Compiling a list of the 20 best and worst towns in Ireland based just on census information is not easy . What determines if a town is “good” or “bad”?
Of course there are loads of factors that could make places good or bad to live in – things like schools, crime, shops, amenities, architecture, landscape and more – but this information is not available from census figures.
The factors we have used from the 2006 census data when compiling the league table are these:
Community involvement (voluntary work)
Unemployment Rates
Percentage of Lone Parent households
Numbers of people unable to work because of ill health
Houses without central heating
Numbers of local authority tenants,
Numbers of people who own their house outright
Education levels
.The list of towns may upset some people – especially those who live in the towns listed as the worst places to live.
Only towns with a population over 1500 have been used in this compilation
Top 20 Towns Best Places to Live (Pop 1500 or more)
1 Malahide
2 Portmarnock
3 Ballina (North Tipperary)
4 Annacotty
5 Greystones
6 Oranmore
7 Maynooth
8 Enniskerry
9 Dunshaughlin
10 Newcastle
11 Ratoath
12 Crosshaven
13 Donabate
14 Stamullen
15 Leixlip
16 Carrigaline
17 Kinsealy-Drinan
18 Dunboyne
19 Skerries
20 Celbridge
20 Worst Towns or cities to Live in Ireland
(In order of Worst First)
1. Rathnew
2. Longford
3. Tipperary
4 Carrick-on-Suir
5 New Ross
6 Enniscorthy
7 Abbeyfeale
8 Castleblayney
9 Castleisland
10 Kilrush
11 Portrane
12 Tullow
13 Athy
14 Bunclody-Carrickduff
15 Roscrea
16 Monasterevan
17 Carndonagh
18 Swinford
19 Ballina
20 Cootehill