Working from home has become the new normal for many, we look at the best places to work from home in Ireland.
The rise of remote working means you can choose to live wherever you like, as long as you can afford your mortgage, without having to worry about where the best jobs are located.
The new Switcher.ie remote working index looks at towns and cities across Ireland to find the best and worst places to work from home.
Our research looks at a host of different factors including, average property prices, access to 5G broadband, local crime rates and the number of local restaurants - if you need to grab a working lunch. It also considers GP access, food delivery services and the number of top local schools.
| Rank | Town/City | County | Total Score | Avg House price | 5G | Crime Per 1000 people | Restaurants per 1000 people | GPs per 1000 people | Food Delivery | Top Schools per 1000 people | Coffee shops per 1000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sligo | Sligo | 4.93 | €162,793 | 2 | 68.545 | 5.209 | 5.157 | 2 | 0.208 | 1.875 |
| 2 | Galway | Galway | 4.77 | €287,494 | 3 | 41.484 | 4.729 | 1.739 | 3 | 0.075 | 1.339 |
| 3 | Ballina | Mayo | 4.64 | €143,483 | 2 | 43.260 | 4.424 | 3.245 | 1 | 0.197 | 0.885 |
| 4 | Killarney | Kerry | 4.53 | €227,814 | 2 | 67.705 | 9.515 | 2.827 | 2 | 0.138 | 1.724 |
| 5 | Dundalk | Louth | 4.49 | €220,599 | 3 | 62.173 | 2.436 | 1.256 | 2 | 0.179 | 0.487 |
| 6 | Ennis | Clare | 4.46 | €203,194 | 3 | 55.191 | 3.679 | 1.978 | 2 | 0.158 | 1.068 |
| 7 | Swords | Fingal | 4.39 | €346,045 | 3 | 53.506 | 1.707 | 1.580 | 3 | 0.102 | 0.204 |
| 8 | Letterkenny | Donegal | 4.24 | €150,884 | 2 | 78.344 | 4.358 | 2.023 | 2 | 0.208 | 1.557 |
| 9 | Kilkenny | Kilkenny | 4.23 | €226,978 | 2 | 58.502 | 7.129 | 1.433 | 2 | 0.226 | 2.037 |
| 10 | Cork | Cork | 4.2 | €294,671 | 3 | 38.664 | 2.832 | 0.604 | 3 | 0.081 | 0.819 |
| 11 | Tullamore | Offaly | 4.18 | €188,773 | 3 | 74.964 | 3.491 | 1.712 | 1 | 0.274 | 0.822 |
| 12 | Castlebar | Mayo | 4.1 | €159,261 | 3 | 61.153 | 4.558 | 1.326 | 1 | 0.249 | 1.409 |
| 13 | Enniscorthy | Wexford | 4.1 | €169,443 | 1 | 48.326 | 2.900 | 2.548 | 1 | 0.264 | 0.879 |
| 14 | Tralee | Kerry | 4.05 | €178,142 | 1 | 77.878 | 3.714 | 2.111 | 2 | 0.169 | 0.760 |
| 15 | Limerick | Limerick | 4.01 | €225,406 | 3 | 74.200 | 2.760 | 1.285 | 3 | 0.074 | 0.817 |
| 16 | Naas | Kildare | 3.97 | €322,117 | 2 | 61.749 | 2.851 | 1.543 | 2 | 0.187 | 0.795 |
| 17 | Drogheda | Louth | 3.95 | €249,648 | 3 | 60.577 | 2.417 | 2.002 | 2 | 0.122 | 0.464 |
| 18 | Mullingar | Westmeath | 3.95 | €189,062 | 2 | 65.319 | 2.915 | 1.864 | 2 | 0.143 | 0.860 |
| 19 | Dublin | Dublin | 3.93 | €425,863 | 3 | 59.335 | 2.011 | 1.528 | 3 | 0.070 | 0.499 |
| 20 | Mallow | Cork | 3.88 | €176,828 | 2 | 65.415 | 2.649 | 2.408 | 1 | 0.241 | 0.321 |
| 21 | Waterford | Waterford | 3.8 | €194,728 | 3 | 56.314 | 2.990 | 1.458 | 2 | 0.037 | 0.748 |
| 22 | Midleton | Cork | 3.75 | €250,014 | 2 | 57.058 | 4.321 | 1.601 | 1 | 0.240 | 0.960 |
