What is the best area to live in Dublin?

Based on Census 2022 data, south Dublin areas consistently rank highest across employment, education, and home ownership — particularly Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ranelagh, Clontarf, Blackrock, and Foxrock. For families, south Dublin suburbs offer the highest third-level education rates and lowest unemployment. For renters on a budget, north Dublin and outer suburbs offer more affordability. IrelandInsights maps all Dublin electoral divisions by these metrics so you can compare areas directly.

What is the most affordable area to buy in Dublin?

The most affordable areas to buy in Dublin are in the outer suburbs and north of the county — Tallaght, Blanchardstown, Clondalkin, and Swords offer significantly lower purchase prices than south Dublin. Census 2022 housing tenure data shows areas with higher home ownership rates and lower private renting rates tend to have less price competition. West and north Dublin commuter areas offer the best value for first-time buyers.

Which area in Dublin has the highest education level?

Census 2022 shows south Dublin electoral divisions consistently have the highest third-level education rates in the county. Areas including Ranelagh, Clontarf, Stillorgan, Blackrock, and Dún Laoghaire rank at the top nationally — often exceeding 70% third-level qualification rates. This correlates strongly with household income and reflects the concentration of professional employment in the south city and suburbs.

Which Dublin area has the highest home ownership rate?

Census 2022 data shows that outer Dublin suburbs and peri-urban areas in South Dublin and Fingal tend to have the highest home ownership rates, often above 70%. Dublin City Centre and inner-city areas show much lower rates, frequently under 30%.

What is the most deprived area in Dublin?

Using the Pobal HP Deprivation Index from Census 2022, certain North Inner City electoral divisions — including parts of Dublin 1, Dublin 7, and Dublin 17 — record the highest deprivation scores in the county. The IrelandInsights.ie deprivation map shows the full picture at electoral division level.

Dublin Area Intelligence · Census 2022

Best areas in Dublin — what the data says

South Dublin electoral divisions record third-level attainment above 70% — but the highest home-ownership rates are in Fingal and west Dublin, where buyers can still afford to purchase. Across 600+ Dublin EDs, the top-five list changes completely depending on what you measure. The data is below.

Niall Thomas · 3 min read

Third-level education attainment by Dublin electoral division, Census 2022 Switch to home ownership → Switch to rental costs →

Source: CSO Census 2022 — County Dublin Electoral Divisions; all rankings are live from the IrelandInsights rankings service.

What makes an area "best" — and for whom?

For families: third-level education rate, home ownership, and low unemployment. South Dublin suburbs consistently score highest on all three.
For young professionals: high employment rate, lower average age, and proximity to employment centres. Inner south Dublin and Dún Laoghaire areas lead.
For renters on a budget: high private renting areas have higher cost competition. North Dublin and outer suburbs offer more affordability.
For first-time buyers: home ownership rate combined with lower population density. West Dublin and commuter-adjacent areas score better for buyers.

Dublin EDs with the highest employment rates

Areas where the highest share of working-age adults are in employment — a direct indicator of economic activity and proximity to jobs.

Electoral Division	Employment Rate
1. USHERS A	76.7%
2. RATHMINES WEST A	72.9%
3. RATHMINES WEST B	71.6%
4. KILMAINHAM B	71.4%
5. PEMBROKE WEST A	71.3%
6. SOUTH DOCK	71.3%

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Dublin EDs with the highest education levels

Third-level qualification rate by area. Consistently high in south Dublin, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Clontarf, Blackrock, and Ranelagh.

Electoral Division	Third Level %
1. DUN LAOGHAIRE-GLENAGEARY	84.2%
2. BLACKROCK-CENTRAL	83.3%
3. BLACKROCK-BOOTERSTOWN	83.2%
4. RATHMINES EAST B	83.1%
5. BLACKROCK-SEAPOINT	82.7%
6. CLONSKEAGH-MILLTOWN	81.7%

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Dublin EDs with the lowest unemployment

Areas with the lowest unemployment rates in the county — indicators of economic stability at neighbourhood level.

Electoral Division	Unemployment Rate
1. USHERS A	23.3%
2. RATHMINES WEST A	27.1%
3. RATHMINES WEST B	28.4%
4. KILMAINHAM B	28.6%
5. SOUTH DOCK	28.7%
6. PEMBROKE WEST A	28.7%

Dublin EDs with the highest home ownership

Areas with the highest proportion of owner-occupied homes — a signal of settled, stable communities and lower rental demand pressure.

Electoral Division	Owner Occupied %
1. PORTMARNOCK NORTH	94%
2. FIRHOUSE-KNOCKLYON	93.5%
3. TEMPLEOGUE-ORWELL	93.1%
4. FOXROCK-BEECHPARK	92.1%
5. TERENURE-St. JAMES	91.9%
6. DALKEY-AVONDALE	91.1%

Explore home ownership across Dublin →

Find your best area on the map

IrelandInsights lets you hover any electoral division in Dublin and see its exact Census 2022 figures. Switch between metrics, compare areas side by side, and ask the AI analyst to explain what the data means for a specific area.

Open Dublin census map Dublin housing costs Education map See where rent is highest in Dublin

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Data: CSO Census 2022 · County Dublin Electoral Divisions · cso.ie/census