Between 2016 and 2022 there was an increase in the number of people living in all six urban and rural area types (See Urban and Rural Classifications Table in the Background Notes). The largest population increases were recorded in Satellite urban towns (+12.2%) and Independent urban towns (+11.5%), compared with the State average of 8.4%.
People living in Highly rural/remote areas had the highest average age at 42.6 years in 2022, while Satellite urban towns had the lowest at 36.5 years.
Those living in Satellite urban towns had the highest median annual equivalised disposable income in 2024 at €36,981, while the lowest was among those living in Highly rural/remote areas at €24,636. The State median was €29,996.
The highest unemployment rate in Quarter 1 (Q1) 2025 was 5.9% in Independent urban towns while the lowest was 2.2% in Rural areas with high urban influence. The unemployment rate for the State for this period was 4.3%.
In 2024 the median residential property price in the State was €357,499 with the highest median of €435,000 recorded in Cities and the lowest in Highly rural/remote areas at €210,000.
Just over half (53.2%) of people described their health as very good in 2022. People living in Rural areas with high urban influence were more likely to say their health was very good, at 58.4%, while those living in Independent urban towns had the lowest proportion at 48.5%.
The highest proportion of people with a third-level degree or higher in 2022 were in Cities at 40%, followed by Satellite urban towns at 38.1%. The lowest proportion was 24.3% in Highly rural/remote areas.
Driving a car was the most common way to commute to work in 2022, at 59%. The lowest proportion of commuters who drove a car to work was in Cities, at 44.8%, while the highest was in Rural areas with high urban influence at 73%.
This release uses a six-way urban/rural classification to examine social and economic characteristics of life in Ireland across urban and rural areas.
The population in this release, in the context of census analysis, is the usually resident and present measure of the population and refers to all people who usually live in Ireland and who were present in the State on Census Night (unless otherwise stated).
A six-way urban/rural classification was first published following Census 2016 and applied to Small Area (SAs). Urban areas are built-up areas with populations greater than 1,500. Urban areas are further classified into Cities, Satellite urban towns, and Independent urban towns based on their population and the proportion of people in employment in cities. Rural areas are areas below this population threshold, subdivided by the degree of urban influence based on the proportion of usual residents in employment in urban areas (See Urban and Rural Classifications Table in the Background Notes).
The population component in the six-way urban/rural classification in this 2025 release is based on the De facto population. The previously published Urban and Rural Life in Ireland, 2019 release applied this classification to the usually resident population and is therefore not comparable to figures published in this release.
A new urban geography called Built Up Areas (BUAs) has been used to produce Census 2022 data for towns/urban areas. The BUAs, which combine (entire or whole) small areas, were developed from clusters of urban development and their boundaries reflect land use for urban purposes. The introduction of BUAs as the primary urban geography for Census 2022 means that a direct comparison with Census 2016 town data is not possible.
The six-way urban/rural classification has been updated for 2022 Small areas: FY107 Population Usually Resident and Present in the State by Type of Urban or Rural Area and CSO Small Areas 2022.
To view an interactive map which shows the spread of the six area classifications across the country, click here. The map can be used to find the urban and rural six-way classification assigned to a particular address (searchable by Eircode or address).
We would like to thank the following divisions in the Central Statistics Office for their help and assistance in the production and compilation of this release:
Census Dissemination
Census Geography
Income, Consumption and Wealth
Housing
Labour Market and Earnings
Prices
Education
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.
Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (21 April 2026) published Urban and Rural Life in Ireland, 2025.
Commenting on the release, Dylan Morrissey, Statistician in the Statistical System Coordination Unit, Horizontal Reports Division, said:
"The Urban and Rural Life in Ireland, 2025 release, published today, uses a six-way urban/rural classification to examine social and economic characteristics of life in Ireland across urban and rural areas. Themes such as demographics, income, housing, health, education and commuting patterns are examined.
Demographics
In this release, the Age, Sex, and Geographical Distribution, and Households and Families chapters use Census 2022 data to provide insights into how demographics differ across the six area types.
Between 2016 and 2022 there was an increase in the number of people living in all area types, with the largest increases of 12.2% and 11.5% in Satellite urban towns and Independent urban towns respectively, compared with an 8.4% increase for the State.
Highly rural/remote areas had the highest average age of people living there at 42.6 years in 2022, while Satellite urban towns had the lowest at 36.5 years.