| 23 | Clonmel | Tipperary | 3.63 | €179,768 | 1 | 67.561 | 3.501 | 2.217 | 2 | 0.233 | 0.992 |
| 24 | Leixlip | Kildare | 3.62 | €362,343 | 2 | 23.929 | 1.354 | 1.999 | 2 | 0.129 | 0.064 |
| 25 | Wexford | Wexford | 3.61 | €200,217 | 1 | 51.367 | 5.548 | 1.585 | 2 | 0.099 | 1.387 |
| 26 | Cobh | Cork | 3.6 | €238,820 | 2 | 27.656 | 2.578 | 0.781 | 2 | 0.078 | 0.703 |
| 27 | Newbridge | Kildare | 3.56 | €276,995 | 2 | 44.015 | 1.759 | 1.539 | 2 | 0.132 | 0.660 |
| 28 | Longford | Longford | 3.53 | €129,259 | 2 | 111.311 | 4.596 | 1.898 | 1 | 0.200 | 1.199 |
| 29 | Bray | Wicklow | 3.53 | €403,306 | 3 | 49.448 | 2.086 | 1.196 | 2 | 0.184 | 0.644 |
| 30 | Portlaoise | Laois | 3.46 | €183,373 | 1 | 69.751 | 2.268 | 1.451 | 2 | 0.091 | 0.635 |
| 31 | Wicklow | Wicklow | 3.34 | €335,471 | 2 | 50.170 | 5.008 | 1.039 | 1 | 0.189 | 1.417 |
| 32 | Navan | Meath | 3.33 | €263,185 | 2 | 57.701 | 2.419 | 1.723 | 2 | 0.099 | 0.530 |
| 33 | Malahide | Fingal | 3.3 | €519,009 | 3 | 49.970 | 2.840 | 1.571 | 2 | 0.060 | 0.604 |
| 34 | Carlow | Carlow | 3.28 | €184,013 | 2 | 67.444 | 2.513 | 1.730 | 2 | 0.041 | 0.577 |
| 35 | Athy | Kildare | 3.19 | €169,688 | 2 | 51.152 | 1.550 | 2.067 | 1 | 0.103 | 0.310 |
| 36 | Athlone | Westmeath | 3.15 | €189,062 | 1 | 46.513 | 4.403 | 1.874 | 2 | 0.094 | 0.843 |
| 37 | Gorey | Wexford | 3.06 | €231,756 | 1 | 69.131 | 5.905 | 3.258 | 1 | 0.102 | 1.120 |
| 38 | Cavan | Cavan | 3.03 | €148,498 | 1 | 98.864 | 4.581 | 2.016 | 1 | 0.275 | 1.008 |
| 39 | Celbridge | Kildare | 2.93 | €195,589 | 2 | 26.075 | 1.282 | 1.084 | 1 | 0.099 | 0.345 |
| 40 | Carrigaline | Cork | 2.93 | €326,547 | 2 | 25.174 | 1.141 | 1.902 | 1 | 0.063 | 0.127 |
| 41 | Skerries | Fingal | 2.9 | €458,415 | 2 | 20.611 | 2.489 | 2.191 | 1 | 0.100 | 0.597 |
| 42 | Shannon | Clare | 2.87 | €150,923 | 1 | 29.808 | 2.878 | 1.028 | 1 | 0.103 | 0.617 |
| 43 | Arklow | Wicklow | 2.79 | €203,008 | 1 | 37.074 | 2.659 | 1.823 | 1 | 0.152 | 0.608 |
| 44 | Balbriggan | Fingal | 2.77 | €269,708 | 2 | 56.809 | 1.013 | 1.473 | 2 | 0.046 | 0.230 |
| 45 | Ashbourne | Meath | 2.72 | €319,373 | 2 | 57.023 | 5.442 | 1.420 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.552 |
| 46 | Maynooth | Kildare | 2.47 | €362,343 | 1 | 35.036 | 2.674 | 1.646 | 2 | 0.069 | 0.754 |
| 47 | Tramore | Waterford | 2.47 | €322,117 | 1 | 34.004 | 2.697 | 1.445 | 1 | 0.096 | 0.674 |
| 48 | Rush | Fingal | 2.25 | €344,598 | 2 | 60.746 | 0.603 | 0.503 | 1 | 0.101 | 0.000 |
| 49 | Portmarnock | Fingal | 2.16 | €487,566 | 1 | 87.365 | 1.056 | 1.479 | 2 | 0.106 | 0.211 |
| 50 | Ratoath | Meath | 2.16 | €319,373 | 2 | 75.842 | 1.154 | 0.524 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.210 |
1. Sligo
Sligo comes out as our winner in our first remote working index and is officially the best place to work from home in Ireland. If you’re after a bargain, Sligo could be the place for you - especially if you’re moving with a family. With cheap housing and access to great schools and GPs, it’s perfect if education and health whilst saving money are at the top of your list.
