Rathowen’s story
Rathowen has 7 buildings on the National Inventory
Homes built before 1919: 12%, against 3% across Irish towns.
- 1750Unknown, Rathowen
- 1780Farm house, Rathowen
- 1810House, Rathowen
RathowenCo. Westmeath
Home to 187 people, this town lies in Co. Westmeath.
5 places within 19 kmMap →
Photo: Sarah777 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
187
CSO, Census 2022 · Westmeath County Council
Median age
35.5
16% are 65+ · Co. Westmeath 13%
Degree level
13%
of residents 15+ · Irish towns 36%
Walk, cycle, transit
11%
of working residents · Irish towns 23%
Is Rathowen a good place to live?
The median home here went for €289,900, 5.3 times the median household income. A degree is held by 13% of adults. 11% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Unemployment stood at 16% of the labour force in 2022.
At under 1,000 residents, Rathowen is too small for the grades Irish towns get.
What makes Rathowen stand out
The 3 things Rathowen does most differently from other towns.
Degree or higher, residents 15+
Education
The median of Irish towns: 36%
CSO, Census 2022
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% walk, cycle or ride
The median of Irish towns: 23%
CSO, Census 2022
Unemployment rate, Census 2022
Work
16% unemployment
Of the labour force, Census 2022 (the median of Irish towns: 9%)
49% of residents 15 and over are at work.
Landmarks
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 7 buildings in Rathowen, each rated of regional importance.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rathowen.
Schools
100% of schools around Rathowen get DEIS support, above Co. Westmeath’s towns and Irish towns
2schools within 3 km
2 schools lie within 3 km of Rathowen: 2 primary schools.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rath Eoghan N.S. DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 62 | Catholic |
| Naomh Tomas N.S. DEISIn the DEIS schemePrimary | Primary | 16 | Church of Ireland |
Schools by ethos · Schools within 3 km
Catholic1
Church of Ireland1
| Schools within 3 km | Rathowen | Co. Westmeath | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the DEIS scheme | 100% | 17% | 35% |
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 3% | 8% |
78
pupils at schools within 3 km, 2025/26
0.3 km
to the nearest primary school
8.4 km
to the nearest secondary school
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.
Natural hazards
Low radon, steady ground, few homes by big water: Rathowen is light on natural hazards
0%of homes in high-radon areas
The nearest bathing water to Rathowen is Portnashangan, Lough Owel, 14 km away, rated excellent in 2025. By estimate, 4.6% of homes in Rathowen carry radon above the reference level. The ground under Rathowen carries no high landslide susceptibility.
Homes exposed · share of the town’s homes
Low-lying beside water0%
In high-radon areas0%
On high landslide susceptibility0%
Low-lying near a river0%
Low-lying near the coast0%
| Share of homes | Rathowen | Co. Westmeath | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-lying near a river | 0% | 0% | 0.5% |
| In high-radon areas | 0% | 0% | 0% |
14 km
to Portnashangan, Lough Owel bathing water (excellent)
106
homes mapped for these shares
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Climate
January in Rathowen bites harder than in 94% of Irish towns
19.7°CJuly afternoon high
Across the year it averages 9.7°C, about level with Co. Westmeath’s towns (9.8°C) and below Irish towns (10.3°C). Summer highs in Rathowen reach 19.7°C in July. Expect January lows of around 1.9°C in the town.
Average afternoon highs by season · 1991–2020 averages
Winter8.1°C
Spring13.1°C
Summer19.1°C
Autumn13.6°C
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Rathowen | Co. Westmeath | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 1.9°C | 2.0°C | 2.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 9.7°C | 9.8°C | 10.3°C |
| July high | 19.7°C | 19.9°C | 19.9°C |
| Rain a year | 981 mm | 947 mm | 937 mm |
19.7°C
July high
1.9°C
January low
981 mm
Rain a year
104 mm
Wettest month
43
Air frosts
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Health
For its ages, more people in Rathowen live with a disability than in Co. Westmeath’s towns or Irish towns: 135 per 100 expected
81%good or very good health
29% of residents have a disability, above both Co. Westmeath’s towns (22%) and Irish towns (22%). Self-reported good health: just over four fifths of Rathowen’s residents. Family carers: 10% of the people in Rathowen look after someone without pay.
