Living in Bray

In Bray, tenants pay an average rent of €1,617 a month (2025) and unemployment is 8.9% (2022).

Annual PM2.5 was 6 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. The unemployment rate was 8.9% in April 2022.

Last checked 2026-09-1914 sources

Population33,512people3 Apr 2022Official source · Census 2022 BUA population

Average rent1,617EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · RTB/ESRI Average Monthly Rent Report (CSO table RIA02), all bedrooms, all property types

Unemployment rate8.9%country median 9.4% — 5% belowOfficial source · CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town

PM2.5, annual mean6µg/m³country median 7.0 — 14% belowOfficial source · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — IE 2024 PM2.5 station data

Lower unemployment than 61% of Irish cities that publish it and cleaner air than 85% of Irish cities that publish it.

Which Ireland-wide rules apply when you move to Bray?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in IrelandNational rates and thresholds that apply in Bray.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Bray. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€76

Mobile plan, 10 GB€40

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	75.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	eir 500 Mbps broadband⁷Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	39.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	eir Mobile Essential⁸Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,617 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	RTB/ESRI Average Monthly Rent Report (CSO table RIA02), all bedrooms, all property types¹⁴Official

Is Bray a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker29%strong on work, weak on safety · range 20–38%

Skilled employee33%strong on work, weak on safety · range 24–42%

Student34%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 23–45%

Family46%strong on family, weak on safety · range 35–57%

Retirement40%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 29–51%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Bray?

The unemployment rate is 8.9 % (April 2022). Source: CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town⁵

Unemployment across cities in IrelandUnemployment in Bray is 8.9%. Of 90 cities with data, 21 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

4–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–18

Bray 8.9%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Unemployment rate	8.9 %country median 9.4%	3 Apr 2022	CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town⁵Official

What does a salary buy in Bray?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,255of €2,988 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions.	€2,988
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · RTB/ESRI Average Monthly Rent Report (CSO table RIA02), all bedrooms, all property types · 2025-12-31	− €1,617
Internet€76 · official · eir 500 Mbps broadband · 2026-09-30	− €76
Mobile plan€40 · official · eir Mobile Essential · 2026-09-30	− €40
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€1,255

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Bray Salary needed to live in Bray

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Bray. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Intreo employment service — Public employment service

Department of Social Protection, Ireland

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Ireland service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Bray. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public transport access	DART / Dublin Bus / Bus Éireann (NTA Bray commuter belt)	27 Aug 2026	migrationfit.com¹⁰Official
Destinations from nearest airport	144 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹²Official
Nearest airport	DUB	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹³Official
Distance to nearest airport	27 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹³Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Bray. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Education and Training Board adult English language skills and ESOL — State Language Course

The 16 Education and Training Boards across Ireland

For adult migrants, refugees, adults who need to improve English.

EnglishFree

Open official information

Local Authority Integration Teams (LAITs) — Newcomer Adaptation

Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration

For new arrivals, people who applied for International Protection, refugees, people from Ukraine.

EnglishIn Person

Open official information

Open the full Ireland section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Bray.

Find courses near Bray

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Bray?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — IE 2024 PM2.5 station data⁶

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.56WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in IrelandAnnual PM2.5 in Bray is 6.0 µg/m³. Of 68 cities with data, 23 have annual PM2.5 of 7 to under 8 µg/m³.

5–66–77–88–99–1010–1111–1212–13

Bray 6.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	6 µg/m³country median 7.0	31 Dec 2024	EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — IE 2024 PM2.5 station data⁶Official
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 13.54 · Feb 12.66 · Mar 14.57 · Apr 17.82 · May 20.92 · Jun 22.41 · Jul 24.03 · Aug 24.29 · Sep 21.78 · Oct 17.97 · Nov 15.28 · Dec 13.29 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹¹Official
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -2.37 · Feb -3.31 · Mar -3.8 · Apr -0.75 · May 2.66 · Jun 5.16 · Jul 7.69 · Aug 8.33 · Sep 5.81 · Oct 1.92 · Nov -0.45 · Dec -2.19 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹¹Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 5.61 · Feb 5.34 · Mar 6.09 · Apr 8.06 · May 10.62 · Jun 13.25 · Jul 14.81 · Aug 14.75 · Sep 13.3 · Oct 10.98 · Nov 8.14 · Dec 6.31 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹¹Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Bray?