2. Galway
The city of Galway is our runner up on the remote working index this year. There’s great access to super fast 5G, excellent food delivery options and a low crime rate in comparison to the number of people who live there.
3. Ballina
The smallest town to make our top 10 is Ballina in third place. If the cost of housing is high on your list then Ballina could be a good option with some of the cheapest property prices in the study. The town also has a low crime rate and access to some of the best schools in Ireland.
4. Killarney
The town of Killarney comes in fourth place. Although relatively small in size, it has a lot to offer. Not only are house prices pretty cheap, but you’re also spoiled for choice with restaurants. Killarney comes out top in this category having the most restaurants in comparison to the size of its population in the study.
5. Dundalk
Taking the final space in the top five is the town of Dundalk. House prices are below average and you have good access to 5G and coffee shops, perfect for when you want to work somewhere else. Dundalk scores way below average for restaurants so if you’re a bit of a foodie it may not be the best place for you.
6. Ennis
In sixth place is Ennis, if safety and house prices are high on your list of priorities then this could be a great place for you. The town doesn’t have the greatest choice when it comes to food and drink however, the safe environment offers access to some of the top schools so could be great for families.
7. Swords
Swords takes seventh place on our list, with a below average crime rate and the benefit of having food delivered to your door. It’s a great option for those who spend a lot of time at home.
8. Letterkenny
Letterkenny has some of the cheapest housing in our study as well as access to some of the top schools. This town has lots to offer if you have a family and want to send them to the best schools.
9. Kilkenny
In ninth place, Kilkenny offers a lot with only two categories performing below average. It offers affordable housing as well as fantastic access to some of the top schools in the country. It also has a good number of restaurants to choose from.
10. Cork
The final spot in the top 10 goes to Cork. The city offers great access to 5G, has pretty low crime rates and offers good access to food delivery services for all your takeaway needs.
If safety is high on your priority list then Skerries could be the place for you.
Skerries had the lowest rate of crime in comparison to its population giving it the top spot as the safest place to work from home.
To work out the safest places to work from home we looked at the crime rates in each town or city per 1,000 of the population.
The top 5 safest places to work from home were:
The top place to work from home if you’re a food lover is Galway. It has great access to food delivery services so you don’t have to leave your desk to get your lunch on deadline day.
Don’t worry though, if you do want to pop out for a bite to eat or a morning coffee you have plenty of options.
To work out the top foodie places we summed the scores of restaurants, food delivery services and coffee shops.
Longford is the most affordable place to work from home, it has the cheapest house prices of all the towns and cities we looked at in the study.
The cheapest house prices in the study.
Sligo has taken the top spot of the best place to work from home with a family. Not only does it offer affordable housing, but it also has the greatest number of GPs compared to its population and has some of the top schools in the country on its doorstep.
To work out the best places to work from home with a family we summed the score for house prices, crime rate, number of GPs and high ranking schools.
To work out the best towns and cities to work from home we have analysed a series of metrics and scored them.
The metrics include:
To calculate the index we worked out the crime rate, number of restaurants, GPs, coffee shops and top-rated schools per 1,000 people.
We also looked at three main providers of 5G and food delivery to see if they had a good level of coverage in each town and city as well as taking into account the cost of a house.
We then normalised the data categories individually from 0 to 1, house prices and crime rater were normalised with lower prices and crime rates being closer to 1 than 0, the rest of the categories we normalised with the higher score being closer to 1 than 0, they were then all summed to get the results. Our data was gathered in July 2021.