Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
100 of its buildings are on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Some 14,412 people live in this town, in Co. Kerry.
The picture is mixed. At B− overall, Killarney ranks #3 of 5 in Co. Kerry. It comes out better than 53% of Irish towns. People here tend to be in good health (A−). Cost of living is its weak spot — the median home sold for €330,000, 6.9 times the town’s median household income. Crime is the sore point: burglary and criminal damage run at 4 per 1,000 residents a year, violent crime at 7.9. Its other grades sit near the middle: B for walkability and C+ for hazard risk.
Figures: health 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 Killarney does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Killarney 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 →
59 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
3% 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 Killarney. Best known first.
CathedralSt Mary's Cathedral Killarneyin town
CastleRoss Castle1.1 km outside town, to the southwest
Abbey or prioryMuckross Friary1.2 km outside town, to the south
MuseumMuckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms1.9 km outside town, to the south
CastleParkavonear Castle1.3 km outside town, to the northwest
ChurchAghadoe Church1.3 km outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Killarney.
Prices in Killarney are up 61% since 2010: the typical sale went from €224K that year to €360K in 2025. Social housing holds 14% of households, lower than Co. Kerry’s towns (19%) yet higher than Irish towns (13%). Households that own their home make up 52%. No town in Co. Kerry costs more to buy into than Killarney, at €330,000, the highest of 5.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €500,000 | 71 |
| Second-hand homes | €317,000 | 588 |
| The last 12 months | €370,000 | 214 |
| Housing | Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 31% | 23% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 52% | 56% | 61% |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €1,302 | €1,105 | €1,606 |
| Median sale price | €330K | €226K | €350K |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Unpaid carers make up 4.8% of residents, below Co. Kerry’s towns (5.8%) and Irish towns (5.4%) alike. Disability touches 21% of Killarney’s population. Of the 5 towns in Co. Kerry, Killarney has the second-smallest share in bad or very bad health: 2%.
| Census 2022 | Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 4.8% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 21% | 24% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 88% | 86% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2% | 2.4% | 2% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Since 2019/20, pupils changed +7%, lower than Co. Kerry’s towns (+11%) yet higher than Irish towns (+4%). Within 3 km of Killarney there are 12 schools (9 primary schools and 3 secondary schools). St. Brigid's Secondary School is the nearest secondary school, 0.8 km away.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Olivers N.S. Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 625 | Catholic |
| St. Brendan's College BoysLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 871 | Catholic |
| Gaelscoil Faithleann GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 245 | Catholic |
| Killarney Community College DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 469 | Multi-denominational |
| Schools within 3 km | Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 8% | 34% | 35% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 67% | 53% | 39% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +7% | +11% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 8% | 12% | 8% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Ireland publishes no school-by-school results, which is why these cards have no letters.
Getting to work takes 21.7 min on average. The car took three in five commuters, below both Co. Kerry’s towns (73%) and Irish towns (66%). Also worth knowing: of working-age residents (15 to 64), 71% were employed at the census.
| Census 2022 | Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 53% | 52% | 31% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 71% | 64% | 68% |
| Average trip | 21.7 min | 21.6 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €47,878 | €41,482 | €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.
In 2023–2025, assaults and harassment led the graded crimes in Killarney. Recorded crime of every kind runs at 54.9 per 1,000 residents a year. Thefts came to 8.4 per 1,000 a year (not part of the grade), higher than Co. Kerry’s towns (5) yet lower than Irish towns (15.3).
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 | Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 7.9 | 5.8 | 5.7 |
| Burglary & damage | 4 | 3.8 | 6.4 |
| Theft | 8.4 | 5 | 15.3 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Summer highs in Killarney reach 19.8°C in July. A January night in Killarney drops to 3.7°C on average, close to Co. Kerry’s towns (3.7°C) and above Irish towns (2.9°C). Taken over the whole year, the average temperature here is 10.9°C.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain a year | 1,510 mm | 1,326 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.9°C | 10.9°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 3.7°C | 3.7°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 19.8°C | 19.6°C | 19.9°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
There are 3 parks in Killarney; together its green space comes to 36 ha. Among the protected sites near Killarney is Killarney National Park SPA. Within 5 km, 34% of the land is protected nature, above Co. Kerry’s towns (9.4%) and Irish towns (1.8%) alike. 64% of homes are a short walk (400 m) from green space.
| Outdoors | Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected nature within 5 km | 34% | 9.4% | 1.8% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 14% | 2.4% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 64% | 77% | 92% |
| Paths per km² of town | 1.3 km per km² | 0.5 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
A settled, dry day lies ahead today: light wind up to 19 km/h, then a low of 6°C. Plan indoor things for Tuesday, when about 5 mm of rain is forecast. In November a normal day reaches 12°C and a normal night 6°C; the forecast for Killarney below sets each day against them.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 10°C | 4°C | 489 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 6°C | 295 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 278 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 8°C | 449 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Over-65s are 16% of the population. 17% are under 15, below Co. Kerry’s towns (18%) and Irish towns (20%) alike. Degrees are held by 33% of adults.
51.4% of Killarney’s residents are women
7,402 women and 7,010 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 30% | 27% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 16% | 19% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 10% | 11% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 13% | 16% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 37% | 38% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.3% | 6.6% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 33% | 29% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kerry and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
The general election drew a turnout of 65%. Killarney answers to one council, Kerry County Council; Ireland has no town tier. With 11 of 33 seats, Independent are the largest group on Kerry County Council, short of the 17 a majority needs.
| Turnout | Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 62% | 60% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 65% | 65% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
For its size, Killarney has 69 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, between Co. Kerry’s towns (101) and Irish towns (48). Before 1919: that is when 2.9% of homes were built. Killarney’s built heritage counts 100 inventory entries; 4 carry national or international standing.
| Heritage | Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archaeological sites on the record | 59 | 17 | 11 |
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 69 | 101 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 2.9% | 5.6% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
For radon, the estimate for Killarney is 3.6% of homes above the reference level. under 0.1% of homes stand on ground with high landslide susceptibility, about level with both Co. Kerry’s towns (0%) and Irish towns (0%).
| Share of homes | Killarney | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 22% | 6.3% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 28% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Killarney’s built heritage counts 100 inventory entries; 4 carry national or international standing. 59 recorded monuments and archaeological sites lie here.
48 notable people were born in Killarney.
Paul Nagle: RobindesB, CC BY-SA 3.0 · John M. O'Sullivan: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · Oisin Murphy: Jlvsclrk, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Colm Cooper: Ulster GAA, CC BY 3.0 · Frederick Field: Unidentified photographer, Public domain · Paul Coghlan: Etienne Ansotte, CC BY 4.0
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
8% mostly work from home, and 53% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Killarney had 14,412 people at the 2022 census, up from 14,334 in 2016: 0.5% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Killarney is 40, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 17% of residents are under 15 and 16% are 65 or over.
Urban area in Co. Kerry
14,412 people live in Killarney, in the area of Kerry 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).