Living in Bray, Co. Wicklow: Schools, Commute & House Prices 2026
On this page
- Who lives in Bray
- Getting around and commuting
- Getting around Bray
- Commute to Dublin from Bray
- Schools in Bray
- Things to do in and around Bray
- Where Bray is
- What it costs: house prices and rent in Bray
- Before you move: planning and flood
- Recent development in Bray
- Flood maps
- County context
- Common questions about living in Bray
- Nearby Wicklow towns
Leinster house prices & rents › Wicklow › Living in Bray
Bray is a town in Co. Wicklow, about 24 minutes from Dublin city centre by car and on the rail line, 19 schools, 66.4% of households own their home. Living here costs a median €520,000 to buy or €1,656 a month to rent (a 3.8% gross yield).
Official CSO, Department of Education, Transport for Ireland, PPR & RTB data · 255 sales · updated July 2026
How Bray compares: at €520,000 it is 6% above the County Wicklow median of €492k. Its 3.8% gross yield is below the county average of 4.3%.Recent activity in Bray: latest recorded sale Jun 2026; 1 new homes approved in the last year; prices +5.1% year on year. This page updates as new official data lands.
Who lives in Bray — 66.4% own their home, full Census breakdown
Who lives in Bray
33,512 people live in Bray on Census 2022 night. 66% of households own their home and 30% rent, so Bray leans towards owner occupiers. The most common way to commute is by car (54%). 18% are under 15 and 16% are aged 65 and over. 44% of those who have finished education hold a third level qualification.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Population (2022) | 33,512 |
| Owner-occupied households | 66% |
| Rented households | 30% |
| Aged under 15 | 18% |
| Aged 25 to 44 | 27% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16% |
| Third level or higher | 44% |
| At work (aged 15+) | 55% |
| Unemployment rate | 6% |
| Commute by car | 54% |
| Commute by public transport | 20% |
| Commute on foot or bike | 22% |
Source: CSO Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics for the Bray built-up area, CC-BY 4.0.
Getting around and commuting
Nearest train station: Bray (in the town), on the DART line
Public transport serving Bray — Rail + bus
Getting around Bray
Bray is served by 8 public-transport operators running 26 scheduled routes. Operators are BIFE Bus, Bus Átha Cliath – Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Go-Ahead Ireland, Iarnród Éireann / Irish Rail, Nitelink, Dublin Bus, St. Kevin's Bus Service and Wexford Bus.
| Operator | Mode |
|---|---|
| BIFE Bus | Bus / coach |
| Bus Átha Cliath – Dublin Bus | Bus / coach |
| Bus Éireann | Bus / coach |
| Go-Ahead Ireland | Bus / coach |
| Iarnród Éireann / Irish Rail | Rail |
| Nitelink, Dublin Bus | Bus / coach |
| St. Kevin's Bus Service | Bus / coach |
| Wexford Bus | Bus / coach |
Scheduled routes (a sample of 26)
- 44 - Enniskerry - DCU
- 7n - Dublin City South, D'Olier Street - Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Woodbrook Golf Club
- E1 - Ballywaltrim - Northwood
- L1 - Newcastle Hospital - Bray Station
- L2 - Sea Road, Newcastle - Bray Station
- X1 - Kilcoole - Hawkins Street
- X2 - Newcastle - Hawkins Street
- 131 - Bray - Wicklow
- 133 - Dublin - Wicklow
- 181 - Glendalough - Dublin
- 45A - Kilmacanogue - Dun Laoghaire
- 45B - Kilmacanogue - Dun Laoghaire
- 740 - Wexford - Dublin Airport
- 84n - Dublin City South, D'Olier Street - Charlesland Road (Seaborne View Apts)
Source: Transport for Ireland GTFS_All feed (NTA), CC-BY 4.0. Stops matched to the town within a 6 km radius; route list capped.
