Longford second most affordable county in Ireland

A new survey has identified that Longford is the second most affordable county in Ireland.

Switcher.ie, a price comparison and switching service for energy, telecoms and personal finances, put together a new neighbourhood study identifying desirable location in Ireland.

County Longford ranked mid table, thirteenth place, in the best counties for work-life balance.

This research by Switcher.ie was based on data like access to local amenities like primary schools, major supermarkets and leisure centres, services like broadband and mobile speeds, proximity to green spaces and transport routes, plus house prices and crime rates.

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The most affordable county to buy a house in the study was Leitrim. Their house prices were based on the median house price in October 2024 (Residential Property Price Index).

In response to a new Code of Practice giving employees new rights to request remote and flexible working, Switcher has been crunching some numbers to reveal the best counties for the perfect work-life balance.

County Longford takes the 13th spot in Switcher.ie’s Work-Life Balance Index and was one of the most affordable counties to reside with good local amenities.

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The Switcher.ie research compared essentials like broadband and mobile speeds, access to local amenities like primary schools, GP surgeries, and major supermarkets: “We also looked at factors important for well-being, like green spaces, leisure facilities, and cafes, as well as practical factors like house prices and transport links,” Commercial Director of Switcher.ie Eoin Clarke said.

“With all this information, we created a Work Life Balance Index to rank the best and worst places to juggle work, family and recreation.”

Most affordable 

Leitrim was the most affordable county to buy a house in our study. House prices were based on the median house price in October 2024 (Residential Property Price Index).

Top 5 affordable counties to live & work:  Leitrim, Longford, Donegal, Roscommon and Cavan

For families 

Sligo has taken the top spot for the best county to balance work with a family. To calculate the best town to work with a family, we summed index scores for house prices, crime rate, number of GP surgeries and primary schools.

Top 5 counties for families to live & work:  Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim, Mayo and Donegal

For hybrid working

Dublin was the best place for hybrid working; the city counties of Cork and Galway also performed well. To calculate the best town for hybrid working, we summed index scores for average broadband and mobile speeds and distance to major roads and bus stops.

Top 5 counties for hybrid working:  Dublin, Cork, Laois, Galway and Kildare

For health, fitness  & well-being

Tipperary came in tops for access to leisure facilities and green spaces, essential for achieving a good quality of life. To rank our towns, we summed the index scores for distance to leisure centres and outdoor sports facilities, the number of public parks, and access to national parks and coastlines.

Top 5 counties for health & well-being:  Tipperary, Monaghan, Carlow, Westmeath and Roscommon

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For shopping & eating

Galway was the best place for your weekly shop, grab a bite to eat, or catch up over coffee. To find our top counties, we summed the index scores for the number of major supermarkets and cafes in the area.

Top 5 towns to shop, eat and refresh:  Galway, Cork, Kerry, Wicklow and Mayo

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