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Living in Letterkenny

Letterkenny is a city in Ireland, with a population of 22,549 in April 2022. In April 2022, the unemployment rate was 11.6%. Annual PM2.5 was 10 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Higher unemployment than 71% of Irish cities that publish it and dirtier air than 90% of Irish cities that publish it.

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

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 Letterkenny.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Letterkenny yet. Ireland has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Letterkenny?

The unemployment rate is 11.6 % (April 2022). Source: CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town5

Unemployment across cities in IrelandUnemployment in Letterkenny is 11.6%. Of 62 cities with data, 17 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Ireland per band6 cities: 4% to under 6%64–617 cities: 6% to under 8%176–811 cities: 8% to under 10%118–1013 cities: 10% to under 12%1310–12Letterkenny 11.6%7 cities: 12% to under 14%712–145 cities: 14% to under 16%514–163 cities: 16% to under 18%316–18

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Unemployment rate11.6 %country median 9.5%3 Apr 2022CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town5Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Letterkenny. 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 Letterkenny. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport2 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights8Official
Nearest airportCFN3 Aug 2026OurAirports9Official
Distance to nearest airport40 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports9Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Letterkenny. 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 Letterkenny.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Letterkenny?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10 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
Letterkenny annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52510.0PM2.5µg/m³

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 Letterkenny is 10.0 µg/m³. Of 58 cities with data, 22 have annual PM2.5 of 7 to under 8 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Ireland per band10 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³105–64 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³46–722 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³227–812 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³128–94 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³49–103 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³310–11Letterkenny 10.01 city: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³111–122 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³212–13

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean10 µg/m³country median 7.031 Dec 2024EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — IE 2024 PM2.5 station data6Official
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 12.59 · Feb 12.51 · Mar 16.56 · Apr 17.76 · May 21.42 · Jun 25.53 · Jul 24.02 · Aug 24.34 · Sep 20.93 · Oct 18.02 · Nov 14.5 · Dec 13.25 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center7Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -3.01 · Feb -2.38 · Mar -2.53 · Apr -1.4 · May 1.9 · Jun 4.79 · Jul 6.86 · Aug 7.18 · Sep 4.7 · Oct 1.04 · Nov -1.45 · Dec -3.27 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center7Official
Average temperature by monthJan 4.87 · Feb 4.73 · Mar 5.64 · Apr 7.64 · May 10.07 · Jun 12.62 · Jul 13.99 · Aug 13.92 · Sep 12.47 · Oct 9.91 · Nov 7.28 · Dec 5.45 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center7Official

Cities of a similar size in Ireland

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Ireland cities
Portlaoise23,494 residentsWexford21,524 residentsBalbriggan24,322 residentsCelbridge20,601 residentsTralee26,079 residentsNaas26,180 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Letterkenny?

The published population was 22,549 people in April 2022. Source: CSO Census 2022 F5134 — Built Up Areas / Towns by Size4

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Letterkenny residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport82.3%Foreign residents17.7%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share21.76 %31 Dec 2022Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)1Official
Foreign residents3,989 people3 Apr 2022CSO Census 2022 F5003 — population by citizenship and town of usual residence3Official
Population Female11,514 people31 Dec 2022Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)4Official
Population Male11,035 people31 Dec 2022Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)4Official
Population22,549 people3 Apr 2022CSO Census 2022 F5134 — Built Up Areas / Towns by Size4Official

International community in Letterkenny

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usually resident population by birthplace or citizenship; source-native CSO table · 2022

Published groupPeopleShare
Total22,252100.0%
Ireland15,36369.0%
United Kingdom2,39610.8%
Rest of World2,0349.1%
India1,0174.6%
Poland7773.5%
Other EU272020 (Exec Ireland & Poland)6653.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source2

Citizenship

Usually resident population by birthplace or citizenship; source-native CSO table · 2022

Published groupPeopleShare
Total22,252100.0%
Ireland17,41078.2%
Rest of World1,2525.6%
India9104.1%
Not stated8463.8%
Poland6993.1%
Other EU272020 (Exec Ireland & Poland)6603.0%
United Kingdom4752.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source2

Citizenship

Population Usually Resident and Present in the State · 2022

Published groupPeopleShare
All citizenships22,098100.0%
Ireland17,26578.1%
India9134.1%
Citizenship not stated7453.4%
Poland6993.2%
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)4682.1%
Other Asia(1)4322.0%
Africa(1)3981.8%
Other EU27 (2020)1860.8%
Romania1250.6%
Show 17 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Brazil1090.5%
Croatia1020.5%
No citizenship990.4%
Ukraine750.3%
Lithuania660.3%
United States of America (the)510.2%
Italy500.2%
Other America(1)470.2%
Latvia460.2%
Spain400.2%
Rest of Europe(1)380.2%
Other countries340.2%
Germany320.1%
Multiple/Dual citizenship290.1%
China230.1%
Australia150.1%
France110.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source3

Is Letterkenny 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 worker49%strong on work, weak on safety · range 39–59%
Skilled employee52%strong on work, weak on safety · range 42–62%
Student61%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 49–73%
Family48%strong on family, weak on safety · range 36–60%
Retirement55%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 43–67%
Foreign residents3,989 people3 Apr 2022Official source · CSO Census 2022 F5003 — population by citizenship and town of usual residence
Population22,549 people3 Apr 2022Official source · CSO Census 2022 F5134 — Built Up Areas / Towns by Size
Unemployment rate11.6 %3 Apr 2022Official source · CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town
PM2.5 — annual mean10 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — IE 2024 PM2.5 station data
Foreign-resident share21.76 %31 Dec 2022Official source · Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)
Destinations from nearest airport2 count3 Aug 2026Official source · OpenFlights
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-07

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Letterkenny 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.

Common questions

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

How many people live in Letterkenny?

The published population was 22,549 people in April 2022. Source: CSO Census 2022 F5134 — Built Up Areas / Towns by Size.

Is the air quality good in Letterkenny?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10 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 data.

What is the unemployment rate in Letterkenny?

The unemployment rate is 11.6 % (April 2022). Source: CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town.

How many foreign residents live in Letterkenny?

3,989 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: CSO Census 2022 F5003 — population by citizenship and town of usual residence.

Is Letterkenny a good place to live?

Letterkenny 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.

How many people born in Ireland live in Letterkenny?

The official country of birth distribution records 15,363 people (69.0%) in the source-defined population for 2022. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

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, September 12). Letterkenny, Ireland: jobs, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ie/letterkenny/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_letterkenny-ireland-jobs-air-quality_b84396fd2897,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Letterkenny, Ireland: jobs, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ie/letterkenny/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Letterkenny, Ireland: jobs, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ie/letterkenny/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

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
  1. Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO) cso.ie · checked 2026-08-03
  2. Central Statistics Office Ireland country_of_birth distribution ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-08-28
  3. CSO Census 2022 F5003 — population by citizenship and town of usual residence CSO Census 2022 F5003 · ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-07-27
  4. CSO Census 2022 F5134 — Built Up Areas / Towns by Size CSO Census 2022 F5134 · ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-07-14
  5. CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town CSO Census 2022 F7115 · ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-07-27
  6. 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
  7. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  9. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03

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