Macroom, Co. Cork scores 62/100 for quality of life, #48 of the 108 Irish areas BuyerIQ ranks, and its fundamentals are rated “on the up — emerging”. The median home sells for €320,000 (most €268,339–€361,233), it scores 61/100 for safety (58.8 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents), 4,235 people live here, up 16.8% since 2016. It's strongest on affordability and family & community, weakest on transport & services.
Updated July 2026 · Property Price Register + 20+ official sources, refreshed daily
Below average today — but the fundamentals are turning, faster than 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 Macroom is #50 of 108 for value for money (most quality of life per euro).
4,235 people, up 16.8% since 2016.
Macroom, Co. Cork, scores 62/100 on BuyerIQ's Quality of Life composite (cost of living excluded) — #48 of the 108 areas we rank. It's strongest on affordability and family & community.
Macroom scores 61/100 on safety, ~58.8 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents.
The median sale price in Macroom over the last 24 months was €320,000, most between €268,339 and €361,233 (Property Price Register).
Macroom is rated "On the up — emerging" — unemployment fell 12% → 8%, in line with nationally, third-level education up only 4 points — behind the national rise, population grew 16.8% — well above the national 8%, prices up 14.0%.
About 25% of homes sold in Macroom in the last 24 months were new builds (Property Price Register).
9 planning applications were lodged within Macroom in the last 12 months, covering 9 residential units (220 on record) — measured per town, not just at county level.
Macroom scores 87/100 for families and community, and its population is growing (up 16.8% since 2016).
Macroom scores 44/100 for schools and education, with 5 schools in the area.
Macroom is about 39 minutes by road from Cork.
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.