The Ireland Liveability Index, updated this week, scores each of the 26 counties in the Republic for the key parameters that will influence whether people want to move there to start their ideal home.
Waterford - the Crystal County - didn’t rank well when it came to residential property prices, but more than made up for it in other categories.
Waterford’s high-demand location led it to be ranked in the middle of the list at 13th place, with a median house price of €222,000.
However, nearby Wicklow was at the very bottom of the category with a median house price of €420,000, higher even than Dublin.
Naturally, the ‘sunny southeast’ fared much better when it came to the weather ranking.
"As a nation of sun worshippers, we depart in our droves to foreign climates every year for our sun holidays," the index stated. "But did you know there is considerable variation in sunshine levels across our island? The far southeast receives over 1,600 hours of sunshine per annum. This contrasts with 1,000 hours in the more mountainous areas of the west."
Waterford is the third sunniest county, with 1,356 hours per year, behind Wexford and Dublin.
Another category was each county’s proximity to a city.
"We might dream of getting away from the hassle of city life, but many of us like having the facilities and convenience of a city nearby," the index explained.
This calculates the distance the average person in each county must travel to their nearest city. Dublin took the top spot, followed by Cork, Galway, and Limerick.
The average Waterford resident was evaluated as living 16 kilometres from the city, placing the county in fifth place. Kerry was determined to be the county with the most natural beauty, and coastal counties dominated this category of the list.
Waterford fought off some fierce competition to be ranked ninth in this category, between Leitrim and Cork, with its liveability boosted by access to the stunning Comeragh Mountains and beaches along the famous Copper Coast.
When the overall rankings were calculated, Waterford took the top spot, no doubt to the frustration of their neighbours in the second-ranked county, Wexford.
Most Liveable counties in Ireland:
- Waterford
- Wexford
- Donegal
- Cork
- Clare
- Galway
- Dublin
- Louth
- Wicklow
- Kerry
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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