Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Population 841: a town in Co. Offaly.
Prices run to a median €282,500, 4.8 times local household income. On the way to work, 8% walk, cycle or take the bus or train. 15% of residents 15 and over hold a degree. Unemployment stood at 14% of the labour force in 2022.
Grades start at 1,000 residents for Irish towns, so Rhode has none.
The 3 things Rhode 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 Rhode.
50% of the schools are in the DEIS scheme, lower than Co. Offaly’s towns (71%) yet higher than Irish towns (35%). Within 3 km of Rhode there are 2 schools (2 primary schools).
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.N. PhadraigLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 124 | Catholic |
| S.N. Mhuire Naofa DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 91 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | Rhode | Co. Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −23% | −1% | +4% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 11% | 8% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 50% | 71% | 35% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · No letters and no results: Ireland publishes none school by school.
The ground under Rhode carries no high landslide susceptibility. Under 1% of homes in the town are estimated to have radon above the reference level. Hardly any of its homes sit low beside water.
| Share of homes | Rhode | Co. Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| On high landslide susceptibility | 0% | 0% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
The year’s mean temperature is 9.7°C, near Co. Offaly’s towns (9.9°C) and lower than Irish towns (10.3°C). Summer highs in Rhode reach 19.8°C in July. The nearest weather station is Mullingar, 23 km away.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Rhode | Co. Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 1.8°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 | 20.0°C | 19.9°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Weighed against its ages, bad health in Rhode runs at 126 per 100 expected. 7.8% of residents give unpaid care to a relative or friend, above Co. Offaly’s towns (5.9%) and Irish towns (5.4%) alike. A disability affects 26% of people in the town.
| Census 2022 | Rhode | Co. Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 7.8% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 26% | 25% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.3% | 2.8% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 87% | 86% | 88% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
11% rent privately, below Co. Offaly’s towns (23%) and Irish towns (22%) alike. Council and housing-body homes hold 12% of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €282,500 | 50 |
| Housing | Rhode | Co. Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 75% | 61% | 61% |
| Households renting privately | 11% | 23% | 22% |
| Households in social housing | 12% | 17% | 13% |
| Median sale price | €283K | €233K | €350K |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Woodland covers 0.3% of the land within 1 km, lower than both Co. Offaly’s towns (8.7%) and Irish towns (2.7%). Within 5 km, 1.6% of the land is protected nature, below both Co. Offaly’s towns (4.5%) and Irish towns (1.8%).
| Outdoors | Rhode | Co. Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near a park | 0% | 78% | 92% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.3% | 8.7% | 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 | 1.6% | 4.5% | 1.8% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
A dry day with a stiff breeze lies ahead today: wind building to 23 km/h, then a low of 6°C. Between 7°C and 11°C: that is the range of daytime highs from here to the end of the week, with Thursday on top. Rhode’s averages for November set the scene: the usual high is 10°C, the usual low 4°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 8°C | 2°C | 247 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 4°C | 187 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 10°C | 233 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 261 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Driving is how 85% of commuters got to work at the census. Short trips: 25% under 15 minutes, below Co. Offaly’s towns (50%) and Irish towns (31%) alike. In addition, of working-age residents (15 to 64), 59% were employed at the census.
| Census 2022 | Rhode | Co. Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 36.7 min | 23.7 min | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 25% | 50% | 31% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 59% | 62% | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 14% | 12% | 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.
19% are under 15, lower than Co. Offaly’s towns (21%) and near Irish towns (20%). Over-65s are 13% of the population.
50.5% of Rhode’s residents are women
425 women and 416 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Rhode | Co. Offaly | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 21% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 14% | 15% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 26% | 17% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 4.5% | 6.3% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 15% | 22% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Offaly and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Offaly County Council has no ruling majority: Fianna Fáil hold 8 of its 19 seats, short of the 10 needed. One council serves Rhode: Offaly County Council. The town sits in the Edenderry local electoral area, which elects 6 councillors.
| Turnout | Rhode | Co. Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 48% | 50% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 60% | 60% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
2.5% of its homes were built before 1919, below Co. Offaly’s towns (6.5%) and Irish towns (3.4%) alike. The Sites and Monuments Record holds 1 entries for the town. 5 of Rhode’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.
| Heritage | Rhode | Co. Offaly | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 59 | 119 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 2.5% | 6.5% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 1 | 5 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Rhode; these are the best known within 40 km.
CathedralCathedral of Christ the King22 km northwest
Castle · Office of Public WorksTrim Castle35 km northeast
Abbey or prioryClonard Abbey17 km northeast
Museum · Office of Public WorksEmo Court27 km south
CastleGrange Castle9.2 km east
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksFore Abbey37 km northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
5 of Rhode’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.
6 notable people were born in Rhode.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode | 841 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Daingean | 1,223 | 8.4 | — | A− | B+ | C− |
| Edenderry | 7,888 | 9.5 | C | B+ | C | C− |
| Rochfortbridge Westmeath | 1,498 | 9.6 | — | B+ | B+ | C+ |
| Kinnegad Westmeath | 3,064 | 13 | B | B+ | C+ | C |
| Derrinturn Kildare | 1,837 | 18 | — | B− | B− | C |
| Killucan-Rathwire Westmeath | 1,574 | 18 | — | B | A | B |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
7% mostly work from home, and 25% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Rhode had 841 people at the 2022 census, up from 826 in 2016: 1.8% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Rhode is 38.2, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 19% of residents are under 15 and 13% are 65 or over.
Urban area in Co. Offaly
841 people live in Rhode, in the area of Offaly 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).