Spa’s story
Spa has 1 building on the National Inventory
6 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
- 1780Kent Lodge
SpaCo. Kerry
362 people live in this town in Co. Kerry.
3 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Robert Ashby · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
362
CSO, Census 2022 · Kerry County Council
Median age
45
22% are 65+ · Co. Kerry 18%
Degree level
50%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
6%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Spa a good place to live?
Homes sell for a median €241,500, about 4 times what a household here earns in a year. The car is not the only way to work here: 6% of commuters walk, cycle or use public transport. At the 2022 census, 3% of the labour force was out of work. 64% of households own their home outright.
There are no grades for Spa: Irish towns need 1,000 residents for them.
What makes Spa stand out
The 3 things Spa does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Unemployment rate, Census 2022
Work
3% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
53% of residents 15 and over are at work.
Own outright
Housing
64% own outright
Against 32% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Spa.
Schools
Few schools around Spa teach through Irish: 0%, below Co. Kerry’s towns and Irish towns
Since 2019/20, pupils changed +9%, lower than Co. Kerry’s towns (+9%) yet higher than Irish towns (+4%). Within 3 km of Spa there is one school. Pupils at the school within 3 km of the town: 230.
1schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spa National SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 230 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Spa | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 11% | 8% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 29% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +9% | +9% | +4% |
230
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+9%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.3 km
to the nearest primary school
4.5 km
to the nearest secondary school
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.
Natural hazards
Radon is the hazard to know in Spa: 100% of homes sit in high-radon areas, more than in both Co. Kerry’s towns and Irish towns
About nearly two in five homes in Spa are estimated to pass the radon reference level. For a swim, the nearest bathing water is Fenit, 5.3 km from Spa, rated excellent in 2025. The ground under Spa carries no high landslide susceptibility.
100%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
In high-radon areas100%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
| Share of homes | Spa | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0% | 0% |
39%
of homes over the radon level
5.3 km
to Fenit bathing water (excellent)
189
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Spa has milder winters than Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns: January lows of 4.2°C
The year’s mean temperature is 11.1°C, near Co. Kerry’s towns (10.9°C) and higher than Irish towns (10.3°C). Spa gets 1,225 mm of rain a year. July afternoons in Spa average 19.3°C.
19.3°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter10.1°C
Spring13.7°C
Summer18.9°C
Autumn14.9°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Spa | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 4.2°C | 3.7°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 11.1°C | 10.9°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 19.3°C | 19.6°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,225 mm | 1,339 mm | 937 mm |
19.3°C
July high
4.2°C
January low
1,225 mm
Rain a year
148 mm
Wettest month
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
For its ages, Spa reports less bad health than Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns: 38 per 100 expected
0.8% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below both Co. Kerry’s towns (2.3%) and Irish towns (2%). Disability, age-adjusted: 64 for every 100 expected in Spa. A disability affects 15% of people locally.
94%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health38
Disability64
Co. Kerry106
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 94%Fair 6%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2022 | Spa | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 15% | 24% | 22% |
| Unpaid carers | 9.4% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Good or very good health | 94% | 86% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 0.8% | 2.3% | 2% |
38
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Kerry 106
64
disability per 100 expected · Co. Kerry 105
83.2 · 79.1
life expectancy, women · men, the South-West region, 2016
28%
hold a medical card, HSE South West
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Housing
More households own their home in Spa than in Co. Kerry’s towns or across Irish towns: 93%
Private renters make up 4% of households. Social housing holds 2% of households, below Co. Kerry’s towns (18%) and Irish towns (13%) alike.
€242Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Spa€242K
Co. Kerry€232K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Spa | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 93% | 53% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 2% | 18% | 13% |
| Households renting privately | 4% | 27% | 22% |
| Median sale price | €242K | €232K | €350K |
93%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
4%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,182
a month on new tenancies, County Kerry
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area V92, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Green space is close to home in Spa: 100% of homes are within 400 m of some, more than in both Co. Kerry’s towns and Irish towns
Within 5 km, 27% is sea, above both Co. Kerry’s towns (0%) and Irish towns (0%). Protected nature near Spa includes Tralee Bay Complex SPA. There are 8.7 ha of green space for every 1,000 people locally.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Spa8.7 ha
Co. Kerry2.9 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Spa | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea within 5 km | 27% | 0% | 0% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 13% | 12% | 1.8% |
| Near a park | 100% | 77% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.4% | 2.4% | 2.7% |
100%
Near a park
8.7 ha
Green space
1 km
Footpaths
13%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Forecast for Spa: sunny today and highs near 11 degrees
Rain peaks later in the week on Tuesday, at about 7 mm for the day. In November a normal day reaches 12°C and a normal night 6°C; the forecast for Spa below sets each day against them. A dry day with a stiff breeze lies ahead today: wind building to 23 km/h, then a low of 4°C.
