Donegal · report
Empty homes in Donegal
25.7% of the 85,990 homes counted in the 2022 census were unoccupied: vacant, or holiday homes.
- Empty, 2022 census
- 25.7%
- Empty homes
- 22,100
Empty homes in Donegal, census by census
Share of homes standing empty at each census, against the wider areas.
- Donegal
- Border
- Ireland
Show the numbers
| Census | Donegal | Border | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 25.7% | 20.5% | 10.9% |
| 2016 | 27.4% | 22.6% | 12.3% |
| 2011 | 28.6% | 24.5% | 14.5% |
| 2006 | 27.0% | 23.7% | 15.0% |
| 2002 | 21.0% | 16.7% | 9.8% |
| 1996 | 15.6% | 13.6% | 8.4% |
| 1991 | 16.3% | 14.1% | 9.1% |
Against the wider area
Share of homes standing empty in the 2022 census.
| Area | Empty |
|---|---|
| Donegal | 25.7% |
| Border | 20.5% |
| Ireland | 10.9% |
The census counts a dwelling as unoccupied when nobody was living in it on census night and its residents were not just away. Vacant homes and holiday homes are counted together here, because the censuses before 2016 do not split them. Cork city and county are published together in 2022, after the city's boundary moved in 2019, so neither council has a figure of its own. The next census is in 2027.
Other reports for Donegal
At the average sale price, a home costs €235,737. With 10% down and a 30-year mortgage, the payment is €947 a month. Ireland sets no cap on the payment; the Central Bank limits most mortgages to four times gross income for first-time buyers and 3.5 times for others.
- Payment, two incomes
- 15%
- Payment, one income
- 29%
Owning the average home costs less each month than renting it. Owning counts interest, running costs and the return the deposit could earn, at the average sale price; rent is the average rent of the tenancies registered with the RTB in the year. Repaying the loan is saving, so it is left out.
- Rent per month
- €977
- Owning per month
- €907
63.8% more homes were granted planning permission in the last 12 months than in an average year of the past decade.
- Permitted, 12 months
- 1,354
- Per 1,000 residents
- 8.1
Sale prices have fallen by 3% or more 4 times since 2010. The deepest began in Q1 2010.
- Deepest fall
- −49.7%
- Recovery from the low
- 96 months