RatoathCo. Meath

It is a town of 10,077 residents in Co. Meath. 12 of its buildings are on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Wanfried-Dublin · CC BY 4.0

Population

10,077

CSO, Census 2022 · Meath County Council

Median age

34.6

5% are 65+ · Co. Meath 9%

Degree level

41%

of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%

Walk, cycle, transit

11%

of working residents · Irish towns 23%

TownGrade

A⁺

#11 of 320

Is Ratoath a good place to live?

On health it is strong (A+) — bad health runs at 67 and disability at 84 per 100 expected for its ages. It also does well on jobs & income — 70% of people aged 15 to 64 are in work, and unemployment is 6%. Buying in is costly: home prices sit at a median €447,000, which is 4.6 years of the town’s median household income. Overall, that makes an A+, better than 97% of Irish towns. The ranking puts it #4 of 11 in Co. Meath.

Figures: health and work, CSO Census 2022 · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO.

This town's Hazard risk Grade uses radon and landslides only: open LiDAR heights don't cover enough of its homes to measure flooding, so flood isn't counted for or against it.

StrongestA⁺Hazard risk A⁺Health A⁻Jobs & income

What makes Ratoath stand out

The 3 things Ratoath does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or public transport

Getting around

11% walk, cycle or ride

Against 23% in the median of Irish towns

CSO, Census 2022

Median gross household income

Income

Gross, a year (the median of Irish towns: €57,760)

CSO household income, Ratoath.

Hazard risk

Better than 97%

of Irish towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: A+.

How Ratoath grades

Each subject compares Ratoath 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 grading works

Hazard riskAlmost no homes are above the radon reference levelA⁺Open →Health84 with a disability per 100 predictedA⁺Open →Jobs & income6% unemployedA⁻Open →Safety3.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residentsB⁺Open →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsC⁺Open →WalkabilityClose to the middle of the towns comparedC⁺Open →

SchoolsNot graded in Ireland: schools’ exam results aren’t published school by school (Education Act 1998, s.53)–

How TownRatings grades Irish towns →

12 places on the register, on Ratoath’s outline

Ratoath’s story

Ratoath: 12 buildings on the National Inventory

The record adds 26 archaeological sites.

Homes built before 1919: 0%, against 3% across Irish towns.

1760Ratoath Manor
1780Fox Lodge
1780House, Ratoath

Explore the history →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ratoath.

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁺

Ratoath has low radon and steady ground, but its flood exposure isn’t measured

The ground under Ratoath carries no high landslide susceptibility. Radon is rarely a worry locally: under 1% of homes are estimated above the reference level. Low ground by water holds almost none of its homes.

0%of homes in high-radon areasA⁺Hazard risk Grade

Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes

In high-radon areas0%

On high landslide susceptibility0%

Share of homes	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
In high-radon areas	0%	0%	0%
On high landslide susceptibility	0%	0%	0%

2,862

homes mapped for these shares

Full pageRatoath’s flood & hazards pageOpen the page

Low-lying homes0% of homes · Homes low beside water GroundHigh landslide susceptibility · Irish towns 0%Radon0% of homes in high-radon areas Vs. the neighboursAhead of 3 of its 6 graded neighbours

EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.

HealthHealth A⁺

Fewer people in Ratoath have a disability than its ages would predict: 84 per 100 expected, under Co. Meath’s towns and Irish towns

At the census, 94% of people in Ratoath called their health good or very good, above Co. Meath’s towns (90%) and Irish towns (88%) alike. Among the 40 Irish towns closest to its size, Ratoath ranks 3rd on the Health Grade. 16% of residents in Ratoath live with a disability. What’s more, of the 12 towns in Co. Meath, Ratoath has the second-smallest share in bad or very bad health: 0.9%.

94%good or very good healthA⁺Health Grade

Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised

Bad health67

Disability84

Co. Meath108

Expected100

General health, self-reported

Good or very good 94%Fair 5%Bad or very bad 1%

Census 2022	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
Good or very good health	94%	90%	88%
With a disability	16%	20%	22%
Bad or very bad health	0.9%	1.7%	2%
Unpaid carers	4.9%	4.6%	5.4%

bad health per 100 expected · Co. Meath 108

disability per 100 expected · Co. Meath 104

84 · 80.3

life expectancy, women · men, the Mid-East region, 2016

27%

hold a medical card, HSE Dublin and North East

Full pageRatoath’s health pageOpen the page

Health GradeBad health 67, disability 84 per 100 expected Getting care86% within 800 m of a pharmacy Census health94% in good or very good health The wider areaLife expectancy: women 84, men 80.3 Vs. the neighboursAhead of 5 of its 6 graded neighbours

CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios

Schools

5 of the 10 schools around Ratoath are multi-denominational

For secondary school, the closest is Ratoath College, 0.7 km from the town. Within 3 km of Ratoath there are 10 schools (8 primary schools and 2 secondary schools). Since 2019/20, pupils changed +1%, lower than both Co. Meath’s towns (+5%) and Irish towns (+4%).

