Buncrana, Co. Donegal scores 46/100 for quality of life, #106 of the 108 Irish areas BuyerIQ ranks, and its fundamentals are rated “steady — moves with the market”. The median home sells for €190,000 (most €138,250–€253,750), it scores 71/100 for safety (44.8 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents), 6,029 people live here, up 4.5% since 2016. It's strongest on affordability and family & community, weakest on schools & education.
Updated August 2026 · Property Price Register + 20+ official sources, refreshed daily
Below average today — tracking the national trend — no strong local tailwind or headwind.
Ranked on quality of life alone — cost of living excluded, so the genuinely best areas rank top even though they cost more. Factor in price and Buncrana is #101 of 108 for value for money (most quality of life per euro).
6,029 people, up 4.5% since 2016.
Buncrana, Co. Donegal, scores 46/100 on BuyerIQ's Quality of Life composite (cost of living excluded) — #106 of the 108 areas we rank. It's strongest on affordability and family & community.
Buncrana scores 71/100 on safety, ~44.8 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents.
The median sale price in Buncrana over the last 24 months was €190,000, most between €138,250 and €253,750 (Property Price Register).
Buncrana is rated "Steady — moves with the market" — unemployment fell 22% → 12% — faster than nationally, prices up 13.6%, recorded crime rising faster than the town is growing.
About 9% of homes sold in Buncrana in the last 24 months were new builds (Property Price Register).
77 planning applications were lodged within Buncrana in the last 12 months, covering 164 residential units (501 on record) — measured per town, not just at county level.
Buncrana scores 80/100 for families and community, and its population is growing (up 4.5% since 2016).
Buncrana scores 17/100 for schools and education, with 7 schools in the area.
Buncrana is about 216 minutes by road from Dublin.
Sale prices from the Property Price Register (rolling 24 months). Quality of Life averages seven equal-weighted dimensions from 40+ metrics across 13 public datasets (CSO census + SAPS, Garda crime, SEAI, EPA, DES schools, GTFS). Population is CSO Census 2022; the “on the up” trajectory compares 2016→2022. Figures refresh daily · an area assessment, not advice on a specific property. Updated August 2026.