Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) vs Dublin 9 (Drumcondra): which is better to live in? (2026)

Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) (D04) and Dublin 9 (Drumcondra) (D09) compared on price, safety, schools and quality of life.

The verdict
Dublin 9 (Drumcondra) is the cheaper of the two — a median €491,250 against Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge)'s €660,396 (34% lower). Dublin 9 (Drumcondra) has the stronger safety score (57/100 vs 0/100); on the other facets the two are closely matched.

Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) vs Dublin 9 (Drumcondra): common questions

Is Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) cheaper than Dublin 9 (Drumcondra)?
No. The median sale price in Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) was €660,396 over the last 12 months, against €491,250 in Dublin 9 (Drumcondra) (Property Price Register).
Is Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) or Dublin 9 (Drumcondra) safer?
Dublin 9 (Drumcondra) scores higher on safety — 0/100 vs 57/100, based on Garda-division crime rates per 1,000 residents.
Which is better for buy-to-let, Dublin 4 (Ballsbridge) or Dublin 9 (Drumcondra)?
Dublin 9 (Drumcondra) has the stronger gross rental yield — 5.6% vs 4.2% — though net returns depend on price, condition and tenancy regulation.

Dig deeper

Related comparisons

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 (D04 and D09).