Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records 310 buildings here. The town, home to 8,610 people, lies in Co. Wexford.
What it saves you on housing, it gives back elsewhere. Its weakest is jobs & income — 61% of people aged 15 to 64 are in work, and unemployment is 17%. New Ross’s overall C− puts it #243 of 320 Irish towns. Nationally, it does better than nearly a quarter of Irish towns. It lags on safety as well — violent crime runs at 7.9 per 1,000 residents a year, burglary and criminal damage at 8.2. Natural hazards weigh more here: an estimated 11% of homes are above the radon reference level. Housing is within reach: prices run to a median €180,000, 4.4 times local household income.
Figures: prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · work, CSO Census 2022 · crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · radon, EPA.
The 3 things New Ross does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares New Ross 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 TownRatings grades Irish towns →
310 buildings on the National Inventory inside New Ross, one of them of national importance.
The record adds 87 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 9%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in New Ross.
100% of its homes sit in high-radon areas, higher than both Co. Wexford’s towns (65%) and Irish towns (0%). Low-lying near a river: 6.6% of homes, above both Co. Wexford’s towns (1.8%) and Irish towns (0.5%).
| Share of homes | New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 2.4% | 0.6% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 100% | 65% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 6.6% | 1.8% | 0.5% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Short trips: 51% under 15 minutes, higher than both Co. Wexford’s towns (44%) and Irish towns (31%). A trip to work takes 22.9 min on average. At the census, 6% of workers worked mainly from home.
| Census 2022 | New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 17% | 14% | 9.2% |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 51% | 44% | 31% |
| Average trip | 22.9 min | 26.9 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €40,463 | €45,449 | €57,760 |
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.
28% rent privately, above both Co. Wexford’s towns (22%) and Irish towns (22%). Home ownership stands at 48% of households. No town in Co. Wexford costs less to buy into than New Ross, at €180,000, the lowest of 5. A buyer in New Ross paid 14% more for a typical home in 2025 than in 2010: €205K against €180K.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand homes | €180,000 | 526 |
| The last 12 months | €209,000 | 146 |
| Housing | New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | €180K | €283K | €350K |
| Households in social housing | 22% | 16% | 13% |
| Households owning their home | 48% | 60% | 61% |
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €1,111 | – | €1,606 |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Families in New Ross have 10 schools within 3 km to choose from: 5 primary schools and 5 secondary schools. The nearest secondary, Christian Brothers Secondary School, is 0.6 km away. Pupil numbers changed −2% since 2019/20, below Co. Wexford’s towns (+6%) and Irish towns (+4%) alike.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bunscoil Ris DEISLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 351 | Catholic |
| Good Counsel College BoysLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 744 | Catholic |
| Christian Brothers Secondary School DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 437 | Catholic |
| Schools within 3 km | New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach through Irish | 0% | 9% | 8% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 60% | 35% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | −2% | +6% | +4% |
| Single-sex secondaries | 60% | 50% | 39% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · You won’t find letters or results below: Ireland publishes none for single schools.
Of the graded crimes in New Ross, assaults and harassment came up most often (2023–2025). For its size, New Ross records more crime per resident than 70% of the 201 Irish towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people. Thefts came to 9.1 per 1,000 a year (not part of the grade), lower than both Co. Wexford’s towns (14) and Irish towns (15.3).
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 | New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary & damage | 8.2 | 6.8 | 6.4 |
| Theft | 9.1 | 14 | 15.3 |
| Violent crime | 7.9 | 7.7 | 5.7 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
For its ages, New Ross has 128 people in bad health for every 100 expected, lower than Co. Wexford’s towns (148) yet higher than Irish towns (113). Of the 5 towns in Co. Wexford, New Ross has the second-smallest share in bad or very bad health: 2.4%. Asked at the census, 85% of residents of New Ross said they were in good or very good health.
