Newtown’s story
Nothing in Newtown is on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
1% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
Explore the history →
NewtownCo. Laois
Population 269: a town in Co. Laois. Its population rose 9% from 2016 to 2022.
6 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Sarah777 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
269
CSO, Census 2022 · Laois County Council
Median age
35.7
10% are 65+ · Co. Laois 10%
Degree level
17%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
2%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Newtown a good place to live?
Homes sell for a median €272,400, about 5.3 times what a household here earns in a year. The car is not the only way to work here: 2% of commuters walk, cycle or use public transport. At the 2022 census, just over a fifth of the labour force was out of work. 17% of adults have a degree.
Irish towns are graded from 1,000 residents, which leaves Newtown out for now.
What makes Newtown stand out
The 3 things Newtown does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
2% walk, cycle or ride
Against 23% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
Unemployment rate, Census 2022
Work
21% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
50% of residents 15 and over are at work.
Degree or higher, residents 15+
Education
Against 36% in the median of Irish towns
CSO, Census 2022
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Newtown.
Schools
More schools around Newtown are in DEIS, the support scheme, than in Co. Laois’ towns or across Irish towns: 75%
Pupil numbers changed −9% since 2019/20, below both Co. Laois’ towns (+10%) and Irish towns (+4%). Within 3 km of Newtown there are 4 schools (4 primary schools).
4schools within 3 km
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil Naomh Abban DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 73 | Catholic |
| St Patricks N.S. DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 57 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Newtown | Co. Laois | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 75% | 15% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −9% | +10% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 0% | 8% |
181
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
−9%
pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%
0.2 km
to the nearest primary school
9.5 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.
Natural hazards
Low radon and steady ground in Newtown; flooding isn’t measured here
Radon is rarely a worry in Newtown: under 1% of homes are estimated above the reference level. No part of Newtown is mapped as high landslide susceptibility. Only a handful of its homes, if any, sit low beside water.
0%of homes in high-radon areas
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
| Share of homes | Newtown | Co. Laois | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0% | 0% |
115
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
Winter nights bite in Newtown: January lows of 1.3°C, colder than Co. Laois’ towns or Irish towns
Here July highs average 19.4°C, below both Co. Laois’ towns (20.1°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C). Taken over the whole year, the average temperature in Newtown is 9.2°C. The town gets 1,062 mm of rain a year.
19.4°CJuly afternoon high
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter7.8°C
Spring12.6°C
Summer18.8°C
Autumn13.3°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Newtown | Co. Laois | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 9.2°C | 9.9°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 1.3°C | 2.0°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 19.4°C | 20.1°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,062 mm | 938 mm | 937 mm |
19.4°C
July high
1.3°C
January low
1,062 mm
Rain a year
114 mm
Wettest month
35
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
For its ages, more people in Newtown live with a disability than in Co. Laois’ towns or Irish towns: 157 per 100 expected
Unpaid carers make up 8.9% of residents, higher than both Co. Laois’ towns (5.2%) and Irish towns (5.4%). Weighed against its ages, bad health in Newtown runs at 81 per 100 expected. Disability touches 29% of the town’s population.
85%good or very good health
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health81
Disability157
Co. Laois154
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 1%
| Census 2022 | Newtown | Co. Laois | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 8.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 29% | 25% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.1% | 2.4% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 85% | 87% | 88% |
81
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Laois 154
157
disability per 100 expected · Co. Laois 126
83.2 · 80
life expectancy, women · men, the Midland 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
Housing
Few households rent privately in Newtown: 11%, fewer than in Co. Laois’ towns and Irish towns
Owners make up 70% of households. 18% live in social housing, above both Co. Laois’ towns (16%) and Irish towns (13%).
€272Kmedian sale price
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Newtown€272K
Co. Laois€251K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Newtown | Co. Laois | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 11% | 19% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 70% | 63% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 18% | 16% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €272K | €251K | €350K |
70%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
11%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,235
a month on new tenancies, County Laois
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area R93, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
Green space is close to home in Newtown: 100% of homes are within 400 m of some, more than Co. Laois’ towns or Irish towns
Within 1 km, 0.1% of the land is woodland, lower than both Co. Laois’ towns (2.5%) and Irish towns (2.7%). There are 6.1 ha of green space for every 1,000 people in Newtown.
100%of homes near green space
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Newtown6.1 ha
Co. Laois1.4 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Newtown | Co. Laois | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 100% | 71% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.1% | 2.5% | 2.7% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.0 km per km² | 0.6 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 0.6% | 1.6% | 1.8% |
100%
Near a park
6.1 ha
Green space
0.6%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Newtown today: cloudy, topping out at 11 degrees
A dry day with a stiff breeze lies ahead today: wind building to 23 km/h, then a low of 6°C. No day after this one climbs past 10°C, reached on Thursday, and the coolest stops at 6°C. Judged by the averages, Newtown sees November days reach 10°C and nights fall to 3°C.
