Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
It is a town of 372 residents in Co. Kildare. It grew by 9% between the 2016 and 2022 censuses.
Half the homes sold for more than €279,400, a price of 4.8 times what the median household earns. On the way to work, 5% walk, cycle or take the bus or train. Unemployment stood at 21% of the labour force in 2022. 18% of residents 15 and over hold a degree.
At under 1,000 residents, Kilmead is too small for the grades Irish towns get.
The 3 things Kilmead does most differently from other towns.
1 archaeological site are on the record here too.
3% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kilmead.
Pupil numbers changed −26% since 2019/20, lower than both Co. Kildare’s towns (+7%) and Irish towns (+4%). Families in Kilmead have one school within 3 km. Pupils at the school within 3 km of the town: 139.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. Ide DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 139 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Kilmead | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 100% | 3% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −26% | +7% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 6% | 8% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · No school here carries a letter or a result: Ireland publishes neither for individual schools.
The EPA estimates that 15% of homes in Kilmead are above the radon reference level. No part of Kilmead is mapped as high landslide susceptibility. Its homes mostly stand clear of low ground by water.
| Share of homes | Kilmead | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
A year brings 840 mm of rain, about level with Co. Kildare’s towns (854 mm) and below Irish towns (937 mm). A July afternoon in Kilmead typically reaches 20.2°C. Averaged across the seasons, Kilmead sits at 9.9°C.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Kilmead | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 2.0°C | 2.0°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 20.2°C | 20.1°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.9°C | 9.9°C | 10.3°C |
| Rain a year | 840 mm | 854 mm | 937 mm |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
At the census, 87% of people in Kilmead called their health good or very good, lower than both Co. Kildare’s towns (91%) and Irish towns (88%). 8.3% of residents in Kilmead care, unpaid, for a relative or friend. A disability affects just over a quarter of people here.
| Census 2022 | Kilmead | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 8.3% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 26% | 20% | 22% |
| Good or very good health | 87% | 91% | 88% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.9% | 1.5% | 2% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
4% rent privately, below Co. Kildare’s towns (18%) and Irish towns (22%) alike. Home ownership stands at 48% of households.
| Housing | Kilmead | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 47% | 10% | 13% |
| Households renting privately | 4% | 18% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 48% | 70% | 61% |
| Median sale price | €279K | €408K | €350K |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area R14, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Its paths and tracks come to 0.1 km per km², below Co. Kildare’s towns (1.0 km per km²) and Irish towns (2.1 km per km²) alike. Kilmead offers 0.2 ha of green space per 1,000 residents.
| Outdoors | Kilmead | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 100% | 79% | 92% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.1 km per km² | 1.0 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0.1% | 0.5% | 1.8% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 2% | 2.4% | 2.7% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
In Kilmead, the November norm is a high of 11°C and a low of 4°C. It stays dry from start to finish today, with wind of 19 km/h or less and a low near 7°C. Dry weather holds for 5 of the following 6 days.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 218 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 169 mm |
| Summer | 20°C | 11°C | 206 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 247 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
The jobless rate is 21%. Commutes averaged 29.3 min, below Co. Kildare’s towns (32.6 min) but above Irish towns (27.6 min). 88% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
| Census 2022 | Kilmead | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In work, 15 to 64 | 50% | 71% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 21% | 6.4% | 9.2% |
| Average trip | 29.3 min | 32.6 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €58,340 | €74,553 | €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.
25% are under 15, above both Co. Kildare’s towns (23%) and Irish towns (20%). Over-65s are 11% of the population. Born abroad: one in ten residents.
51.1% of Kilmead’s residents are women
190 women and 182 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Kilmead | Co. Kildare | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 25% | 23% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 17% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 11% | 10% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 16% | 7.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 21% | 12% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 4.7% | 6.4% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 18% | 39% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kildare and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Fianna Fáil lead Kildare County Council with 12 of 40 seats, but no party has a majority: 21 are needed. Kildare County Council is the one council for Kilmead; Ireland has no town or county councils between it and the government. At the general election 58% voted, lower than Co. Kildare’s towns (60%) and near Irish towns (59%).
| Turnout | Kilmead | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 60% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 47% | 45% | 46% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
1 recorded monuments and archaeological sites lie in and around the town. Relative to its size, Kilmead keeps 54 buildings on the inventory per 10,000 residents. 3.3% of its homes were built before 1919, about level with Irish towns (3.4%) and above Co. Kildare’s towns (1.6%).
| Heritage | Kilmead | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archaeological sites on the record | 1 | 13 | 11 |
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 54 | 50 | 48 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Kilmead; with it, the best known within 40 km.
Abbey or prioryGlendalough38 km east
National parkWicklow Mountains National Park34 km east
CastleCarlow Castle22 km south
CastleBallyloughan Castle23 km south
Historic houseRussborough House and Parklands25 km northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
2 of Kilmead’s buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage, all at regional importance. The national record lists one archaeological site in and around the town.
No notable person born in Kilmead is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
George Lyttleton Rogers: Unknown (Bassano Ltd), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilmead | 372 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Athy | 11,035 | 7.5 | C− | A | C | D |
| Curragh Camp | 1,076 | 12 | — | B | C | D |
| Dunlavin Wicklow | 1,074 | 14 | — | C | A− | B |
| Ballylinan Laois | 1,167 | 14 | — | A− | B+ | C |
| Kildare | 10,302 | 14 | B | B+ | C+ | B− |
| Castledermot | 1,685 | 14 | — | A− | B | C+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Kilmead had 372 people at the 2022 census, up from 342 in 2016: 8.8% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Kilmead is 36.3, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 25% of residents are under 15 and 11% are 65 or over.
Urban area in Co. Kildare
Kilmead has 372 people, 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)
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).