11°C / 4°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November12°C
December10°C
January10°C
February10°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 10°C | 4°C | 387 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 6°C | 238 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 233 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 9°C | 367 mm |
11°C / 4°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
15 km/h
Wind
97%
Humidity
9 h 24 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Spa has lower unemployment than Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns: 3.3%
Nearly four in five commuters took the car to work at the census. Short trips: 56% under 15 minutes, higher than both Co. Kerry’s towns (53%) and Irish towns (31%). On average, the journey to work lasts 19.1 min.
6%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van79%
Walk3%
Train, DART or Luas2%
Bus1%
| Census 2022 | Spa | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 11% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 19.1 min | 21.7 min | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 56% | 53% | 31% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 73% | 67% | 68% |
€59,940
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Kerry €48,320
15%
worked mainly from home, 2022
5%
trips of an hour or more
4,870
on the Live Register, County Kerry, September 2026
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.
Who lives here
Irish is an everyday language in Spa: 2.6% speak it daily, above Co. Kerry
Under 15: 22% of residents. 10% were born abroad, below Co. Kerry’s towns (25%) and Irish towns (22%) alike. Degrees are held by half of adults.
45median age
SpaCo. KerryIreland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none5%
Lower secondary10%
Leaving Cert30%
Diploma or cert6%
Degree or higher50%
Women and men · all residents
50.3% of Spa’s residents are women
182 women and 180 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Spa | Co. Kerry | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 18% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 9.9% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 22% | 18% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 4.5% | 11% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 9.8% | 15% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 30% | 37% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.1% | 6.5% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 50% | 31% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kerry and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Local election turnout in Spa: 52%, against 62% in Co. Kerry’s towns and 46% in Irish towns
65% of voters cast a ballot at the general election. Kerry County Council runs Spa: Ireland has one tier of local government, with no town council below it. The town sits in the Tralee local electoral area, which elects 7 councillors.
11/33seats held by Independent
Seats on Kerry County · June 2024
Independent11
Fianna Fáil9
Fine Gael6
Sinn Féin4
Labour Party2
Kerry Independent Alliance1
| Turnout | Spa | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 52% | 62% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 65% | 65% | 59% |
7
Councillors
11/33
Independent seats on Kerry County, the largest party
52%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Kerry
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Spa keeps more of its old housing than Co. Kerry’s towns or Irish towns: 11.1% built before 1919
Spa has 28 inventory buildings for every 10,000 residents. The Sites and Monuments Record lists 6 sites here, below Co. Kerry’s towns (19) and Irish towns (11) alike.
1inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional1
Among them
- Kent Lodge 1780
6
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1780
earliest dated inventory building
11%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Spa | Co. Kerry | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 28 | 94 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 11.1% | 4.5% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 6 | 19 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Kerry County Museum and 7 more in and around Spa
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Spa. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumKerry County Museum4.9 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumBlennerville Windmill3.5 km outside town, to the southeastWater parkWater parkTralee Aqua Dome4.7 km outside town, to the eastArt galleryArt gallerySiamsa Tíre Theatre and Arts Centre, Tralee4.7 km outside town, to the eastChurchChurchChurch of Saint John the Evangelist4.9 km outside town, to the eastChurchChurchAnnagh Church3.9 km outside town, to the southeast
Places: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Spa
15pages on Spa
Famous people from around Spa
No notable person born in Spa is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
R
Rea GarveyIrish singer, songwriter, record produc… · born in Tralee · born 1973T
Timothy V. MurphyIrish actor · born in Tralee · born 1960D
Dick SpringIrish politician · born in Tralee · born 1950
Photo credits
Robert D. FitzGerald: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · William Crean: Trocaire from Ireland, CC BY 2.0 · Austin Stack: Unknown author Unknown author , scanned & uploaded by M Doyle, Public domain
Spa’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
TraleeMilltownKillorglinSpa
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spa | 362 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tralee | 26,079 | 6.1 | C− | B | C− | C+ |
| Milltown | 1,118 | 16 | — | B− | A | C− |
| Killorglin | 2,163 | 19 | — | B | A | C+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Spa
Do people in Spa drive to work?
15% mostly work from home, and 56% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Has Spa grown?
Spa had 362 people at the 2022 census, up from 351 in 2016: 3.1% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How old are the people of Spa?
The median age in Spa is 45, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Spa
Urban area in Co. Kerry
362 people live in Spa, 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)
- Population
- 362 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Kerry
- Council
- Kerry County Council
- Local electoral area
- Tralee
- Dáil constituency
- Kerry
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:19854
Sources: CSO, Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics (CC BY 4.0) · Tailte Éireann, Urban Areas and Electoral Divisions 2022 (CC BY 4.0). 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).