Dependency ratios are used to give an indication of the age structure of a population, with young (0-14) and old (65+) people shown as a percentage of the population of working age. Satellite urban towns had the highest young dependency ratio in 2022, at 34.2, while Highly rural/remote areas had the highest old dependency ratio, at 35.8. Cities had the lowest total dependency ratios at 46.1, and 7.4 percentage points lower than the State ratio of 53.5. Highly rural/remote areas had the highest total dependency ratio of 66.9.
Satellite urban towns consisted of a greater proportion of young families with all children under 15 years of age (47.7%). Highly rural/remote areas had a greater proportion of families with all children aged 15 years and over (45.8%) than any other area type.
Income
Using data from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions, 2024 release, the median annual equivalised disposable income in 2024 was €29,996, with the highest value in Satellite urban towns at €36,981 and the lowest in Highly rural/remote areas at €24,636.
Among the six urban/rural area types, the at risk of poverty rate was highest in Independent urban towns at 17.0% (of individuals) in 2024, while it was lowest in Satellite urban towns at 6.8%. The State equivalent rate was 11.7%.
Using data from the Geographical Profiles of Income in Ireland 2022 - Household Income release, the proportion of households in the State where the majority income was working age social welfare was highest in Independent urban towns at 17.4% and lowest in Rural areas with high urban influence at 6.3% of households.
Using data from the Labour Force Survey, the highest unemployment rate in Q1 2025 was 5.9% in Independent urban towns, while the lowest was 2.2% in Rural areas with high urban influence. The unemployment rate in the State for this period was 4.3%.
Housing
Looking at housing types, the most common dwelling type for private households in permanent housing units in 2022 were detached houses, and this was especially pronounced in rural areas. Detached houses accounted for 41.2% of households nationally, while in rural areas this proportion was 85%.
Households in rural areas were more likely to own their dwelling outright. Owner occupiers accounted for 37.0% of private households in the State in 2022. This proportion was highest in Highly rural/remote areas at 53.0%, followed by Rural areas with moderate urban influence at 50.7%.
Data from New Dwelling Completions showed that in 2025 the majority of new dwelling completions were in urban areas. Of 36,284 completions in 2025, almost two thirds (23,397, or 64.5%) were built in urban areas.
Using data from the Residential Property Price Index, in 2024 the median residential property price in the State was €357,499 with the highest median of €435,000 in Cities and the lowest in Highly rural/remote areas at €210,000.
Health and Disability
More than half (53.2%) of people described their health as very good in 2022. People living in Rural areas with high urban influence were more likely to say their health was very good, at 58.4%, while those living in Independent urban towns had the lowest proportion at 48.5%.
Independent urban towns had the highest rate of the population experiencing a long-lasting condition or difficulty, at 23.8%, with those in Rural areas with high urban influence being the least likely at 19.7%.
Education
About one third of people in the State (33.5%) who had ceased their full-time education in 2022 had a third-level degree or higher. The highest proportion of people with at least a third level degree were in Cities at 40%, followed by Satellite urban towns at 38.1%. The lowest proportion was 24.3% in Highly rural/remote areas.
Looking at those currently in education, the proportion of students identified in Census 2022 that applied for a Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant in the academic year 2021/2022 varied across the six area types, with the highest proportion being 47.2% in Independent urban towns, followed by 45.9% in Highly rural/remote areas. The lowest proportion was 28.7% in Cities and 30.8% in Rural areas with high urban influence.
Results from the 2022 Adult Education Survey showed that 61% of adults aged 25-69 in Satellite urban towns participated in lifelong learning activities in the previous 12 months, which was the highest rate across the six area types. This was followed by 57% of adults in Cities. The lowest rate was observed in Independent urban towns at 45%, and in Highly rural/remote and Rural areas with moderate urban influence areas, both at 46%.
Commuting
Driving a car was the most common way to commute to work in 2022, at 59%. The lowest proportion of commuters who drove a car to work was in Cities, at 44.8%, while the highest was in Rural areas with high urban influence at 73%.
Walking was the second most common way to commute for people living in Cities at 12.3% in 2022. Walking was least common in Rural areas with high urban influence, at 3.1%.
The highest proportion of workers who cycled in 2022 was 6.5% in Cities. In contrast, this was much lower for the three rural area types, where the proportion of workers who cycled in these areas was between 0.5% and 0.6%"