Per 100 expected at the town’s ages · age-standardised
Bad health124
Disability135
Co. Westmeath119
Expected100
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2022 | Rathowen | Co. Westmeath | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 88% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 10% | 5% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 29% | 22% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.3% | 2% | 2% |
124
bad health per 100 expected · Co. Westmeath 119
135
disability per 100 expected · Co. Westmeath 108
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
More households rent privately in Rathowen than in Co. Westmeath’s towns or across Irish towns: 28%
€290Kmedian sale price
15% live in social housing, above both Co. Westmeath’s towns (13%) and Irish towns (13%). Households that own their home make up 57%.
Median sale price · Eircode area, 2023–2025
Rathowen€290K
Co. Westmeath€269K
Irish towns€350K
| Housing | Rathowen | Co. Westmeath | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting privately | 28% | 25% | 22% |
| Median sale price | €290K | €269K | €350K |
| Households owning their home | 57% | 60% | 61% |
| Households in social housing | 15% | 13% | 13% |
57%
own their home · Irish towns 61%
28%
rent privately · Irish towns 22%
€1,257
a month on new tenancies, County Westmeath
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure · The price is for the postcode area N91, not the town alone: too few sales inside the town carry a full address.
Outdoors
More woodland lies at the edge of Rathowen than Co. Westmeath’s towns or Irish towns: 11% of the land within 1 km
100%of homes near green space
100% of homes are a short walk (400 m) from green space. Within 5 km, 8% of the land is protected nature, above Co. Westmeath’s towns (3.9%) and Irish towns (1.8%) alike. There are 5.9 ha of green space for every 1,000 people in Rathowen.
Green space per 1,000 residents · per 1,000 residents
Rathowen5.9 ha
Co. Westmeath2.0 ha
Irish towns4.1 ha
| Outdoors | Rathowen | Co. Westmeath | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland within 1 km | 11% | 5.3% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 100% | 68% | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 8% | 3.9% | 1.8% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.1 km per km² | 0.8 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
100%
Near a park
5.9 ha
Green space
1 km
Footpaths
8%
Protected for nature
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Weather
Rathowen, today: light rain, and the thermometer reaches 10 degrees
10°C / 7°CToday
The forecast for Rathowen beside its normal weather: a typical November day reaches 10°C and drops to 4°C at night. Only a trace of rain is due today, with light wind of up to 10 km/h and a low of 7°C. Rain peaks later in the week on Wednesday, at about 8 mm for the day.
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 | 274 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 199 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 239 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 270 mm |
10°C / 7°C
Today
0.1 mm
Rain, next 24 hours
10 km/h
Wind
96%
Humidity
9 h 08 min
Daylight
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Unemployment in Rathowen, 16%, runs above Co. Westmeath’s towns and Irish towns
11%walk, cycle or take transit
Short trips: 39% under 15 minutes, about level with Co. Westmeath’s towns (41%) and above Irish towns (31%). Employment among 15- to 64-year-olds stood at 62% at the census. Driving is how 80% of commuters got to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2022
Car or van80%
Walk9%
Bus2%
| Census 2022 | Rathowen | Co. Westmeath | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 16% | 11% | 9.2% |
| In work, 15 to 64 | 62% | 65% | 68% |
| Average trip | 24.8 min | 26.8 min | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 39% | 41% | 31% |
€54,870
household income, 2022 estimate · Co. Westmeath €57,431
8%
worked mainly from home, 2022
6%
trips of an hour or more
3,502
on the Live Register, County Westmeath, 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
Few people in Rathowen were born abroad: 16%, fewer than in Co. Westmeath’s towns and across Irish towns
35.5median age
11% of the population is aged 15 to 24, lower than both Co. Westmeath’s towns (12%) and Irish towns (12%). The under-15s are 22% of the population here.
