Photo: Roger D Kidd · CC BY-SA 2.0Athy has a smaller share of its working-age people in jobs than 92% of Irish towns
Unemployment in Athy stood at 15% at the 2022 census, next to 9.2% in the middle of Irish towns. On jobs and income together, Athy grades D−, #319 of 321 Irish towns. The mean journey from Athy lasts 34.3 minutes, and 17% exceed an hour.
What Athy’s work numbers say
Fewer people in work than most towns
60% of people aged 15 to 64 in Athy had a job at the 2022 census; the middle of Irish towns is 68%. In work ↓
More unemployment than most towns
15% of the labour force was out of work at the 2022 census, against 9.2% in the middle of Irish towns; 4.3% of people aged 15 and over had been out of work for a year or more. Unemployment ↓
Lower incomes than most towns
The median household in Athy had €48,055 a year before tax in 2022; the middle of Irish towns is €57,760. Household income ↓
Longer trips than most towns
Trips to work, school or college take 34.3 minutes on average, against 27.6 in the middle of Irish towns; 17% take an hour or more. The trip to work ↓
Written from the data on this page: CSO Census 2022, CSO household income 2022 and the Live Register.
Jobs and income in Athy earn D−
Its strongest measure is household income; its weakest, trip times.
Graded against Irish towns of 1,000 people or more; a shorter trip and less unemployment count in its favor.
How the grade works
Four measures, weighed equally against every Irish town of 1,000 people or more: median gross household income (CSO, 2022), people at work as a share of residents aged 15 to 64, the unemployment rate and the average trip to work, school or college (all three Census 2022). Each becomes a percentile; their average sets the letter.
In Athy, 60% of the working-age population has a job
None of the 13 other places of 2,500 people or more in County Kildare has a smaller share of 15-to-64s in work.
4.3% of everyone aged 15 and over had been out of work for a year or more. Put another way, 50% of the unemployed had been out of work for a year or more. Of all residents aged 15 and over, retirees and students among them, 50% were at work.
Census 2022 (CSO SAPS): people at work of any age, over residents aged 15 to 64. The census doesn’t cross work with age, so the few people working past 65 count in the top only.
Household income in Athy: €48,055 at the median
Before tax, 2022: lower than in 68% of Irish towns.
Athy’s median is 34% below County Kildare’s (€72,997). Every other town of 2,500 or more in the county has a higher median. After tax, the median is €43,394. The State median is €60,123, 25% above Athy’s.
CSO Geographical Profiles of Income in Ireland 2022: median gross household income, from tax and welfare records linked to Census households.
Athy spends longer getting to work or school than the middle of Irish towns
The commonest trip is 15 to 44 minutes, for 47% of trips; the middle of County Kildare has 49%. In the middle of County Kildare, the trip averages 32.6 minutes. 13 of the 14 towns of County Kildare counted have a shorter average trip. 28% of trips take under 15 minutes, about the same as in the middle of County Kildare.
Census 2022 (CSO SAPS), time taken to travel to work, school or college; the four bands are the shares of trips whose length was stated.
Where Athy’s residents work, by industry
Commerce and trade is the second-largest at 24%, against 26% across Irish towns; the smallest of the seven is farming, forestry and fishing, at 0.9%.
Census 2022 (CSO SAPS), industry of people at work who live here. Ireland doesn’t publish how many jobs are based in each town, so this shows what residents do, not the jobs here.
Household incomes in Athy, part by part: €42K to €56K
Median gross household income in each of the 3 electoral divisions where 50 or more of Athy’s households live: the highest is 1.3 times the lowest. The share of people aged 15 to 64 in work runs from 55% in Athy West Urban to 62% in Athy East Urban.
| Electoral division | Households here | Median income (whole division) | Aged 15–64 in work (here) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athy East Urban | 1,630 | €47,132 | 62% |
| Athy Rural | 1,244 | €56,055 | 61% |
| Athy West Urban | 1,177 | €42,184 | 55% |
CSO Geographical Profiles of Income in Ireland 2022 (GPIIA01): each division’s median covers all its households, including any outside Athy; households and the share in work are Athy’s own part (Census 2022, CSO SAPS).
How Athy gets to work: 18% without a car
11% walk, against 5.2% in the middle of County Kildare. By car or van: 76% of commuters, next to 70% in the middle of County Kildare. The middle of Irish towns has 11% working mainly from home; here it is 6.1%. 1.1% go by bus and 4.5% by rail, where the middle of Irish towns has 6% and 0.9%.
Census 2022 (CSO SAPS), means of travel to work.
How many sign on in County Kildare: the count since 2019
6,663 people were signing on in County Kildare in September 2026. Over the year to September 2026, the count rose by 1%. For 69 months in a row now, it has been under its 2019 average. Its lowest month since 2019 was November 2023, at 5,976. Athy office saw its highest month in July 2020: 1,424 people signing on, 11% above the 2019 average.
Live Register (CSO LRM07), people signing on at social welfare offices each month. It isn’t an unemployment rate: part-time and seasonal workers sign on too, and offices serve areas that aren’t published.
People signing on each month, as a share of the 2019 average (100).
50% of people 16 and over in Athy are in work
Compared with Irish towns, 6.7% are long-term sick or disabled (against 4.7%).
Census 2022 (CSO SAPS), principal economic status of people aged 15 and over; occupations of those at work, in three broad groups.
