Galway vs Swords: which is better to live in? (2026)

Galway (H91) and Swords (K67) compared on price, safety, schools and quality of life.

The verdict
Galway is the cheaper of the two — a median €400,000 against Swords's €421,500 (5% lower). Galway has the stronger safety score (67/100 vs 57/100); on the other facets the two are closely matched.

Galway vs Swords: common questions

Is Galway cheaper than Swords?
Yes. The median sale price in Galway over the last 12 months was €400,000, against €421,500 in Swords (Property Price Register).
Is Galway or Swords safer?
Galway scores higher on safety — 67/100 vs 57/100, based on Garda-division crime rates per 1,000 residents.
Which is better for buy-to-let, Galway or Swords?
Swords has the stronger gross rental yield — 6.6% vs 5.2% — 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 (H91 and K67).