Limerick vs Waterford: which is better to live in? (2026)

Limerick (V94) and Waterford (X91) compared on price, safety, schools and quality of life.

The verdict
Waterford is the cheaper of the two — a median €257,000 against Limerick's €310,000 (21% lower). Waterford has the stronger safety score (55/100 vs 53/100); on the other facets the two are closely matched.

Limerick vs Waterford: common questions

Is Limerick cheaper than Waterford?
No. The median sale price in Limerick was €310,000 over the last 12 months, against €257,000 in Waterford (Property Price Register).
Is Limerick or Waterford safer?
Waterford scores higher on safety — 53/100 vs 55/100, based on Garda-division crime rates per 1,000 residents.
Which is better for buy-to-let, Limerick or Waterford?
Waterford has the stronger gross rental yield — 6.6% vs 6.3% — 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 (V94 and X91).