Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
This town in Co. Kilkenny has a population of 2,305.
Recorded crime is low: recorded crime comes to 3.9 violent offences and 3.6 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. The weak point is health: bad health runs at 131 and disability at 119 per 100 expected for its ages. A typical home sold for €282,300, or 6 years of the town’s median household income. Hazards are a real consideration: an estimated 2% of homes are above the radon reference level.
Figures: crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · health, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · radon, EPA. Thomastown has subject grades but no overall grade: Irish towns get one from 2,500 residents.
Health less sure: few enough residents report bad health that the town's figure could be well above or below its true level.
Each subject compares Thomastown with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Thomastown has subject grades but no overall grade: Irish towns get one from 2,500 residents.
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
The 2 things Thomastown does most differently from other towns.
The register holds 95 buildings on the National Inventory in Thomastown, one of them of national importance.
38 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
Thomastown’s built heritage counts 95 inventory entries; 1 carry national or international standing. The national record lists 38 archaeological sites in and around the town.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thomastown.
Disability touches 26% of Thomastown’s population. At the census, 2.5% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, above both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (1.8%) and Irish towns (2%). Asked at the census, 87% of residents of Thomastown said they were in good or very good health.
| Census 2022 | Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| With a disability | 26% | 23% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.5% | 1.8% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 87% | 88% | 88% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
For radon, the estimate for Thomastown is 1.6% of homes above the reference level. 10% of homes stand low near a river, above Co. Kilkenny’s towns (3.1%) and Irish towns (0.5%) alike.
| Share of homes | Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 84% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 10% | 3.1% | 0.5% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
More of the graded crimes in Thomastown were assaults and harassment than anything else (2023–2025). In all, 31.5 crimes per 1,000 residents were recorded a year, below Co. Kilkenny’s towns (43.7) and Irish towns (54.3) alike.
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 | Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary & damage | 3.6 | 5.1 | 6.4 |
| All recorded crime | 31.5 | 43.7 | 54.3 |
| Violent crime | 3.9 | 5.2 | 5.7 |
| Theft | 4.9 | 5.9 | 15.3 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Social renters account for 20% of households. 18% rent privately, below both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (19%) and Irish towns (22%).
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €273,500 | 104 |
| The last 12 months | €400,000 | 80 |
| Housing | Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households in social housing | 20% | 19% | 13% |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €1,337 | – | €1,606 |
| Median sale price | €282K | €289K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 18% | 19% | 22% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
On a January night, the temperature in Thomastown falls to about 2.4°C. Here July highs average 20.4°C, near Co. Kilkenny’s towns (20.2°C) and higher than Irish towns (19.9°C). This Co. Kilkenny town is 0.2°C warmer over the year than in 1981–2010.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 20.4°C | 20.2°C | 19.9°C |
| January low | 2.4°C | 2.3°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 954 mm | 906 mm | 937 mm |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Green space in Thomastown totals 10 ha, in one park. Within 5 km, 4.9% of the land is protected nature, higher than both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (2.4%) and Irish towns (1.8%). Among the protected sites near Thomastown is River Barrow. For 73% of homes, green space is under 400 m away.
| Outdoors | Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland within 1 km | 8% | 3.8% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 73% | 96% | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 4.9% | 2.4% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.8 km per km² | 0.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Thomastown’s averages for November set the scene: the usual high is 11°C, the usual low 4°C. A quiet day is due today: no rain, a light wind peaking at 12 km/h, and 2°C overnight. By December, a normal day reaches 9°C and a normal night 3°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 2°C | 256 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 5°C | 197 mm |
| Summer | 20°C | 11°C | 219 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 7°C | 283 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Under-15s account for 21% of the population. 29% of adults hold a degree, close to Co. Kilkenny’s towns (31%) and below Irish towns (36%). Retirement age and beyond: 15% of residents are 65 or older.
51.5% of Thomastown’s residents are women
1,187 women and 1,118 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 24% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 11% | 9.4% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 38% | 37% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.5% | 6.1% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 29% | 31% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Kilkenny and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
No party holds a majority on Kilkenny County Council: Fianna Fáil lead with 11 of 24 seats, short of the 13 needed. Thomastown answers to one council, Kilkenny County Council; Ireland has no town tier. It sits in the Callan-Thomastown local electoral area, which elects 6 councillors.
| Turnout | Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 54% | 50% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Beneath and around the town lie 38 recorded archaeological sites. Thomastown’s built heritage counts 95 inventory entries; 1 carry national or international standing.
| Heritage | Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 412 | 216 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 38 | 84 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 8.3% | 4.5% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Households had €46,693 a year before tax, below Co. Kilkenny’s towns (€53,954) and Irish towns (€57,760) alike. A trip to work takes 24.1 min on average. Working from home was the norm for 8% of workers at the census.
| Census 2022 | Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 42% | 39% | 31% |
| Median household income | €46,693 | €53,954 | €57,760 |
| Average trip | 24.1 min | 23.8 min | 27.6 min |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 67% | 68% | 68% |
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.
Since 2019/20, pupils changed −4%, lower than both Co. Kilkenny’s towns (+4%) and Irish towns (+4%). Families in Thomastown have 2 schools within 3 km to choose from: 1 primary school and 1 secondary school. Grennan College is the nearest secondary school, 0.1 km away.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's National School Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 398 | Catholic |
| Grennan College DEISLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 334 | Multi-denominational |
| Schools within 3 km | Thomastown | Co. Kilkenny | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sex secondaries | 0% | 56% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 50% | 11% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 6% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −4% | +4% | +4% |
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.
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Thomastown. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksJerpoint Abbey1.1 km outside town, to the southwestCastleCastleKilbline Castle4.2 km outside town, to the northChurchChurchKilfane Church2.4 km outside town, to the northeastGardenGardenKilfane Glen and Waterfall3.7 km outside town, to the northeastVisitor farmVisitor farmNore Valley Park Pet Farm4.1 km outside town, to the northwestHistoric houseHistoric houseTullaherin Round Tower4.7 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
19 notable people were born in Thomastown.
Urban area in Co. Kilkenny
2,305 people live in Thomastown, in the area of Kilkenny 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)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomastown | 2,305 | — | — | B | B+ | C− |
| Graiguenamanagh-Tinnahinch | 1,506 | 12 | — | A | A+ | C |
| Kilkenny | 27,184 | 16 | B+ | B+ | C | B |
| Callan | 2,678 | 17 | A+ | A− | A | B |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Thomastown had 2,305 people at the 2022 census, up from 2,291 in 2016: 0.6% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Thomastown is 40.6, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
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).