Johnstown’s story
Johnstown: 16 buildings on the National Inventory
The record adds 4 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 4%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1600Graveyard, Johnstown
- 1760Coaching inn, Johnstown
- 1770House, Johnstown
JohnstownCo. Kildare
The population grew 19% between 2016 and 2022. With 1,320 residents, it is a town in Co. Kildare.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Kenneth Allen · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,320
CSO, Census 2022 · Kildare County Council
Median age
34
7% are 65+ · Co. Kildare 10%
Degree level
46%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
6%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Johnstown a good place to live?
On health it is strong: bad health runs at 86 and disability at 97 per 100 expected for its ages. The median sale, €422,500, comes to 5.3 times what the median household here earns. Most journeys need a car: 6% of commuters walk, cycle or take the bus or train, against 23% in the typical Irish town. The rest of its grades are middling: B for safety and B for jobs & income.
Figures: health, commuting and work, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025. An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Irish towns; Johnstown has its subject grades alone.
This town's house price is the median for its whole Eircode routing key, town and countryside together: fewer than 30 sales in the town itself were recorded on the Property Price Register in 2023 to 2025, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Rents for this town aren't published on their own, so its Cost Grade uses the county's average rent. Health less sure: few enough residents report bad health that the town's figure could be well above or below its true level.
What makes Johnstown stand out
The 3 things Johnstown does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% walk, cycle or ride
The median of Irish towns: 23%
CSO, Census 2022
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
History
16 buildings on the national inventory
2.5 times the median of Irish towns for its size, all of regional importance.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Walkability
Walkability
Behind 98%
of Irish towns on walkability
Its walkability grade: D−.
How Johnstown grades
Each subject compares Johnstown with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
WalkabilityIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedD−Open →Hazard risk1% of homes above the radon reference levelA−Open →Health97 with a disability per 100 predictedA−Open →Jobs & income68% of 15-to-64s in work; 6% unemployedBOpen →Safety4.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesB−Open →
SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Johnstown.
Natural hazardsHazard risk A−
Johnstown faces few natural hazards: low radon, steady ground and few homes low by big water
Radon tests would find about 1.2% of Johnstown’s homes above the reference level, by estimate. Landslides: none of Johnstown lies in a high-susceptibility zone. Few of its homes stand low beside water.
0%of homes in high-radon areasA−Hazard risk Grade
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water0%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river0%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 3.2% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
448
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
HealthHealth A−
Is Johnstown a healthy place? 93% of its people say their health is good, above Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Nearly a fifth of residents have a disability, below Co. Kildare’s towns (20%) and Irish towns (22%) alike. Unpaid caring falls to 4.2% of Johnstown’s residents. Disability, age-adjusted: 97 for every 100 expected locally.
93%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 93%Fair 6%Bad or very bad 1%
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health86
Disability97
Co. Kildare99
Expected100
| Census 2022 | Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 93% | 91% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 4.2% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 19% | 20% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.2% | 1.5% | 2% |
86
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Kildare 99
97
disability per 100 expected · Co. Kildare 102
84 · 80.3
life expectancy, women · men, the Mid-East region, 2016
28%
hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and Midlands
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
Schools
Around Johnstown, 50% of the secondaries teach boys and girls apart, more than in both Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Families in Johnstown have 13 schools within 3 km to choose from: 7 primary schools, 4 secondary schools and 2 special schools. The nearest secondary, Coláiste Naomh Mhuire, is 3.3 km away. Since 2019/20, pupils changed +9%, above Co. Kildare’s towns (+7%) and Irish towns (+4%) alike.
13schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Brighde Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 744 | Catholic |
| Coláiste Naomh Mhuire GirlsLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 1,076 | Catholic |
| Gaelcholáiste Chill Dara GaelcholáisteTeaches through IrishPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 401 | Catholic |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic9
Multi-denominational4
| Schools within 3 km | Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sex secondaries | 50% | 20% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 3% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +9% | +7% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 8% | 6% | 8% |
7,322
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
+9%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
2.9 km
to the nearest primary school
3.3 km
to the nearest secondary school
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · These schools carry no letter or result: Ireland doesn’t release them school by school.
