Place profile · Letterkenny, Co. Donegal

Is Letterkenny a good place to live?

Letterkenny, Co. Donegal scores 52/100 for quality of life, #94 of the 108 Irish areas BuyerIQ ranks, and its fundamentals are rated “declining”. The median home sells for €205,000 (most €132,500–€295,000), it scores 71/100 for safety (44.8 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents), 17,113 people live here. It's strongest on affordability and environment, weakest on transport & services.

Updated July 2026 · Property Price Register + 20+ official sources, refreshed daily

Letterkenny is on the slide.

About average today — the fundamentals are slipping behind the rest of the country.

Unemployment rose 11% → 12% — lagging the national fall Third-level education up only 0 points — behind the national rise Prices up 119.0%

Where Letterkenny sits.

Co. Donegal · 16 bus stops · no rail.

194 min
drive to Dublin

#94 of 108 for quality of life in Ireland.

52/100
#94 liveability#85 value
Affordability100
Environment77
Family & community75
Safety71
Schools & education31
Local economy29
Transport & services27

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 Letterkenny is #85 of 108 for value for money (most quality of life per euro).

Homes sell for €205,000.

€132,500€295,000
↑ +119%8.8% new-build695 sales / 2yr

Affordable for its access.

100/100
Affordability score

Clean, green surrounds.

77/100
Environment score

Good for families.

75/100
Family & community score

Quiet and safe.

71/100
44.8/1,000 · Donegal

The community here.

17,113 people.

Who lives here.

45%
third-level
40%
professional
11.9%
unemployment
Affluence: below average

A mix of owners and renters.

51.1% own29.8% rent10.6% social

The honest trade-offs.

Local economy 29/100 Transport & services 27/100

Letterkenny: common questions

Is Letterkenny a good place to live?

Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, scores 52/100 on BuyerIQ's Quality of Life composite (cost of living excluded) — #94 of the 108 areas we rank. It's strongest on affordability and environment.

Is Letterkenny safe?

Letterkenny scores 71/100 on safety, ~44.8 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents.

How much does it cost to buy a house in Letterkenny?

The median sale price in Letterkenny over the last 24 months was €205,000, most between €132,500 and €295,000 (Property Price Register).

Is Letterkenny on the up?

Letterkenny is rated "Declining" — unemployment rose 11% → 12% — lagging the national fall, third-level education up only 0 points — behind the national rise, prices up 119.0%.

Are there new builds in Letterkenny?

About 9% of homes sold in Letterkenny in the last 24 months were new builds (Property Price Register).

Is there much new development or planning activity in Letterkenny?

131 planning applications were lodged within Letterkenny in the last 12 months, covering 260 residential units (705 on record) — measured per town, not just at county level.

Is Letterkenny good for families?

Letterkenny scores 75/100 for families and community.

What are the schools like in Letterkenny?

Letterkenny scores 31/100 for schools and education, with 8 schools in the area.

What is the commute like from Letterkenny?

Letterkenny is about 194 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.