West · report
Empty homes in West
17.0% of the 218,184 homes counted in the 2022 census were unoccupied: vacant, or holiday homes.
- Empty, 2022 census
- 17.0%
- Empty homes
- 37,056
Empty homes in West, census by census
Share of homes standing empty at each census, against the wider areas.
- West
- Ireland
Show the numbers
| Census | West | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 17.0% | 10.9% |
| 2016 | 18.4% | 12.3% |
| 2011 | 20.3% | 14.5% |
| 2006 | 20.5% | 15.0% |
| 2002 | 14.9% | 9.8% |
| 1996 | 12.6% | 8.4% |
| 1991 | 13.1% | 9.1% |
Against the wider area
Share of homes standing empty in the 2022 census.
| Area | Empty |
|---|---|
| West | 17.0% |
| Ireland | 10.9% |
Where homes stand empty in West
Share of homes standing empty at the 2022 census, emptiest first.
| Area | Empty |
|---|---|
| Mayo | 21.8% |
| Roscommon | 17.5% |
| Galway County | 15.9% |
| Galway City | 9.7% |
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 West
Sale prices have an 80% chance of landing between €353,674 and €580,489 by August 2027.
- Expected, August 2027
- €467,081
- Chance of a rise
- 84%
Figures for Ireland: West has no reliable figures of its own.
At the average sale price, a home costs €377,400. With 10% down and a 30-year mortgage, the payment is €1,516 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
- 18%
- Payment, one income
- 35%
17.7% more homes were granted planning permission in the last 12 months than in an average year of the past decade.
- Permitted, 12 months
- 2,571
- Per 1,000 residents
- 4.8
Sale prices have fallen by 3% or more 2 times since 2010. The deepest began in January 2010.
- Deepest fall
- −40.6%
- Recovery from the low
- 68 months
In 2025, 44% of the planning permissions granted for homes were for extensions, alterations or conversions of existing ones.
- Work on existing homes, 2025
- 44%
Public bodies signed €157.3M of housing works here in 2025, and €230.2M since 2017.
- Signed in 2025
- €157.3M
- Per resident, 2025
- €303