Living in Swords

In Swords, tenants pay an average rent of €1,946 a month (2025) and unemployment is 7% (2022).

Swords, a city in Ireland, had a population of 40,776 in April 2022. The foreign population count was 7,122 in April 2022. Annual PM2.5 was 6 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-10-0721 sources

Population40,776people3 Apr 2022Official source · CSO Census 2022 F5134 — Built Up Areas / Towns by Size

Median gross salary (region)4,206EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · NEA05: Mean & Median Annual Earnings by Sex & NUTS 3 Region (2011–2025)

Average rent1,946EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · RTB/ESRI Average Monthly Rent Report (CSO table RIA02), all bedrooms, all property types

Unemployment rate7%country median 9.4% — 25% belowOfficial source · CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town

Recorded crime7,774incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Regional figureOfficial source · CJQ05 — Recorded crime incidents by Garda Region, Type of Offence, and Quarter

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 77% 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 Swords?

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 Swords.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Swords. 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 broadband⁹Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	39.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	eir Mobile Essential¹⁰Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,946 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	RTB/ESRI Average Monthly Rent Report (CSO table RIA02), all bedrooms, all property types¹⁵Official

Is Swords 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 employee34%strong on work, weak on education · range 25–43%

Student32%strong on cost, weak on education · range 21–43%

Family28%strong on family, weak on education · range 17–39%

Retirement38%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 27–49%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Swords?

The unemployment rate is 7 % (April 2022). Source: CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town⁷

Unemployment across cities in IrelandUnemployment in Swords is 7.0%. Of 90 cities with data, 21 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

4–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–18

Swords 7.0%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average gross earnings	5,603 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	NEA05: Mean & Median Annual Earnings by Sex & NUTS 3 Region (2011–2025)¹²Official · county
Median gross salary (regional)	4,206 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	NEA05: Mean & Median Annual Earnings by Sex & NUTS 3 Region (2011–2025)¹²Official · county
Unemployment rate	7 %country median 9.4%	3 Apr 2022	CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town⁷Official

What does a salary buy in Swords?

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

Left over each month€1,270of €3,332 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.	€3,332
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · RTB/ESRI Average Monthly Rent Report (CSO table RIA02), all bedrooms, all property types · 2025-12-31	− €1,946
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	€1,270

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

Public employment service

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

Safety

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	7,774 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2025	CJQ05 — Recorded crime incidents by Garda Region, Type of Offence, and Quarter³Official · regional context

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	144 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹³Official
Nearest airport	DUB	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁴Official
Distance to nearest airport	5 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁴Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Swords

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Swords?

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 data⁸

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

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

8°2°

10°3°

12°4°

15°7°

18°9°

19°11°

17°9°

14°7°

10°4°

8°3°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

107

157

190

167

153

125

102

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

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 Swords 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

Swords 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 data⁸Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 8 · Feb 8.5 · Mar 10.1 · Apr 12.3 · May 14.8 · Jun 17.7 · Jul 19.5 · Aug 19.1 · Sep 16.9 · Oct 13.6 · Nov 10.3 · Dec 8.3 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁶Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 2.3 · Feb 2.2 · Mar 3 · Apr 4 · May 6.6 · Jun 9 · Jul 11.3 · Aug 11.2 · Sep 9.5 · Oct 7.1 · Nov 4.3 · Dec 2.6 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁷Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 5.2 · Feb 5.3 · Mar 6.6 · Apr 8.2 · May 10.7 · Jun 13.3 · Jul 15.4 · Aug 15.1 · Sep 13.2 · Oct 10.4 · Nov 7.3 · Dec 5.5 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁸Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 61.8 · Feb 52.4 · Mar 51.4 · Apr 55 · May 57 · Jun 64 · Jul 61 · Aug 73.4 · Sep 63.3 · Oct 78.4 · Nov 82.7 · Dec 72.1 mm	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁹Official
Average sunshine by month	Jan 53.5 · Feb 74.5 · Mar 106.8 · Apr 156.9 · May 190.2 · Jun 167.4 · Jul 152.9 · Aug 153.4 · Sep 125.3 · Oct 101.8 · Nov 66.9 · Dec 47.6 hours	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI²⁰Official

Similar climate. In Ireland: Cork ±0.6 °C. Elsewhere: Belfast (United Kingdom) ±0.4 °C, Saanich (Canada) ±1.3 °C, Dundee (United Kingdom) ±0.7 °C, Swindon (United Kingdom) ±0.9 °C, Derby (United Kingdom) ±0.9 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Swords?