10schools within 3 km

School	Level	Pupils	Ethos
Scoil Nais DeaglainLargest primary schoolPrimary	Primary	621	Catholic
Ratoath CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB	Post-primary · ETB	1,132	Inter-denominational
Gaelscoil na Mí GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary	Primary	242	Multi-denominational

See all 10 schools →

Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km

Catholic5

Multi-denominational4

Inter-denominational1

Schools within 3 km	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
Single-sex secondaries	0%	0%	39%
In the DEIS scheme	0%	0%	35%
Pupils since 2019/20	+1%	+5%	+4%
Teach through Irish	10%	7%	8%

4,880

pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26

+1%

pupils since 2019/20 · Irish towns +4%

0.5 km

to the nearest primary school

0.7 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageRatoath’s schools pageOpen the page

Who runs them10 schools within 3 km Language10% teach through Irish · One school teaches through Irish Pupils over time4,880 pupils · +1% since 2019/20 Questions“What schools are there in Ratoath?”

Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Results by school aren’t published in Ireland, so the cards carry none.

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁻

Household income in Ratoath, €96,273 a year, runs above Co. Meath’s towns and Irish towns

The commute to work averages 32.4 min. At the census, 11% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below both Co. Meath’s towns (16%) and Irish towns (23%). The jobless rate is 6%.

11%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2022

Car or van75%

Bus7%

Walk3%

Train, DART or Luas1%

Bicycle0%

Census 2022	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
Median household income	€96,273	€69,166	€57,760
Unemployment rate	6%	7.9%	9.2%
Average trip	32.4 min	32.9 min	27.6 min
Trips under 15 minutes	26%	30%	31%

€96,273

median household income, 2022 · Co. Meath €70,657

14%

worked mainly from home, 2022

14%

trips of an hour or more

3,692

on the Live Register, County Meath, September 2026

C⁺

Walkability: better than 44% of Irish towns

Full pageRatoath’s work & commute pageOpen the page

Median income€96,273 a year · Median household income, before tax Getting to work11% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment6% unemployed · Irish towns: 9.2%Benefits over time3,692 on the Live Register · +0.2% on a year earlier

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.

SafetySafety B⁺

Crime per resident in Ratoath runs lower than in 68% of Irish towns

Assaults and harassment topped the graded crimes in Ratoath (2023–2025). Burglary and damage came to 4.2 per 1,000 residents a year, about level with Co. Meath’s towns (4.3) and below Irish towns (6.4). For its size, Ratoath records less crime per resident than just over four fifths of the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people.

3.7violent incidents per 1,000 a yearB⁺Safety Grade

Compared with towns its sizeFewer incidents against residents per 1,000 than 82% of the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.

More crimeLess crime

Recorded by type · per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025

Theft13.2

Road traffic7.4

Assault3.2

Damage3

Dangerous acts2.6

Public order2.5

Drugs2.1

Burglary1.2

Against justice0.9

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	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
Burglary & damage	4.2	4.3	6.4
Violent crime	3.7	3.7	5.7

3.7

violent incidents per 1,000 a year

4.2

burglary and damage per 1,000 a year

1,108

incidents a year, Ashbourne Garda area

7.8

against residents per 1,000, as graded

Full pageRatoath’s safety reportOpen the page

Safety Grade3.7 violent incidents per 1,000 · Crime per resident in Ratoath runs lower than in 68% of Irish towns Crime by typeAssaults and harassment is the most common of the graded categories Vs. the neighboursAhead of 2 of its 6 graded neighbours Questions“Is Ratoath safe?”

CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations

HousingCost of living C⁺

Ratoath is a town of owners: 82% of households own their home, above Co. Meath’s towns and Irish towns

5% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up 12% of households, lower than both Co. Meath’s towns (16%) and Irish towns (22%). In 2010 the typical home in Ratoath sold for €285K; by 2025 it was €455K, 60% more.

€447Kmedian sale priceC⁺Cost of living Grade

Median sale price · Property Price Register, 2023–2025

Ratoath€447K

Co. Meath€375K

Irish towns€350K

By type	Median	Sales
New homes	€470,600	45
Second-hand homes	€401,200	256
The last 12 months	€455,000	106

Housing	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
Households owning their home	82%	74%	61%
Households in social housing	5%	9%	13%
Median sale price	€447K	€375K	€350K
Households renting privately	12%	16%	22%

82%

own their home · Irish towns 61%

12%

rent privately · Irish towns 22%

€1,799

a month on new tenancies, Ratoath

6.3

times median household income, County Meath

Full pageRatoath’s cost of living pageOpen the page

Owners and renters82% own their home Cost of livingMedian sale price €447,000 Price trend€285K in 2010, €455K in 2025 Renting€1,799 a month · Average rent on new tenancies

Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure

Climate

Ratoath has colder winters than Co. Meath’s towns or Irish towns: January lows of 1.9°C

The annual mean in Ratoath is 9.7°C. July afternoons reach 19.8°C here, in line with Co. Meath’s towns (19.9°C) and Irish towns (19.9°C). November is the wettest month here, with 91 mm of rain on average.