Work & commuteJobs & income B
Only 6.4% of commuters in Johnstown go to work without a car, fewer than in both Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Driving is how four in five commuters got to work at the census. Working mainly from home: 13% of workers, above both Co. Kildare’s towns (11%) and Irish towns (11%). Before tax, the average household brings in €79,630 a year.
6%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van80%
Bus3%
Walk1%
Bicycle1%
Train, DART or Luas1%
| Census 2022 | Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €79,630 | €74,553 | €57,760 |
| Average trip | 33.3 min | 32.6 min | 27.6 min |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 6.4% | 9.2% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 24% | 28% | 31% |
€79,630
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Kildare €72,997
13%
worked mainly from home, 2022
14%
trips of an hour or more
6,663
on the Live Register, County Kildare, September 2026
D−
Walkability: better than 2% of Irish towns
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.
Climate
Winter nights in Johnstown are colder than in 90% of Irish towns
Midwinter nights in Johnstown bottom out at 2.0°C on average. Across the year it averages 9.8°C, about level with Co. Kildare’s towns (9.9°C) and below Irish towns (10.3°C). November is the wettest month locally, with 94 mm of rain on average.
20.0°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.4°C
Spring13.1°C
Summer19.4°C
Autumn14.0°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 9.8°C | 9.9°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 2.0°C | 2.0°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 881 mm | 854 mm | 937 mm |
| July high | 20.0°C | 20.1°C | 19.9°C |
20.0°C
July high
2.0°C
January low
881 mm
Rain a year
94 mm
Wettest month
36
Air frosts
1,397 hrs
Sunshine
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Outdoors
Johnstown has room to breathe: 23.6 ha of green space per 1,000 residents, more than in both Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Green space in Johnstown adds up to 31 ha, in one park. Woodland covers 1% of the land within 1 km, below Co. Kildare’s towns (2.4%) and Irish towns (2.7%) alike. Just over four in five homes have green space within 400 m.
81%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Johnstown23.6 ha
Co. Kildare2.2 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 23.6 ha | 2.2 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Woodland within 1 km | 1% | 2.4% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 81% | 79% | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0% | 0.5% | 1.8% |
81%
Near a park
23.6 ha
Green space
11 km
Footpaths
1%
Woodland
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Today in Johnstown: partly cloudy and 11 degrees at best
The rain holds off today, but the wind gets up to 23 km/h, and the low is 7°C. Tuesday looks like the wettest of the days that follow, with about 6 mm of rain. A typical November day reaches 11°C and drops to 4°C at night: the forecast for Johnstown is set against that.
11°C / 7°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November11°C
December8°C
January8°C
February9°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 224 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 180 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 217 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 261 mm |
11°C / 7°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
14 km/h
Wind
89%
Humidity
9 h 18 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Students and young workers shape Johnstown: 19% are 15 to 24, above Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
46% of adults hold a degree, above Co. Kildare’s towns (39%) and Irish towns (36%) alike. Over-65s are 7% of the population. One measure of its mix: 16% of residents were born abroad.
34median age
JohnstownCo. KildareIreland
Ages · share of residents
19%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none4%
Lower secondary8%
Leaving Cert33%
Diploma or cert8%
Degree or higher46%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 51.0% of Johnstown
673 women and 647 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 23% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 19% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 7% | 10% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 3.5% | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 8.3% | 12% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 33% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 8.4% | 6.4% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 46% | 39% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kildare and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
Kildare County Council runs on one of the smallest budgets per resident of any council
Johnstown is run by Kildare County Council, its only council: Ireland has one tier of local government. No party holds a majority on Kildare County Council: Fianna Fáil lead with 12 of 40 seats, short of the 21 needed. In the Dáil, Johnstown is part of Kildare North, which elects 5 TDs.
