Cork is fifth most expensive county to buy a house, study finds 

Cork is the fifth most expensive county in Ireland to buy a house, a study carried out by Chill Insurance has found.

The average house price in Cork is at €351,603 according to the study.

The top four most expensive locations in relation to the average house price are Dublin (€614,012), Wicklow (€461,534), Kildare (€406,165), and Meath (€372,932).

Meanwhile, the study found that the average house deposit in Cork costs €35,160, with the number of years to save for a deposit forecasted to be at five years and 10 months.

The study found that the average house price across Ireland continues to rise, making it increasingly challenging for buyers to step onto and move up the property ladder.

To identify Ireland’s most and least affordable counties for homebuyers, Chill Insurance analysed housing data from 2010 to 2024 across all Irish counties, considering average house prices, incomes, and key financial metrics.

The research included calculating the minimum house deposit (10% of the purchase price), annual savings rates (12.7% of income), the time needed to save for a deposit, and projections for house prices through to 2030.

Using this data, the insurance broker identified the most and least affordable counties, ranking them by 2024 average house prices.

The most affordable county in Ireland to buy a home is Leitrim, where the average house price is at €186,487, while Longford (€192,682) is in second place.

This is followed by Donegal (€199,332) in third, Roscommon (€210,493) in fourth, and Monaghan in fifth spot (€213,460).

The study also forecasts what house prices will look like in 2030.

The average predicted price for a home in 2030 in Cork is anticipated to be at €401,218.

Co Wicklow is projected to see the steepest rise in house prices by 2030, climbing from €461,534 to €586,398 over the next half decade, which is a 27% rise.