19.8°CJuly afternoon high

Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages

Winter8.2°C

Spring12.9°C

Summer19.2°C

Autumn13.8°C

Climate, 1991–2020	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
January low	1.9°C	2.1°C	2.9°C
Average temperature over the year	9.7°C	9.9°C	10.3°C
July high	19.8°C	19.9°C	19.9°C
Rain a year	855 mm	855 mm	937 mm

19.8°C

July high

1.9°C

January low

855 mm

Rain a year

91 mm

Wettest month

Air frosts

Full pageRatoath’s climate pageOpen the page

The yearSummer highs 19.2°C, winter lows 2.0°C At a glanceJuly highs 19.8°C, January lows 1.9°C Rain855 mm of rain a year · November is the wettest month, 91 mm Weather station13 km to the weather station · Dunsany

Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.

Outdoors

Almost everyone in Ratoath lives within a 5-minute walk of a park

Woodland covers 0.4% of the land within 1 km, lower than both Co. Meath’s towns (1.1%) and Irish towns (2.7%). For 100% of homes, green space is under 400 m away.

100%of homes near green space

Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents

Ratoath2.6 ha

Co. Meath2.2 ha

Irish towns4.1 ha

Outdoors	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
Near a park	100%	92%	92%
Woodland within 1 km	0.4%	1.1%	2.7%
Protected nature within 5 km	0%	1.1%	1.8%
Paths per km² of town	1.3 km per km²	1.3 km per km²	2.1 km per km²

100%

Near a park

2.6 ha

Green space

19 km

Footpaths

Full pageRatoath’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Parks2.6 ha per 1,000 residents · 26 ha of green space, 0 parks Green space nearby100% of homes within 400 m Protected nature0% of the land within 5 km · No protected site within 5 km Paths and trails19 km of paths · 0 trails and greenways within 5 km

OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.

Weather

Ratoath, today: light showers, and the thermometer reaches 11 degrees

Today brings about 1 mm of rain and a breeze of up to 24 km/h; the low is 8°C. Tuesday stands out as the wet day ahead, with roughly 5 mm. What counts as normal for Ratoath in November: highs come to 10°C and lows to 4°C.

11°C / 8°CToday

This month and the next three, normal highs · 1991–2020 averages

November10°C

December8°C

January8°C

February9°C

Season	High	Low	Rain
Winter	8°C	2°C	216 mm
Spring	13°C	5°C	180 mm
Summer	19°C	11°C	212 mm
Autumn	14°C	7°C	248 mm

11°C / 8°C

Today

0.8 mm

Rain, next 24 hours

14 km/h

Wind

87%

Humidity

9 h 17 min

Daylight

Full pageRatoath’s weather pageOpen the page

Next 24 hours0.8 mm Rain, next 24 hours · Some rain The week ahead11°C / 8°C Today · A normal 4 November: 12°C / 5°C Warnings & more9 h 17 min Daylight · 07:30 to 16:47

Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020

Who lives here

Students and young workers shape Ratoath: 17% are 15 to 24, above Co. Meath’s towns and Irish towns

5.3% of residents are 65 or over, lower than both Co. Meath’s towns (9.5%) and Irish towns (14%). Degrees are held by 41% of adults.

34.6median age

RatoathCo. MeathIreland

Co. MeathIreland

Ages · share of residents

17%

Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education

Primary or none5%

Lower secondary10%

Leaving Cert36%

Diploma or cert8%

Degree or higher41%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 51.2% of Ratoath

5,156 women and 4,921 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.

Ages and education in Ratoath
	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
Under 15	24%	24%	20%
15–24	17%	13%	12%
25–44	24%	28%	29%
45–64	29%	25%	24%
65+	5.3%	9.5%	14%
Primary or none	4.5%	7.9%	9.7%
Lower secondary	10%	13%	14%
Leaving Cert	36%	38%	35%
Diploma or cert	7.5%	7%	5.8%
Degree or higher	41%	35%	36%

Full pageRatoath’s Who lives here pageOpen the page

Ages34.6 median age · 5% are 65 or over Households3,041 households · 3.4 people per household Where born16% born outside Ireland Irish speakers46% can speak Irish · 0.8% speak Irish daily outside school

CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Meath and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+

Town hall

15 votes decided the last seat in Ratoath

Ratoath is run by Meath County Council, its only council: Ireland has one tier of local government. Meath County Council has no ruling majority: Independent hold 11 of its 40 seats, short of the 21 needed. It sits in the Ratoath local electoral area, which elects 7 councillors.

