What is the employment rate in Meath?

The employment rate in Meath was 58.0% according to Census 2022, compared to a national average of 55.2%. IrelandInsights maps employment at electoral division level for every county in Ireland.

What is the housing tenure breakdown in Meath?

In Meath, 81.1% of households are owner-occupied and 8.8% rent privately, according to Census 2022. The national averages are 76.2% owner-occupied and 11.0% privately rented.

Census Profile · Meath · 2022

County Meath — Employment — first in Ireland

Meath ranks first of Ireland's 30 counties for employment rate at 58.0%. The national average is 55.2% — a gap of 2.8pp that places Meath at the top of this ranking. Census 2022 data mapped at electoral division level shows the figure is not distributed evenly within the county.

        Meath is +2.8pp vs national on employment rate.
      

Key statistics — County Meath

Employment

58.0%

#1 of 30 counties

National Average

55.2%

employment rate

Employment Rate

58.0%

National: 55.2%

Third-Level

53.0%

National: 52.6%

Top electoral divisions — Employment in Meath

The electoral divisions within County Meath with the highest employment rate, Census 2022.

Electoral Division	Employment Rate
1. KILBREW	65.1%
2. RODANSTOWN	65.1%
3. DONAGHMORE	63.8%
4. DUNSHAUGHLIN	63.5%
5. St. MARY'S	63.4%

Explore Meath data on the map

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

Employment — first in Ireland — Meath map Employment — Meath Housing — Meath

County Meath — what stands out

What stands out?

County Meath has one of Ireland's lowest housing vacancy rates, ranking 24th nationally — 8.0% in Census 2022.

Why does it matter?

Housing vacancy is a barometer of housing demand and population pressure. A high rate signals supply vastly exceeding demand — whether from rural depopulation, seasonal use, or post-2008 ghost estates. A low rate signals the opposite: demand that supply cannot match, which directly drives rent and price inflation.

How does it compare nationally?

Meath8.0%

National avg14.4%

Difference-6.4pp

Rank24 / 26

What's the likely explanation?

A low vacancy rate signals high housing demand relative to supply — typical in urban-dominated counties where rental pressure keeps dwellings occupied and new supply struggles to keep up. Low vacancy is a precondition for housing affordability pressure: when vacancy falls below ~3%, rents and prices typically rise faster than incomes.

County Meath — census data context

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

Compare counties

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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 Meath · Electoral Division averages · cso.ie/census