Athy grades C for walkability
Better than 31% of Irish towns on two measures together, #10 of 14 in County Kildare.
Of the everyday places, a post office is the one the fewest residents have within 800 m (29%).
OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), places within 800 m in a straight line of each Census small area; active commuting from Census 2022. OpenStreetMap misses many GP surgeries and bakeries in Ireland, so those two are shown, not graded.
Where Athy sits among Irish towns of 7,700 to 14,900
| # | Town | People | In work, 15–64 | Unemployment | Income | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ballsbridge County Dublin | 12,743 | 80% | 5.2% | €99K | A+ |
| 2 | Grantstown and Ballinakill County Waterford | 9,571 | 72% | 6% | €74K | A+ |
| 3 | Terenure County Dublin | 10,391 | 78% | 4.7% | €87K | A+ |
| … | ||||||
| 17 | Kilcock County Kildare | 8,674 | 74% | 6.5% | €83K | A− |
| … | ||||||
| 26 | Clane County Kildare | 8,152 | 73% | 6.4% | €74K | A− |
| … | ||||||
| 60 | Kildare County Kildare | 10,302 | 66% | 10% | €63K | C+ |
| … | ||||||
| 85 | Enniscorthy County Wexford | 12,310 | 59% | 17% | €42K | D− |
| 86 | Cherry Orchard County Dublin | 8,280 | 56% | 18% | €53K | D− |
| 87 | Athy County Kildare | 11,035 | 60% | 15% | €48K | D− |
| 88 | Summerhill County Dublin | 11,911 | 60% | 15% | €45K | D− |
Ordered by Jobs & income Grade: the top three, the towns either side of Athy, and others in County Kildare.
Next to Athy: how nearby places compare
| Town | In work, 15–64 | Unemployment | Income | Average trip | Jobs | Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athy | 60% | 15% | €48K | 34.3 min | D− | C |
| Ballylinan 6.5 km | 67% | 9.9% | €62K | 32.3 min | C+ | D− |
| Stradbally 11 km | 62% | 11% | €53K | 30 min | C− | C− |
| Castledermot 13 km | 67% | 9.8% | €53K | 29.9 min | C+ | B− |
| Carlow 17.6 km | 62% | 12% | €50K | 26.6 min | C− | C+ |
| Monasterevin 17.7 km | 69% | 9.1% | €61K | 32.2 min | B− | C+ |
| Curragh Camp 19.1 km | 65% | 12% | €62K | 28.8 min | C+ | D |
The people of each place: the share in work, unemployment, household income and trip times, with both grades.
What this data can and can’t tell you
What each figure measures for Athy, where it comes from, and what Ireland doesn’t publish.
- In work. People at work over residents aged 15 to 64 (Census 2022). Graded in place of the share of everyone 15 and over, so a town of retirees isn’t marked down for them.
- Unemployment. Unemployed people (first-job seekers included) over the labour force, from Census 2022.
- Household income. CSO’s median gross household income for 2022. Where CSO publishes no figure for the town, ours is the household-weighted mean of its electoral divisions’ medians, and the page says so.
- Trip times. Census 2022 groups trips to work, school and college by length; the average uses each group’s middle (7.5 to 105 minutes).
- Signing on. The Live Register counts people signing on at a social welfare office, by office and county. It includes part-time and seasonal workers, so it follows a trend; it isn’t an unemployment rate.
- Walkability. Four everyday places within 800 m (pharmacy, food shop, school, post office) and the share who walk, cycle or take the bus or train to work. GP surgeries and bakeries are shown, not graded: OpenStreetMap misses many.
- Which towns we compare. Places of 2,500 people or more that aren’t a whole city: towns and city neighbourhoods. Grades start at 1,000 people; ranks at 2,500.
- What isn’t here. Ireland publishes no count of the jobs based in each town and no open table of where commuters go (CSO releases its place-of-work file, POWSCAR, on application only), so this page has no daily tide, commute map or jobs-based-here block. Claimant rates aren’t published for towns either: the Live Register is by office and county.
Questions about work in Athy
What is the unemployment rate in Athy?
15% of the labour force was out of work at the 2022 census, against 9.2% in the middle of Irish towns. 4.3% of people aged 15 and over had been out of work for a year or more.
Is Athy a good place to find work?
Athy earns a D− for jobs and income, behind almost every Irish town on household income, the share of 15-to-64s in work, unemployment and trip times together, #319 of 321 Irish towns.
How do people in Athy get to work?
76% of commuters go by car or van, 11% walk, 1.7% cycle and 5.6% take the bus or train. On census day 2022, 6.1% worked mainly from home.
How long is the commute from Athy?
Trips to work, school or college take 34.3 minutes on average; 17% take an hour or more and 28% under a quarter of an hour.
How many jobs are there in Athy?
Ireland doesn’t publish a count of the jobs based in each town. What the census does say is what Athy’s residents work at, wherever their job is: see What residents work in.
Where do people in Athy work?
Ireland has no open table of where commuters go: CSO releases its place-of-work file (POWSCAR) on application only. The census does give how people from Athy travel and how long their trips take.
Sources: CSO Census 2022 SAPS · CSO Geographical Profiles of Income 2022 · CSO Live Register (LRM07) · OpenStreetMap (ODbL) · grades: TownRatings. 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).