11/40seats held by Independent

Seats on Meath County · June 2024

Independent11

Fine Gael11

Fianna Fáil9

Sinn Féin6

Aontú2

Social Democrats1

Turnout	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
General election, November 2024	60%	60%	59%
Local elections, June 2024	47%	47%	46%

Councillors

11/40

Independent seats on Meath County, the largest party

47%

turnout, June 2024

TDs elected for Meath East

Full pageRatoath’s town hall & politics pageOpen the page

Who’s in chargeNo majority: Independent lead with 11 of 40 (21 needed)Councillors7 councillors · Ratoath How Ratoath votedLocal elections, June 2024 · Co. Meath towns 47%TDs4 TDs · Meath East

Department of Housing count sheets, 2024

History

Ratoath counts 12 buildings on the architectural inventory

26 archaeological sites are on the record. Homes from before 1919 make up 0.4% of the total, below both Co. Meath’s towns (1.6%) and Irish towns (3.4%).

12inventory buildings

Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH

International0

National0

Regional12

Among them

sites on the Sites and Monuments Record

1760

earliest dated inventory building

homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%

places pictured on the history page

Heritage	Ratoath	Co. Meath	Ireland
Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents	12	29	48
Archaeological sites on the record	26	22	11
Homes built before 1919	0.4%	1.6%	3.4%

Full pageRatoath’s history pageOpen the page

NIAH buildings12 buildings on the inventory Older homes0% built before 1919 · Irish towns: 3%Monuments26 sites · On the Sites and Monuments Record Questions“How many historic buildings are there in Ratoath?”

NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built

Nearby attractions

Clarke Art and 3 more in and around Ratoath

Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Ratoath. Best known first.

All attractions →

Art galleryArt galleryClarke Artin town

Theme parkEmerald Park3.3 km outside town, to the north ZooZooPet Farm4.7 km outside town, to the east ZooZooPetting Farm3.3 km outside town, to the north

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (1)

Emerald Park: Deadstar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Ratoath

15pages on Ratoath

The big questions

SafetyB⁺Housing & costC⁺Property pricesSchoolsHealthA⁺Work & commuteA⁻Natural hazardsA⁺0% of homes in high-radon areas

Out and about

OutdoorsAttractionsClimateWeather

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 34.6 History12 buildings on the National Inventory Town hallFamous people3 notable people born here

Landmarks

Surveyors for the national inventory recorded 12 buildings in Ratoath, each of regional importance. Archaeologists have recorded 26 sites here.

All historic buildings →

NIAH: Regional

Ratoath ManorCountry house · 1760

NIAH: Regional

Fox LodgeHouse · 1780

NIAH: Regional

House, RatoathHouse · 1780

NIAH: Regional

Glebelands HouseRectory / glebe / vicarage / curate's house · 1810

Famous people from Ratoath

3 notable people were born in Ratoath.

See all 3 →

Richard PigottIrish journalist (1835-1889) · 1838–1889

Angela ScanlonIrish television presenter · born 1983

Evan WeirIrish footballer (born 2002)

Photo credits

Richard Pigott: Leslie Ward, Public domain

Ratoath’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.

AshbourneDunshaughlinDunboyneCloneeHollystownOngarRatoath

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Ratoath	10,077	—	A⁺	C⁺	B⁺	A⁺
Ashbourne	15,680	4.2	A⁺	B⁻	B⁺	A⁻
Dunshaughlin	6,644	5.4	A	C	A⁻	A
Dunboyne	7,155	9.9	A⁺	C	B⁺	A⁺
Clonee	1,205	11	—	C⁺	B⁺	B⁻
Hollystown Dublin	12,884	11	B	C⁻	C⁺	A
Ongar Dublin	13,390	12	A⁻	B	C⁺	A

People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Ratoath

How do people in Ratoath get to work?

14% mostly work from home, and 26% of journeys take under 15 minutes.

Is Ratoath growing?

Ratoath had 10,077 people at the 2022 census, up from 9,389 in 2016: 7.3% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.

How old are the people of Ratoath?

The median age in Ratoath is 34.6, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 24% of residents are under 15 and 5% are 65 or over.

About Ratoath

Urban area in Co. Meath

10,077 people live in Ratoath, in the area of Meath 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: 10,077 (CSO, Census 2022)
County: Meath
Council: Meath County Council
Local electoral area: Ratoath
Dáil constituency: Meath East
Name in Irish: Ráth Tó
Area: 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km²)
CSO code: UA:11408

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).