| Census 2022 | New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 85% | 88% |
| With a disability | 25% | 27% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.4% | 2.8% | 2% |
| Unpaid carers | 5.2% | 5.6% | 5.4% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
A year brings 1,077 mm of rain, above both Co. Wexford’s towns (1,026 mm) and Irish towns (937 mm). On a January night, the temperature in New Ross falls to about 2.6°C. Over twelve months, New Ross averages 10.3°C.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 20.2°C | 19.8°C | 19.9°C |
| January low | 2.6°C | 3.2°C | 2.9°C |
| Rain a year | 1,077 mm | 1,026 mm | 937 mm |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.3°C | 10.5°C | 10.3°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
Walkers have 0.9 km per km² of paths and tracks, about level with Co. Wexford’s towns (0.6 km per km²) and below Irish towns (2.1 km per km²). Among the protected sites near New Ross is River Barrow. 100% of homes have green space within 400 m. Its 4 parks give New Ross 34 ha of green space between them.
| Outdoors | New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland within 1 km | 7.3% | 5.4% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 100% | 81% | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 5.4% | 1.3% | 1.8% |
| Sea within 5 km | 0% | 12% | 0% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
New Ross’ forecast, set beside its normal weather: in November a typical day reaches 11°C, and nights drop to 4°C. No rain is due today, though a breeze picks up to 23 km/h; the low is 7°C. The heaviest rain of the week is due on Wednesday, around 9 mm.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 294 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 5°C | 221 mm |
| Summer | 20°C | 11°C | 241 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 321 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
The 65-and-over age group makes up 16% of residents. Daily Irish speakers outside school: 0.6%, about level with Co. Wexford’s towns (0.8%) and below Irish towns (1.1%). Born abroad: a quarter of residents.
Women make up 50.3% of New Ross
4,331 women and 4,279 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 21% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 28% | 29% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 14% | 12% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 17% | 18% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 42% | 40% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.1% | 5.6% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 21% | 24% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Wexford and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
At the general election 62% voted, about level with Co. Wexford’s towns (61%) and above Irish towns (59%). New Ross is run by Wexford County Council, its only council: Ireland has one tier of local government. Independent lead Wexford County Council with 11 of 34 seats, but no party has a majority: 18 are needed.
| Turnout | New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local elections, June 2024 | 53% | 51% | 46% |
| General election, November 2024 | 62% | 61% | 59% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Homes from before 1919 make up nearly a tenth of the total, above Co. Wexford’s towns (5.8%) and Irish towns (3.4%) alike. Scaled to its population, that is 360 inventory buildings for every 10,000 people in New Ross. There are 87 entries on the national archaeological record here.
| Heritage | New Ross | Co. Wexford | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 360 | 162 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 87 | 25 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 9% | 5.8% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near New Ross. Best known first.
Historic shipDunbrodyin townMuseumMuseumThe Emigrant Trailin townMuseumMuseumThe Ros Tapestry Exhibition Centrein townGardenGardenWoodville House Gardens400 m outside town, to the northCastleCastleBerkeley Forest House3.2 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumThe Kennedy Homestead4.1 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
310 of New Ross’ buildings made the national inventory of architectural heritage; 1 rank of national or international importance. Archaeologists have recorded 87 sites here.
22 notable people were born in New Ross.
Michael O'Hanrahan: Joy, Maurice, ed., Public domain · Martin Doyle: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · Alfred G. Jones: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · Bartholomew Lloyd: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Ross | 8,610 | — | C− | A | C− | C− |
| Graiguenamanagh-Tinnahinch Kilkenny | 1,506 | 17 | — | A | A+ | C |
| Ferrybank Kilkenny | 5,766 | 17 | B+ | A− | B− | B |
| Waterford City Centre Waterford | 9,031 | 19 | D | C+ | D | C |
| Grantstown and Ballinakill Waterford | 9,571 | 19 | B− | C+ | D | A+ |
| Grange Upper Waterford | 2,510 | 19 | B | C+ | D | A− |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
New Ross had 8,610 people at the 2022 census, up from 8,159 in 2016: 5.5% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in New Ross is 39.5, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns.
Urban area in Co. Wexford
8,610 people live in New Ross, in the area of Wexford 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) · 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).