What is the employment rate in Laois?

The employment rate in Laois was 55.9% according to Census 2022, compared to a national average of 56.1%. IrelandInsights maps employment at electoral division level for every county in Ireland.

What is the housing tenure breakdown in Laois?

In Laois, 71.1% of households are owner-occupied and 12.9% rent privately, according to Census 2022. The national averages are 65.9% owner-occupied and 18.0% privately rented.

Census Profile · Laois · 2022

County Laois — Car-dependent employment profile

Q: Is Laois a commuter county?

Yes. 74.2% of Laois workers commute by car — 11.8pp above the national figure of 62.4%. An employment rate of 55.9% and limited public transport options underpin the high car-dependency rate. Home ownership at 71.1% and third-level attainment at 35.1% reflect a working-age, car-dependent county profile. IrelandInsights maps journey time and commute mode at electoral division level.

74.2% of Laois workers commute by car — 11.8pp above the national figure of 62.4%. An employment rate of 55.9% and limited public transport options underpin the high car-dependency rate. Home ownership at 71.1% and third-level attainment at 35.1% reflect a working-age, car-dependent county profile.

        Laois is +11.8pp vs national on car commuting.
      

Key statistics — County Laois

Car Commute

74.2%

+11.8pp vs national

Employment Rate

55.9%

National: 56.1%

Owner-Occupied

71.1%

National: 65.9%

Third-Level

35.1%

National: 42.4%

Top electoral divisions — Car Commute in Laois

The electoral divisions within County Laois with the highest car commute rate, Census 2022.

Electoral Division	Car Commute Rate
1. LACKA	87.6%
2. MONEYMORE	86.1%
3. DOONANE	85.2%
4. RATHASPICK	85%
5. KILMURRY	84.7%

Explore Laois data on the map

Every electoral division in County Laois is mapped. Hover to inspect Census 2022 figures or ask the AI analyst for a plain-language explanation.

Car-dependent employment profile — Laois map Employment — Laois Housing — Laois

County Laois — what stands out

What stands out?

County Laois has the lowest private renting rate in Ireland — 6.2% in Census 2022.

Why does it matter?

Renting rates reveal the balance between housing tenure types and the affordability of homeownership in a county. High renting indicates either strong demand from a mobile or young population, or property prices too high for first-time buyers. It concentrates housing insecurity when rents rise faster than wages.

How does it compare nationally?

Laois6.2%

National avg11.0%

Difference-4.8pp

Rank26 / 26

What's the likely explanation?

Very low private renting reflects a county where homeownership is the dominant tenure — driven by affordable land, limited rental stock outside the main towns, and a stable, settled population. These counties often attract households priced out of the capital: homeownership here is within reach where it is not in Dublin or Cork, sustaining high ownership rates without the affordability pressure of more expensive coastal counties.

County Laois — census data context

County-level figures aggregate all electoral divisions within Laois. The map reveals the internal variation those county averages suppress — the gap between the most and least deprived EDs in Laois is typically far wider than the county-to-national difference highlighted above. View the full Laois area guide →

Compare counties

Kildare Offaly Tipperary Kilkenny Carlow Dublin Cork

Ireland census guides

→ Where to live in Ireland → Housing crisis by area → Home ownership rates → Education levels → Unemployment by area → Commuter towns → Deprivation map → Population growth

Data: CSO Census 2022 · County Laois · Electoral Division averages · cso.ie/census