wind tops out at 16 km/h, and the low reaches 6°C. Loughrea’s November average makes a useful yardstick: afternoons reach 11°C, nights fall to 4°C. In December, the normal shifts to highs of 8°C and lows of 2°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 356 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 238 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 268 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 332 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
People aged 15 to 24 make up 11% of the town, below both Co. Galway’s towns (15%) and Irish towns (12%). 34% of adults hold a degree. Overseas births account for 29% of the people living here.
Women make up 52.7% of Loughrea
3,330 women and 2,992 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 16% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 15% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 31% | 31% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 23% | 21% | 24% |
| 65+ | 14% | 12% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 11% | 7.3% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 13% | 10% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 37% | 28% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.8% | 5.4% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 34% | 49% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Galway and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
52% of voters turned out at the last local elections, above both Co. Galway’s towns (45%) and Irish towns (46%). Galway County Council is the one council for Loughrea; Ireland has no town or county councils between it and the government. With 13 of 39 seats, Fine Gael are the largest group on Galway County Council, short of the 20 a majority needs.
| Turnout | Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 52% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 62% | 58% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Homes from before 1919 make up 4.2% of the total, above Co. Galway’s towns (0.9%) and Irish towns (3.4%) alike. Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 37 buildings in Loughrea, 1 of national or international importance.
| Heritage | Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 59 | 15 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 59 | 17 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 4.2% | 0.9% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Households had €49,948 a year before tax, lower than both Co. Galway’s towns (€55,250) and Irish towns (€57,760). 7.8% of workers did their job mainly from home at the census. The census found 15% of commuters going to work on foot, by bike or by public transport.
| Census 2022 | Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 41% | 37% | 31% |
| Median household income | €49,948 | €55,250 | €57,760 |
| Average trip | 25.7 min | 23.5 min | 27.6 min |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 69% | 68% | 68% |
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.
Allowing for its ages, Loughrea has 104 residents in bad health per 100 expected, below Co. Galway’s towns (116) and Irish towns (113) alike. Disability, age-adjusted: 110 for every 100 expected here. Also worth knowing: in the HSE West and North West health region, 34% of people hold a medical card.
| Census 2022 | Loughrea | Co. Galway | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 88% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 5.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.8% | 1.9% | 2% |
| With a disability | 23% | 22% | 22% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Loughrea. Best known first.
CathedralSt Brendan's Cathedralin townMuseumMuseumLoughrea Cathedralin townVisitor farmVisitor farmLeahy Beekeeping2.9 km outside town, to the northwestVisitor farmVisitor farmTuroe Pet Farm4.9 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 37 buildings in Loughrea, 1 of national or international importance. Archaeologists have recorded 59 sites here.
10 notable people were born in Loughrea.
Henry Benedict Medlicott: James Fisher, Public domain · Anthony Dominic Fahy: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · James Dolan: Unknown photography studio, Public domain
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loughrea | 6,322 | — | B | A− | C | B− |
| Craughwell | 1,034 | 11 | — | C− | A+ | A |
| Athenry | 4,603 | 17 | A− | B− | A− | B |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Loughrea had 6,322 people at the 2022 census, up from 5,537 in 2016: 14.2% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Loughrea is 37.9, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
8% mostly work from home, and 41% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Urban area in Co. Galway
Loughrea has 6,322 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)
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).