The published population was 33,512 people in 2022. Source: Census 2022 BUA population¹

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport87.2%
Foreign residents12.8%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Foreign-resident share	15.03 %	31 Dec 2022	Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)²Official
Foreign residents	4,292 people	3 Apr 2022	CSO Census 2022 F5003 — population by citizenship and town of usual residence⁴Official
City area	7.2 km²	31 Dec 2022	migrationfit.com¹⁰Official
Population density	4,557 people/km²	31 Dec 2022	migrationfit.com¹⁰Official
Female residents	17,357 people	31 Dec 2022	Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)³Official
Male residents	16,155 people	31 Dec 2022	Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)³Official
Population	33,512 people	3 Apr 2022	Census 2022 BUA population¹Official

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Administrative handoff status	https://www.irishimmigration.ie/ url	27 Aug 2026	migrationfit.com¹⁰Official

Alternatives for people set on Bray

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Dublin as a Bray alternative in the same region

Better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Residents: 1,263,219 Dublin vs 33,512 Bray+3669%
Foreign residents: 22.4% Dublin vs 15.0% Bray+49%
Annual PM2.5: 8.0 µg/m³ Dublin vs 6.0 µg/m³ Bray+33%
Nearest airport: 11.0 km Dublin vs 27.0 km Bray−59%
Unemployment: 8.3% Dublin vs 8.9% Bray−7%

Full comparison More about Dublin

Limerick as a Bray alternative in the same country

Better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

Residents: 102,287 Limerick vs 33,512 Bray+205%
Foreign residents: 22.0% Limerick vs 15.0% Bray+47%
Unemployment: 10.9% Limerick vs 8.9% Bray+22%
Annual PM2.5: 6.7 µg/m³ Limerick vs 6.0 µg/m³ Bray+11%
Nearest airport: 21.0 km Limerick vs 27.0 km Bray−22%

Full comparison More about Limerick

Alternative cities in Ireland

Other cities in Ireland to compare with Bray, nearest in population first.

All Ireland cities

Navan33,886 residents Ennis27,923 residents Swords40,776 residents Carlow27,351 residents Kilkenny27,184 residents Naas26,180 residents

How does Bray compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Bray's.

Open the full comparison

Bray in rankings

#1 of 25 in Cities with cleanest air in Ireland #8 of 25 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Ireland #12 of 27 in Largest cities in Ireland #24 of 27 in Most international cities in Ireland

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Bray when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 16, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: English as additional language support (whole-school approach, National Strategy Literacy and Numeracy 2011). How to enrol a child (gov.ie).

A country-wide rule for Ireland; Bray's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2026.

Is Bray part of Dublin?

Bray is in the published commuting zone of Dublin; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Dublin city profile

Relationship type: Commuting Zone Of. Source⁹

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Bray?

The published population was 33,512 people in 2022. Source: Census 2022 BUA population.

Is the air quality good in Bray?

What is the unemployment rate in Bray?

The unemployment rate is 8.9 % (April 2022). Source: CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town.

How many foreign residents live in Bray?

4,292 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: CSO Census 2022 F5003 — population by citizenship and town of usual residence.

Is Bray a good place to live?

Bray may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Is Bray part of Dublin?

Bray is in the published commuting zone of Dublin; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 25). Bray, Ireland: population, rent, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 32ff9aedd8fabd6961cc5291ed0d3dfe]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ie/bray/ Retrieved 2026-10-25. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_bray-ireland-population-rent-cost-of-living-jobs_005fe72ae85f,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Bray, Ireland: population, rent, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-25},
  version = {32ff9aedd8fabd6961cc5291ed0d3dfe},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ie/bray/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-25. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Bray, Ireland: population, rent, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ie/bray/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 32ff9aedd8fabd6961cc5291ed0d3dfe; retrieved 2026-10-25; built 2026-10-25.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Census 2022 BUA population cso.ie · checked 2026-07-14
Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO) cso.ie · checked 2026-08-03
Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO) ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-08-07
CSO Census 2022 F5003 — population by citizenship and town of usual residence CSO Census 2022 F5003 · ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-07-27
CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town CSO Census 2022 F7115 · ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-07-27
EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — IE 2024 PM2.5 station data EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
eir 500 Mbps broadband eir.ie · checked 2026-09-15
eir Mobile Essential home.eir.ie · checked 2026-09-15
GISCO Urban Audit 2021 — Functional Urban Areas (URAU_RG_100K_2021_4326_FUA) GISCO Urban Audit 2021 · gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-19
migrationfit.com migrationfit.com · checked 2026-06-14

Show 4 more sources

NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
RTB/ESRI Average Monthly Rent Report (CSO table RIA02), all bedrooms, all property types data.cso.ie · checked 2026-09-18

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.