Commute to Dublin from Bray
Driving from Bray to Dublin city centre takes about 29 minutes by car on a clear run. That makes it the closest to Dublin of the 4 Wicklow towns we have routed by road.
| Town | Drive to Dublin |
|---|---|
| Bray, Wicklow This town | 29 min |
| Leixlip, Kildare Closest routed town | 22 min |
| Wexford, Wexford Farthest routed town | 106 min |
Door-to-centre driving time routed on OpenStreetMap road data via OSRM, no live traffic. Comparison is against the Leinster commuter towns routed so far. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Schools in Bray
There are 12 primary and 7 post-primary schools in and around Bray, 5 of them in the DEIS programme.
| School | Level | Pupils | DEIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loreto Secondary School | Post-primary | 735 | |
| Scoil Padraig Naofa | Primary | 680 | |
| Presentation College | Post-primary | 649 | |
| St. Gerard'S School | Post-primary | 620 | |
| Woodbrook College | Post-primary | 604 | DEIS |
| Ravenswell Primary School | Primary | 468 | DEIS |
| St. Kilian'S Community School | Post-primary | 417 | DEIS |
| Cronan Naofa N S | Primary | 388 | |
| St Fergal'S National School | Primary | 373 | DEIS |
| Coláiste Raithín | Post-primary | 342 | |
| North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School | Post-primary | 325 | |
| Bray School Project N S | Primary | 223 | |
| S N Muire Is Gearard | Primary | 206 | |
| Kilmacanogue N S | Primary | 204 |
Showing the 14 largest of 19.
Source: Department of Education, Data on Individual Schools. CC-BY 4.0.
Things to do in and around Bray
- Heritage nearby: Tully Church (6 km) · Monkstown Castle (10 km) · Kilmashogue Megalithic Tomb (13 km) · Rathfarnham Castle (16 km)
- Walking trails in County Wicklow: Wicklow Way · Arklow Loops Glenart Walk · Arklow Loops Kynoch Walk · Arklow Loops Love Lane Walk
- Nature reserves: Wicklow Mountains National Park · Glendalough Nature Reserve · Glenealo Valley Nature Reserve
Where Bray is
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
What it costs: house prices and rent in Bray
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price (12 mo) | €520,000 (+5.1% YoY) |
| Average monthly rent | €1,656 |
| Gross rental yield | 3.8% |
| Net yield (est.) | 3.0% |
| Wicklow county median | €492k |
| New build / second-hand | €660,000 / €505,000 |
What this means: New builds in Bray sell at about a 31% premium to second-hand homes (€660,000 vs €505,000).
Recent sales in Bray
| Date | Address | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun 26 | 72B REALT NA MARA, MEATH ROAD, BRAY | Second-hand | €565,000 |
| 11 Jun 26 | 73 HEADLANDS, PUTLAND RD, BRAY | Second-hand | €536,000 |
| 11 Jun 26 | 9 WELLINGTON COURT, BRAY, WICKLOW | Second-hand | €470,000 |
| 10 Jun 26 | 229 KILLARNEY PARK, BRAY, WICKLOW | Second-hand | €463,000 |
| 08 Jun 26 | 40 GILTSPUR BROOK, BRAY, WICKLOW | Second-hand | €546,500 |
| 05 Jun 26 | 185 KILLARNEY PARK, BRAY, WICKLOW | Second-hand | €535,000 |
| 05 Jun 26 | 85 GILTSPUR WOOD, BRAY, CO WICKLOW | Second-hand | €675,000 |
| 04 Jun 26 | 23 PEMBERTON, HERBERT RD, BRAY | Second-hand | €985,000 |
Actual sale prices from the Property Price Register, verifiable at propertypriceregister.ie.
Bray median price, year by year
| Year | Median | Relative | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | €449,999 | 280 sales | |
| 2024 | €460,000 | 370 sales | |
| 2025 | €516,000 | 317 sales | |
| 2026 | €533,000 | 87 sales |
Average rent by size
| 1-bed | 2-bed | 3-bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| €1,178 | €1,729 | €2,060 | — |
Maximum legal rent increase in Bray
Since 1 March 2026 a rent review is capped at the lower of 2% a year (pro rata) or CPI inflation.
