Cost Of Buying A Home In Dublin Reaches Half A Million Euro
The housing crisis in Ireland has reached new heights, as the median cost of buying a home in Dublin rises to €500,000.
The Central Statistics Office has released new data. It shows residential property prices rose by 7% nationally last year, a slight slowdown compared to 2024, when prices increased by 8.7%. While the pace of growth has eased, values remain at historic highs.
Nationally, the median price of a home now stands at €387,000, highlighting the significant gap between Dublin and the rest of the country. Within the capital, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown remains the most expensive local authority area, with a median price of €680,000. The least expensive areas in Dublin were Fingal and Dublin City, both recording a median price of €475,000 — still just shy of the half-million mark.
Outside Dublin, Wicklow was the most expensive county at €454,000, followed by Kildare at €440,000, reflecting sustained demand across commuter belt counties. At the other end of the scale, Donegal recorded the lowest median price in the State at €195,000.
Property prices in Dublin rose by 5.6% last year, while prices outside the capital increased at a faster rate of 8.1%, suggesting stronger momentum in regional markets. However, Dublin’s starting point means affordability pressures remain most acute in the capital.
The longer-term picture shows just how dramatically the market has rebounded since the financial crash. Residential property prices are now 178.8% above their low point in early 2013, when values had collapsed following the housing market crash and banking crisis. Prices are also 25% higher than their previous peak in April 2007, during the height of the Celtic Tiger property boom.
The figures come amid ongoing concerns about housing supply, rising rents and the difficulty first-time buyers face in saving deposits while meeting mortgage lending rules. Demand continues to outstrip supply in many parts of the country, particularly in Dublin and surrounding commuter counties.
Although the rate of annual growth has moderated slightly, the milestone of a €500,000 median home in Dublin underscores the scale of the affordability challenge. For many prospective buyers, especially single earners and younger households, home ownership in the capital is increasingly out of reach without significant financial support.
With prices continuing to rise — even at a slower pace — attention is likely to remain firmly on government housing policy, supply targets and mortgage rules in the months ahead.
