Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The town, home to 16,733 people, lies in Co. Kildare. Mortgage-free owners make up 41% of households.
Leixlip does the important things well, at a cost. Overall, Leixlip earns an A, better than 86% of Irish towns. That places it #45 of 320 Irish towns. Households here earn well: the unemployment rate is 6%, with 74% of 15 to 64s in work. Housing is expensive: prices run to a median €495,000, 6.1 times local household income. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for walkability and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: work and commuting, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · radon, EPA.
The 3 things Leixlip does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Leixlip 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 →
The record adds 21 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 1%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Leixlip. Best known first.
Historic house · Office of Public WorksCastletown House2.3 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleMaynooth Castle4.2 km outside town, to the west
MuseumNational Science Museum at Maynooth4.4 km outside town, to the westCastleCastleLeixlip Castle100 m outside town, to the southeastGardenGardenHamwood House and Gardens3.8 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Leixlip.
On average, the journey to work lasts 31.8 min. 15% of workers worked mainly from home, above Co. Kildare’s towns (11%) and Irish towns (11%) alike. Employment among 15- to 64-year-olds stood at 74% at the census.
| Census 2022 | Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | €81,258 | €73,828 | €57,760 |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 74% | 71% | 68% |
| Average trip | 31.8 min | 33 min | 27.6 min |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 6.4% | 9.2% |
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.
Ages taken into account, Leixlip counts 99 people with a disability for every 100 predicted. Self-reported good health: 90% of the town’s residents. At the census, 1.6% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, higher than Co. Kildare’s towns (1.4%) yet lower than Irish towns (2%).
| Census 2022 | Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 90% | 91% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 4.8% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.6% | 1.4% | 2% |
| With a disability | 21% | 20% | 22% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
For secondary school, the closest is Coláiste Chiaráin, 0.4 km from the town. Single-sex secondaries: 25%, between Co. Kildare’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (39%).
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aghards N.S.Largest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 660 | Catholic |
| Lucan Community CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 966 | Multi-denominational |
| Scoil C.ui Dhalaigh GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 376 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 0% | 7% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 3% | 6% | 8% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 25% | 10% | 39% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +6% | +7% | +4% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Letters and results are missing here for a reason: Ireland publishes neither school by school.
8% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up 13% of households, lower than both Co. Kildare’s towns (19%) and Irish towns (22%). Leixlip is the most expensive of the 14 towns in Co. Kildare: its median sale is €495,000. A buyer in Leixlip paid 80% more for a typical home in 2025 than in 2010: €495K against €275K.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €500,000 | 398 |
| Second-hand homes | €445,000 | 323 |
| The last 12 months | €500,000 | 283 |
| Housing | Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 79% | 70% | 61% |
| Median sale price | €495K | €401K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 13% | 19% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 8% | 11% | 13% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
The commonest graded crime in Leixlip was assaults and harassment (2023–2025). In all, 34.6 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded a year, below Co. Kildare’s towns (44.1) and Irish towns (54.3) alike. Among the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, Leixlip has less crime per resident than 81% of them.
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 | Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| All recorded crime | 34.6 | 44.1 | 54.3 |
| Violent crime | 3.7 | 4.1 | 5.7 |
| Burglary & damage | 4.2 | 4.2 | 6.4 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
A year brings 797 mm of rain, below both Co. Kildare’s towns (857 mm) and Irish towns (937 mm). The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 20.2°C in Leixlip. Midwinter nights in Leixlip bottom out at 2.2°C on average.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 20.2°C | 20.0°C | 19.9°C |
| January low | 2.2°C | 2.0°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 797 mm | 857 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.0°C | 9.9°C | 10.3°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Leixlip counts 4 parks, adding up to 312 ha of green space. Protected nature near Leixlip includes Rye Water Valley/Carton SAC. Per 1,000 residents, Leixlip has 18.6 ha of green space. Its paths and tracks come to 3.6 km per km², above both Co. Kildare’s towns (0.9 km per km²) and Irish towns (2.1 km per km²).
| Outdoors | Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland within 1 km | 7.7% | 2.1% | 2.7% |
| Green space per 1,000 residents | 18.6 ha | 2.1 ha | 4.1 ha |
| Paths per km² of town | 3.6 km per km² | 0.9 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Near a park | 79% | 78% | 92% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Leixlip’s forecast, set beside its normal weather: in November a typical day reaches 11°C, and nights drop to 4°C. Today brings about 1 mm of rain and a breeze of up to 24 km/h; the low is 8°C. Rain peaks later in the week on Tuesday, at about 5 mm for the day.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 2°C | 198 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 163 mm |
| Summer | 20°C | 11°C | 202 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 234 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
20% are under 15, lower than Co. Kildare’s towns (23%) and near Irish towns (20%). Retirement age and beyond: 17% of residents are 65 or older. Graduates make up 43% of adults.
Women make up 50.6% of Leixlip
8,470 women and 8,263 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 23% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 29% | 31% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 23% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 17% | 9.9% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 6.5% | 8.2% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 32% | 35% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.6% | 6.3% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 43% | 35% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kildare and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Local government for Leixlip is Kildare County Council alone; Ireland has a single tier. With 12 of 40 seats, Fianna Fáil are the largest group on Kildare County Council, short of the 21 a majority needs. 44% of voters turned out at the last local elections, about level with Co. Kildare’s towns (45%) and below Irish towns (46%).
| Turnout | Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 44% | 45% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 60% | 60% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
For its size, Leixlip has 27 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, lower than both Co. Kildare’s towns (51) and Irish towns (48). Archaeologists have recorded 21 sites here. Before 1919: that is when 1.4% of homes were built.
| Heritage | Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 27 | 51 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 21 | 10 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Radon: an estimated 4.1% of homes in Leixlip are over the reference level. The ground under Leixlip carries no high landslide susceptibility. Low-lying near a river: 2.1% of homes, below Co. Kildare’s towns (4.3%) but above Irish towns (0.5%).
| Share of homes | Leixlip | Co. Kildare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 2.1% | 4.3% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Leixlip has 45 buildings on the national inventory of architectural heritage, 1 of them rated of national or international importance. Archaeologists have recorded 21 sites here.
11 notable people were born in Leixlip.
Nathan Collins: Bex Walton, CC BY 2.0 · Andrew Omobamidele: Irish Football Fan TV, CC BY 3.0 · Emma Byrne: joshjdss, CC BY 2.0 · Trevor Brennan: PierreSelim, CC BY 3.0 · David Geraghty: Gero t, CC BY-SA 3.0
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
Leixlip had 16,733 people at the 2022 census, up from 15,570 in 2016: 7.5% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Leixlip is 38.6, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Urban area in Co. Kildare
Leixlip has 16,733 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) · 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).