Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town in Co. Wicklow, home to 12,957 people. It grew by 13% between the 2016 and 2022 censuses.
At B− overall, Wicklow is better than 45% of Irish towns and ranks #176 of 320 Irish towns. Its lowest grade is for hazard risk — an estimated 11% of homes are above the radon reference level. Homes are dear: a typical home sold for €405,000, or 6.3 years of the town’s median household income. Police record less crime here than in most towns: recorded crime comes to 3.9 violent offences and 4.6 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for health and B− for jobs & income.
Figures: crime, CSO recorded crime, 2023 to 2025 · radon, EPA · prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · health and work, CSO Census 2022.
The one thing Wicklow does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Wicklow 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 →
The record adds 24 archaeological sites.
Homes built before 1919: 6%, against 3% across Irish towns.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wicklow.
13% of its homes sit in high-radon areas, above both Co. Wicklow’s towns (0%) and Irish towns (0%). For a swim, the nearest bathing water is Silver Strand, 3.7 km from Wicklow, rated sufficient in 2025.
| Share of homes | Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| On high landslide susceptibility | 6.6% | 0.3% | 0% |
| In high-radon areas | 13% | 0% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 4.8% | 0% | 0.5% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
Owners make up 73% of households, close to Co. Wicklow’s towns (70%) and above Irish towns (61%). Prices here are up 41% since 2010: the typical sale went from €316K that year to €445K in 2025. Social housing holds 12% of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €465,000 | 164 |
| Second-hand homes | €380,000 | 458 |
| The last 12 months | €475,000 | 224 |
| Housing | Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 73% | 70% | 61% |
| Households renting privately | 13% | 16% | 22% |
| Median sale price | €405K | €440K | €350K |
| Households in social housing | 12% | 14% | 13% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
For its size, Wicklow records less crime per resident than 77% of the 118 Irish towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people. Of the graded crimes here, assaults and harassment came up most often (2023–2025). Every year, 33.6 crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents.
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 | Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft | 6.8 | 9.3 | 15.3 |
| Burglary & damage | 4.6 | 4.7 | 6.4 |
| All recorded crime | 33.6 | 32 | 54.3 |
| Violent crime | 3.9 | 3.5 | 5.7 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Taken over the whole year, the average temperature in Wicklow is 10.7°C. November is the wettest month here, with 117 mm of rain on average. The nearest weather station is Casement, 45 km away.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature over the year | 10.7°C | 10.5°C | 10.3°C |
| January low | 3.5°C | 3.3°C | 2.9°C |
| July high | 19.7°C | 19.7°C | 19.9°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
85% of homes are within 400 m of green space. Wicklow has one park, with 26 ha of green space in all. The sea makes up 38% of the area within 5 km, above Co. Wicklow’s towns (25%) and Irish towns (0%) alike. Among the protected sites near Wicklow is The Murrough Wetlands SAC.
| Outdoors | Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea within 5 km | 38% | 25% | 0% |
| Woodland within 1 km | 0.9% | 7.8% | 2.7% |
| Near a park | 85% | 72% | 92% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 4.3% | 3.7% | 1.8% |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
Set beside Wicklow’s forecast, a normal November runs from 6°C at night to 11°C by day. Some 1 mm of rain falls today, driven by wind of up to 31 km/h; the low reaches 9°C. The heaviest rain of the week is due on Tuesday, around 16 mm.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 4°C | 252 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 6°C | 194 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 12°C | 195 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 8°C | 301 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
20% are under 15, lower than Co. Wicklow’s towns (24%) and near Irish towns (20%). Among adults, 38% have a degree. Foreign-born residents make up 18% of the population.
Women make up 50.3% of Wicklow
6,522 women and 6,435 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 24% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 26% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 24% |
| 65+ | 14% | 13% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 7.5% | 11% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 35% | 37% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 7.3% | 6.5% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 38% | 32% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Wicklow and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
At the general election 68% voted, close to Co. Wicklow’s towns (68%) and above Irish towns (59%). One council serves Wicklow: Wicklow County Council. 53% of voters turned out at the last local elections. Wicklow County Council has no ruling majority: Independent hold 10 of its 32 seats, short of the 17 needed.
| Turnout | Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 68% | 68% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 53% | 54% | 46% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
24 archaeological sites are on the record, higher than both Co. Wicklow’s towns (13) and Irish towns (11). 5.7% of homes were built before 1919. The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 79 buildings in Wicklow, each rated of regional importance.
| Heritage | Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 61 | 51 | 48 |
| Archaeological sites on the record | 24 | 13 | 11 |
| Homes built before 1919 | 5.7% | 4.3% | 3.4% |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Allowing for its ages, Wicklow has 111 residents with a disability per 100 expected, about level with Co. Wicklow’s towns (112) and above Irish towns (106). 90% of people in Wicklow rate their own health good or very good. Disability touches 24% of the town’s population.
| Census 2022 | Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 90% | 89% | 88% |
| Unpaid carers | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| With a disability | 24% | 23% | 22% |
| Bad or very bad health | 1.8% | 1.9% | 2% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
The census found 16% of commuters going to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. The average trip to work took 32.3 min, above Co. Wicklow’s towns (31.2 min) and Irish towns (27.6 min) alike. A household here earns €64,387 a year before tax, on average.
| Census 2022 | Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 32.3 min | 31.2 min | 27.6 min |
| Trips under 15 minutes | 39% | 35% | 31% |
| Median household income | €64,387 | €65,061 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 9.3% | 8.5% | 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.
DEIS, the support scheme, covers 36% of them, higher than Co. Wicklow’s towns (10%) and near Irish towns (35%). Within 3 km of Wicklow there are 11 schools (7 primary schools and 4 secondary schools). Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School is the nearest secondary school, 0.6 km away.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoil an Choroin Mhuire Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 432 | Catholic |
| Coláiste Chill Mhantáin DEISLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 995 | Inter-denominational |
| Gaelscoil Chill Mhantáin GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 285 | Inter-denominational |
| Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School DEISIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 404 | Multi-denominational |
| Schools within 3 km | Wicklow | Co. Wicklow | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sex secondaries | 25% | 0% | 39% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 36% | 10% | 35% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +12% | +10% | +4% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Letters and results are missing here for a reason: Ireland publishes neither school by school.
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Wicklow. Best known first.
CastleBlack Castle Wicklowin townMuseumMuseumWicklow Gaolin townGardenGardenThe Dower House Gardens1.2 km outside town, to the northwestGardenGardenMount Usher Gardens2.5 km outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The national inventory of architectural heritage lists 79 buildings in Wicklow, each rated of regional importance. 24 archaeological sites are on the record here.
32 notable people were born in Wicklow.
Paul McShane: Michael Kranewitter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Áine O'Gorman: RTÉ Sport, CC BY 3.0 · Isobel Joyce: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Leo Cullen: Stefano Delfrate, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Seamus Dunne: Eskil Malmberg, Public domain
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
Wicklow had 12,957 people at the 2022 census, up from 11,426 in 2016: 13.4% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Wicklow is 39.7, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 20% of residents are under 15 and 14% are 65 or over.
Urban area in Co. Wicklow
12,957 people live in Wicklow, in the area of Wicklow 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).