12/40seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Kildare County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil12
Fine Gael11
Social Democrats7
Labour Party5
Independent3
Sinn Féin1
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 60% | 60% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 47% | 45% | 46% |
7
Councillors
12/40
Fianna Fáil seats on Kildare County, the largest party
47%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Kildare North
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
For its size, Johnstown has more listed heritage than Co. Kildare’s towns or Irish towns: 121 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents
4 archaeological sites are on the record, lower than both Co. Kildare’s towns (13) and Irish towns (11). Before 1919: that is when 3.8% of homes were built. The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 16 buildings in Johnstown, each rated of regional importance.
16inventory buildings
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional16
Among them
- Graveyard, Johnstown 1600
- Coaching inn, Johnstown 1760
- House, Johnstown 1770
- Arch House 1780
4
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1600
earliest dated inventory building
4%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 121 | 50 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 4 | 13 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 3.8% | 1.6% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
SafetySafety B
Johnstown stands out for theft: 3.2 times the rate of a typical town its size
Among the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Johnstown has more crime per resident than 72% of them. In all, 73.4 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded a year, higher than both Co. Kildare’s towns (42.7) and Irish towns (54.3). Burglary and damage add up to 5 per 1,000 residents each year.
4.2violent incidents per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 28% of the 156 Irish towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025
Dangerous acts18.1
Road traffic15.8
Theft12.2
Drugs7.3
Public order5.2
Against justice5.2
Assault3.6
Damage3
Burglary2
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 | Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime | 73.4 | 42.7 | 54.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 5 | 4.2 | 6.4 |
4.2
violent incidents per 1,000 a year
5
burglary and damage per 1,000 a year
3,331
incidents a year, Naas Garda area
9.2
against residents per 1,000, as graded
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
HousingCost of living B−
Johnstown is a town of owners: 79% of households own their home, above Co. Kildare’s towns and Irish towns
Renting privately is how 10% of households live.
€423Kmedian sale priceB−Cost of living Grade
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Johnstown€423K
Co. Kildare€408K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Johnstown | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 79% | 70% | 61% |
| Households renting privately | 10% | 18% | 22% |
| Median sale price | €423K | €408K | €350K |
| Households in social housing | 10% | 10% | 13% |
79%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
10%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,701
a month on new tenancies, County Kildare
5.8
times median household income, County Kildare
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area W91, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Jigginstown Castle and 2 more in and around Johnstown
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Johnstown. Best known first.
Historic houseJigginstown Castle3.8 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric houseHistoric houseBodenstown Graveyard4.1 km outside town, to the northwestArt galleryArt galleryTuckmill Gallery2.1 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Jigginstown Castle: Wanfried-Dublin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Johnstown
15pages on Johnstown
The big questions
Out and about
Landmarks
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 16 buildings in Johnstown, each rated of regional importance. 4 archaeological sites are on the record here.
Famous people from around Johnstown
One notable person was born in Johnstown; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
A
Anthony LawlorIrish politician · born 1959
Photo credits
Ninette de Valois: Rob Croes for Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Charles Handy: einalem, CC BY-SA 2.0 · John de Robeck: Unknown photographer, Public domain · Liam O'Flynn: Ganainm, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fionnuala Sherry: paddynapper, CC BY-SA 2.0
Johnstown’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
KillNaasSallinsCarraghClaneBlessingtonJohnstown
Questions about Johnstown
Is Johnstown growing?
Johnstown had 1,320 people at the 2022 census, up from 1,113 in 2016: 18.6% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
Is Johnstown a young town or an old one?
The median age in Johnstown is 34, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 22% of residents are under 15 and 7% are 65 or over.
About Johnstown
Urban area in Co. Kildare
1,320 people live in Johnstown, in the area of Kildare 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
- 1,320 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Kildare
- Council
- Kildare County Council
- Local electoral area
- Naas
- Dáil constituency
- Kildare North
- Name in Irish
- Baile Eoin
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:06441
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).