New research by Switcher.ie has revealed the best Irish towns for work-life balance….
The study is based on a range of factors, including access to local amenities such as primary schools, major supermarkets, and leisure centres; essentials like broadband and mobile connectivity; house prices and crime rates; and proximity to green spaces and transport routes.
Top 10 towns for work-life balance
Arklow claimed the top spot as the best town in Ireland for striking the perfect work-life balance. With surprisingly affordable house prices outside the city, it offers a winning mix of excellent local amenities and good connectivity for hybrid working, plus plenty of green spaces and a scenic coastline to boost well-being.
Here’s a snapshot of the top 10. For the full ranking and more top 5 winners, see Ireland’s best towns for work-life balance.
| Rank | Town | Median House Price | Work-Life Balance Score |
| 1 | Arklow | €290,000 | 6.44 |
| 2 | Ballina | €196,250 | 6.42 |
| 3 | Enniscorthy | €290,000 | 6.40 |
| 4 | Wicklow | €420,000 | 6.13 |
| 5 | Cork City | €347,363 | 5.97 |
| 6 | Gorey | €350,000 | 5.93 |
| 7 | Tramore | €329,999 | 5.90 |
| 8 | Dublin City | €505,997 | 5.90 |
| 9 | Longford | €200,000 | 5.71 |
| 10 | Sligo | €270,000 | 5.65 |
Most affordable
Ballina was the most affordable town to buy a house in our study. House prices were based on the median house price in October 2025 (Residential Property Price Index).
Top 5 affordable towns to live & work: Ballina, Longford, Letterkenny, Cavan and Mallow
For families
Ballina has taken the top spot as the best town for balancing work and family. To calculate the best town to work with a family, we summed index scores for house prices, crime rate, number of GP surgeries and primary schools.
Top 5 towns for families to live & work: Ballina, Castlebar, Enniscorthy, Killarney and Longford
For hybrid working
Dublin was the best place for hybrid working; the city of Cork and areas of Kildare and north Dublin (Fingal*) also performed well. To calculate the best towns for hybrid working, we summed index scores for average broadband and mobile speeds and distance to major roads and bus stops. This data was only available at county and city level.
Top towns for broadband and mobile connectivity: Dublin, Cork, North Dublin and Kildare. For transport links: Cork, Galway, Dublin and Sligo.
For health, fitness & well-being
Galway came in tops for access to leisure facilities and green spaces, essential for achieving a good quality of life. To rank our towns, we summed the index scores for distance to leisure centres and outdoor sports facilities, the number of public parks, and access to national parks and coastlines.
Top 5 towns for health & well-being: Galway, Dublin, Wicklow, Cork and Arklow
For shopping & eating
Killarney was the best place for your weekly shop, grab a bite to eat, or catch up over coffee. To find our top towns, we summed the index scores for the number of major supermarkets and cafes in the area.
Top 5 towns to shop, eat and refresh: Killarney, Ballina, Cavan, Gorey, Longford
Jason Redmond
From Gorey, Jason is the owner of Wexford Weekly. He is also a post-primary English and History teacher.
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