RathowenCo. WestmeathIreland
Ages · share of residents
16%
Highest education · residents 15 and older who have finished education
Primary or none20%
Lower secondary19%
Leaving Cert40%
Diploma or cert9%
Degree or higher13%
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 49.7% of Rathowen
93 women and 94 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Rathowen | Co. Westmeath | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 22% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 31% | 30% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 20% | 24% | 24% |
| 65+ | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 20% | 10% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 8.5% | 7% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 13% | 34% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Westmeath and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
Town hall
More people in Rathowen vote than in Co. Westmeath’s towns or Irish towns: 56% turnout at the local elections
9/20seats held by Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil lead Westmeath County Council with 9 of 20 seats, but no party has a majority: 11 are needed. Westmeath County Council is the one council for Rathowen; Ireland has no town or county councils between it and the government. In the Dáil, Rathowen is part of Longford-Westmeath, which elects 5 TDs.
Seats on Westmeath County · June 2024
Fianna Fáil9
Fine Gael4
Independent2
Labour Party2
Sinn Féin2
Independent Ireland1
| Turnout | Rathowen | Co. Westmeath | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 56% | 51% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 58% | 58% | 59% |
4
Councillors
9/20
Fianna Fáil seats on Westmeath County, the largest party
56%
turnout, June 2024
5
TDs elected for Longford-Westmeath
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
History
Rathowen is dense with heritage: 374 inventory buildings per 10,000 residents, more than in Co. Westmeath’s towns and across Irish towns
7inventory buildings
11.6% of its homes were built before 1919, above both Co. Westmeath’s towns (3.5%) and Irish towns (3.4%). The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 7 buildings in Rathowen, each rated of regional importance.
Buildings by NIAH rating · NIAH
International0
National0
Regional7
Among them
0
sites on the Sites and Monuments Record
1750
earliest dated inventory building
12%
homes built before 1919 · Irish towns 3%
| Heritage | Rathowen | Co. Westmeath | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 374 | 89 | 48 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 11.6% | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 0 | 26 | 11 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rathowen
15pages on Rathowen
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Cathedral of Christ the King and 11 more within 40 km
Nothing to visit is mapped within 5 km of Rathowen; these are the best known within 40 km.
CathedralCathedral of Christ the King18 km southeast
CathedralSt. Mel's Cathedral20 km northwest
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksFore Abbey20 km east
CastleTullynally Castle13 km east
CathedralThe Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Felim40 km north
Abbey or prioryTristernagh Abbey6.9 km southeastPlaces: 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)
- Cathedral of Christ the King: Mullingar, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Mel's Cathedral: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fore Abbey: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tullynally Castle: Peter Gavigan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Felim: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tristernagh Abbey: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Rathowen
No notable person born in Rathowen is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
F
Francis Ysidro EdgeworthIrish economist (1845–1926) · born in EdgeworthstownJ
John Joe NevinIrish boxer · born in Mullingar · born 1989G
George Edward DobsonIrish zoologist (1848-1895) · born in Edgeworthstown
M
Michael Pakenham EdgeworthIrish botanist and photographer in Indi… · born in EdgeworthstownPhoto credits
Niall Horan: Office of the President of the United States, Public domain · Joe Dolan: Unknown photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0
About Rathowen
Urban area in Co. Westmeath
Rathowen has 187 people, in the area of Westmeath 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
- 187 (CSO, Census 2022)
- County
- Westmeath
- Council
- Westmeath County Council
- Local electoral area
- Moate
- Dáil constituency
- Longford-Westmeath
- Name in Irish
- Ráth Eoghain
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- CSO code
- UA:13194
Rathowen’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
EdgeworthstownGranardCastlepollardMullingarBallymahonRathowen
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rathowen | 187 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Edgeworthstown Longford | 2,199 | 7.8 | — | A− | C+ | C− |
| Granard Longford | 1,058 | 14 | — | A− | B | B− |
| Castlepollard | 1,349 | 15 | — | A | A | D |
| Mullingar | 22,667 | 19 | C+ | B+ | C− | B |
| Ballymahon Longford | 1,714 | 19 | — | A− | B+ | C |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Rathowen
Do people in Rathowen drive to work?
8% mostly work from home, and 39% of journeys take under 15 minutes.
Has Rathowen grown?
Rathowen had 187 people at the 2022 census, up from 176 in 2016: 6.2% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
Is Rathowen a young town or an old one?
The median age in Rathowen is 35.5, 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). 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).