11°C / 6°CToday
This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages
November10°C
December8°C
January8°C
February8°C
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 1°C | 296 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 4°C | 216 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 10°C | 237 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 6°C | 313 mm |
11°C / 6°C
Today
None
Rain, next 24 hours
18 km/h
Wind
89%
Humidity
9 h 21 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Newtown has higher unemployment than Co. Laois’ towns or Irish towns: 21%
Of working-age residents (15 to 64), 57% were employed at the census. 23% of trips took under 15 minutes, below Co. Laois’ towns (37%) and Irish towns (31%) alike. A trip to work takes 34.5 min on average.
2%walk, cycle or take transit
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van90%
Walk1%
Bus1%
| Census 2022 | Newtown | Co. Laois | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 21% | 12% | 9.2% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 57% | 63% | 68% |
| Average trip | 34.5 min | 30.4 min | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 23% | 37% | 31% |
€51,150
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Laois €59,521
7%
worked mainly from home, 2022
14%
trips of an hour or more
3,032
on the Live Register, County Laois, September 2026
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.
Who lives here
Most of Newtown was born here: only 13% come from abroad, fewer than in Co. Laois’ towns and Irish towns
9.7% of residents are 65 or over, near Co. Laois’ towns (10%) and lower than Irish towns (14%). One measure of family life: a quarter of residents are under 15. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 11% of the town.
35.7median age
NewtownCo. LaoisIreland
Ages · share of residents
10%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none12%
Lower secondary26%
Leaving Cert41%
Diploma or cert4%
Degree or higher17%
Women and men · all residents
47.2% of Newtown’s residents are women
127 women and 142 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Newtown | Co. Laois | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 25% | 23% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 35% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 20% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 9.7% | 10% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 12% | 11% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 26% | 17% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 41% | 41% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 3.8% | 6.3% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 17% | 23% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Laois and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
6 councillors on Laois County Council and 3 TDs speak for Newtown
Just over half of voters turned out at the last local elections, about level with Co. Laois’ towns (51%) and above Irish towns (46%). Local government for Newtown is Laois County Council alone; Ireland has a single tier. Laois County Council has no ruling majority: Fianna Fáil hold 6 of its 19 seats, short of the 10 needed.
6/19seats held by Fianna Fáil
Seats on Laois County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil6
Fine Gael5
Independent5
Sinn Féin2
Labour Party1
| Turnout | Newtown | Co. Laois | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 51% | 51% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
6
Councillors
6/19
Fianna Fáil seats on Laois County, the largest party
51%
turnout, June 2024
3
TDs elected for Laois
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Carlow Castle and 11 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Newtown; these are the best known within 40 km.
CastleCarlow Castle12 km east
CastleKilkenny Castle25 km south
CathedralCathedral of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary13 km east
CastleBallyloughan Castle23 km east
CastleBallymoon Castle23 km southeast
MuseumDunmore Cave17 km 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 (6)
- Carlow Castle: Age Bosma, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kilkenny Castle: Tolivero~commonswiki, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary: Joe Byrne, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ballyloughan Castle: VisionsofthePast, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ballymoon Castle: Poleary91, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dunmore Cave: Jan-Philipp Litza, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Newtown
15pages on Newtown
Famous people from around Newtown
No notable person born in Newtown is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
W
William Desmond TaylorIrish-American film director and actor … · born in CarlowM
Mabel CahillIrish tennis player (1863-1905) · born in BallyraggetC
Cynthia Ní MhurchúIrish barrister · born in Carlow · born 1966Y
Yvonne BarrIrish virologist · born in Carlow · 1932–2016W
William Russell GraceAmerican politician (1832-1904) · born in Ballylinan
Photo credits
Pat Walker: Jarvin, CC BY 3.0
Newtown’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
CastlecomerBallylinanCarlowAbbeyleixAthyBallyraggetNewtown
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newtown | 269 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Castlecomer Kilkenny | 1,496 | 9.6 | — | A | A | D |
| Ballylinan | 1,167 | 10 | — | A− | B+ | C |
| Carlow Carlow | 27,351 | 13 | C− | B | C+ | D |
| Abbeyleix | 1,897 | 16 | — | A− | A+ | B+ |
| Athy Kildare | 11,035 | 16 | C− | A | C | D |
| Ballyragget Kilkenny | 1,116 | 17 | — | A− | A | C |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Newtown
How do people in Newtown get to work?
7% mostly work from home, and 23% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Is Newtown growing?
Newtown had 269 people at the 2022 census, up from 246 in 2016: 9.3% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
How old are the people of Newtown?
The median age in Newtown is 35.7, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
About Newtown
Urban area in Co. Laois
Newtown has 269 people, in the area of Laois 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
- 269 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Laois
- Council
- Laois County Council
- Local electoral area
- Graiguecullen-Portarlington
- Dáil constituency
- Laois
- Name in Irish
- An Baile Nua
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:08160
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).