Carndonagh, Co. Donegal scores 46/100 for quality of life, #106 of the 108 Irish areas BuyerIQ ranks, and its fundamentals are rated “stagnating”. The median home sells for €150,000 (most €117,500–€220,000), it scores 71/100 for safety (44.8 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents), 2,550 people live here, up 8.1% since 2016. It's strongest on affordability and family & community, weakest on schools & education.
Updated July 2026 · Property Price Register + 20+ official sources, refreshed daily
Below average today — improving in absolute terms, but falling behind the national trend.
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 Carndonagh is #101 of 108 for value for money (most quality of life per euro).
2,550 people, up 8.1% since 2016.
Carndonagh, 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.
Carndonagh scores 71/100 on safety, ~44.8 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents.
The median sale price in Carndonagh over the last 24 months was €150,000, most between €117,500 and €220,000 (Property Price Register).
Carndonagh is rated "Stagnating" — unemployment fell 24% → 13% — faster than nationally, third-level education up only 3 points — behind the national rise, prices up 8.1%, recorded crime rising faster than the town is growing.
New builds are rare in Carndonagh — under 1% of recent sales (Property Price Register).
22 planning applications were lodged within Carndonagh in the last 12 months, covering 9 residential units (171 on record) — measured per town, not just at county level.
Carndonagh scores 80/100 for families and community, and its population is growing (up 8.1% since 2016).
Carndonagh scores 17/100 for schools and education, with 4 schools in the area.
Carndonagh is about 227 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 July 2026.