The published population was 40,776 people in April 2022. Source: CSO Census 2022 F5134 — Built Up Areas / Towns by Size⁶

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport82.5%
Foreign residents17.5%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Foreign-resident share	19.94 %	31 Dec 2022	Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)¹Official
Foreign residents	7,122 people	3 Apr 2022	CSO Census 2022 F5003 — population by citizenship and town of usual residence⁵Official
Female residents	20,616 people	31 Dec 2022	Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)⁶Official
Male residents	20,160 people	31 Dec 2022	Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO)⁶Official
Population	40,776 people	3 Apr 2022	CSO Census 2022 F5134 — Built Up Areas / Towns by Size⁶Official

International community in Swords

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 group	People	Share
Total	40,458	100.0%
Ireland	30,184	74.6%
Other EU272020 (Exec Ireland & Poland)	3,364	8.3%
Rest of World	3,289	8.1%
United Kingdom	1,559	3.9%
Poland	1,337	3.3%
India	725	1.8%

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 group	People	Share
All citizenships	40,669	100.0%
Ireland	32,535	80.0%
Poland	1,138	2.8%
Citizenship not stated	933	2.3%
Romania	722	1.8%
Latvia	652	1.6%
Other EU27 (2020)	588	1.4%
India	503	1.2%
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)	460	1.1%
Lithuania	398	1.0%

Show 17 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Italy	312	0.8%
Other Asia(1)	305	0.7%
Africa(1)	297	0.7%
Spain	294	0.7%
Croatia	219	0.5%
Rest of Europe(1)	203	0.5%
Brazil	200	0.5%
China	177	0.4%
Multiple/Dual citizenship	131	0.3%
France	118	0.3%
Other America(1)	107	0.3%
Ukraine	102	0.3%
Germany	83	0.2%
No citizenship	79	0.2%
Other countries	52	0.1%
United States of America (the)	39	0.1%
Australia	22	0.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁵

Citizenship

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

Published group	People	Share
Total	40,458	100.0%
Ireland	32,390	80.1%
Other EU272020 (Exec Ireland & Poland)	3,385	8.4%
Rest of World	1,625	4.0%
Poland	1,135	2.8%
Not stated	966	2.4%
India	502	1.2%
United Kingdom	455	1.1%

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

Alternatives for people set on Swords

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.

Ashbourne as a Swords alternative in the same region

13 km away, better on 3 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3.

Nearest airport: 13.0 km Ashbourne vs 5.0 km Swords+160%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,566 Ashbourne vs 7,774 Swords−41%
Residents: 15,680 Ashbourne vs 40,776 Swords−62%
Annual PM2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ Ashbourne vs 6.0 µg/m³ Swords+17%
Median gross pay, region: €3,969 Ashbourne vs €4,206 Swords−6%
Unemployment: 6.6% Ashbourne vs 7.0% Swords−6%
Foreign residents: 20.6% Ashbourne vs 19.9% Swords+3%

Full comparison More about Ashbourne

Galway city and suburbs as a Swords alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 188 km, better on 1 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,247 Galway city and suburbs vs 7,774 Swords−45%
Residents: 85,910 Galway city and suburbs vs 40,776 Swords+111%
Median gross pay, region: €3,566 (2024) Galway city and suburbs vs €4,206 (2025) Swordsno percentage
Foreign residents: 18.2% Galway city and suburbs vs 19.9% Swords−9%

Full comparison More about Galway city and suburbs

Cities near Swords

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in Ireland

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

All Ireland cities

Dundalk43,112 residents Drogheda44,135 residents Navan33,886 residents Bray33,512 residents Ennis27,923 residents Waterford60,079 residents

How does Swords compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Swords in rankings

#3 of 25 in Cities with cleanest air in Ireland #4 of 25 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Ireland #10 of 27 in Largest cities in Ireland #13 of 27 in Most international cities in Ireland

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Swords 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; Swords's school authority applies it locally.

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

Is Swords part of Dublin?

Swords 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. Source¹¹

Common questions

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

How many people live in Swords?

The published population was 40,776 people in April 2022. Source: CSO Census 2022 F5134 — Built Up Areas / Towns by Size.

Is the air quality good in Swords?

What is the unemployment rate in Swords?

The unemployment rate is 7 % (April 2022). Source: CSO Census 2022 F7115 — unemployment rate by town.

What is the typical salary around Swords?

The median gross salary is 4,206 EUR/month. Source: NEA05: Mean & Median Annual Earnings by Sex & NUTS 3 Region (2011–2025).

How many foreign residents live in Swords?

7,122 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: CSO Census 2022 F5003 — population by citizenship and town of usual residence.

Is Swords a good place to live?

Swords 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 Swords part of Dublin?

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

Which cities are near Swords?

Dublin, Kinsealy-Drinan, Malahide, Donabate, Portmarnock are near Swords. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Ireland live in Swords?

The official country of birth distribution records 30,184 people (74.6%) 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, October 25). Swords, Ireland: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 738f7b729464ee0bdb1f88cd9412c525]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ie/swords/ Retrieved 2026-10-25. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_swords-ireland-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_4c5404c8f66b,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Swords, Ireland: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-25},
  version = {738f7b729464ee0bdb1f88cd9412c525},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ie/swords/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-25. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Swords, Ireland: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ie/swords/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 738f7b729464ee0bdb1f88cd9412c525; 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

Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO) cso.ie · checked 2026-08-03
Central Statistics Office Ireland country of birth distribution ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-08-28
CJQ05 — Recorded crime incidents by Garda Region, Type of Offence, and Quarter CJQ05 · ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-10-05
Coordinate identity evidence services-eu1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-06
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 F5134 — Built Up Areas / Towns by Size CSO Census 2022 F5134 · ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-07-14
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

Show 11 more sources

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
NEA05: Mean & Median Annual Earnings by Sex & NUTS 3 Region (2011–2025) ws.cso.ie · checked 2026-10-07
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
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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.