Carrickmacross vs Ashbourne: which is better to live in? (2026)

Carrickmacross (A81) and Ashbourne (A84) compared on price, safety, schools and quality of life.

The verdict
Carrickmacross is the cheaper of the two — a median €267,500 against Ashbourne's €397,000 (48% lower). Ashbourne has the stronger safety score (73/100 vs 68/100); on the other facets the two are closely matched.

Carrickmacross vs Ashbourne: common questions

Is Carrickmacross cheaper than Ashbourne?
Yes. The median sale price in Carrickmacross over the last 12 months was €267,500, against €397,000 in Ashbourne (Property Price Register).
Is Carrickmacross or Ashbourne safer?
Ashbourne scores higher on safety — 68/100 vs 73/100, based on Garda-division crime rates per 1,000 residents.
Which is better for buy-to-let, Carrickmacross or Ashbourne?
Ashbourne has the stronger gross rental yield — 4.9% vs 4.8% — though net returns depend on price, condition and tenancy regulation.

Dig deeper

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Methodology

Sale prices, premiums and days-to-sale are computed from the Property Price Register (rolling 12 months) matched to original listing prices. Safety scores derive from Garda-division crime rates per 1,000 residents; education and profile figures from CSO census small-area data. The Quality of Life composite averages six equally-weighted dimensions built from 40+ metrics across 13 public datasets. Figures refresh daily; both areas are scoped to their Eircode routing key (A81 and A84).