The full March 2026 rent review rules
Bray compared with County Wicklow
| County | Median | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| Bray | 520000 | |
| County Wicklow median | 492000 |
Rent or buy in Bray?
At a glance: €520,000 to buy versus €1,656 a month to rent, a 3.8% gross yield.
Local Property Tax in Bray
The median home (€520,000) falls in LPT Band 4, a base charge of €428 a year before Wicklow County Council's local adjustment factor. Use the calculator for your exact valuation.
Renting in Bray: the March 2026 rent rules
Every rent increase is now capped at the lesser of 2% a year (pro rata) or CPI inflation, nationwide since 1 March 2026. A review needs 90 days' notice on the RTB form, no more than one in any 12 months, and the notice must cite three comparable homes from the RTB Rent Register. Check any rent increase against the legal cap, or see average rents for every Leinster town.
Before you move: planning and flood
Recent development in Bray
In the 12 months to July 2026, 150 planning grants were recorded in and around Bray, including 1 new home approved across those grants.
| Decided | Development | Homes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-08 | single storey extension to the side of the existing house, the provision of new roof lights, the alteration of the existing windows to the front... | 1 |
| 2026-06-10 | (a) the construction of a 2-storey dormer bungalow comprising 4 no. bedrooms with a gross internal area of 221 sq.m, located to the rear of the... | |
| 2026-06-04 | construction of two general purpose sheds to house stables, feed and fodder, tack room, covered manure pit and log storage and ancillary works (i.e... | |
| 2026-05-29 | retention of changes to fenestration and permission for change of use (removal of condition 2 of Planning Register Reference 06/6230) from restricted... | |
| 2026-05-26 | single storey extension to rear of existing dwelling |
Source: Irish Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (ArcGIS, CC-BY 4.0). Granted applications keyed to the nearest town within 7 km. Homes column shows residential units in the application where recorded.
What this means: The 1 homes approved here in the last year are about 0% of Bray's roughly 11,835 households, a supply pipeline that typically eases price pressure.
Flood maps
For the modelled fluvial, coastal and pluvial flood extents around Bray, open the official OPW flood maps, the authoritative source for Bray, Wicklow.
View the official OPW flood maps for Bray →
Source: Office of Public Works, floodinfo.ie. No OPW flood-extent values are reproduced here.
County context
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Population (2022 Census) | 155,851 |
| Population change 2016 to 2022 | +9.4% |
| Disposable income per person (index, State = 100) | 100.7 |
| New dwelling permissions (Mid-East region, 2017) | 657 thousand m² |
Planning permissions are reported at NUTS3 region level; counties in this region share a figure.
Sources: CSO F1001, CIA02, BHQ09. CC-BY 4.0.
Nearby Wicklow towns
Greystones · Delgany · Kilcoole · Newtownmountkennedy · Wicklow · Rathnew
All Wicklow house prices · All Leinster house prices
Sources: CSO Census 2022, Department of Education, Transport for Ireland, Property Price Register (PSRA), CSO RPPI, RTB via CSO. CC-BY. Figures verifiable at the official source.
Common questions about living in Bray
What's it like to live in Bray?
Bray is a town in Co. Wicklow, about 24 minutes from Dublin city centre by car and on the rail line, 19 schools, 66.4% of households own their home (CSO Census 2022, Department of Education, Transport for Ireland).
How much does it cost to live in Bray?
A home in Bray costs a median €520,000 to buy or €1,656 a month to rent, a 3.8% gross yield (Property Price Register, RTB via CSO).
How long is the commute from Bray to Dublin?
About 24 minutes to Dublin city centre by car and on the rail line (OpenStreetMap routing).
What schools are in Bray?
Schools in Bray include Loreto Secondary School, Scoil Padraig Naofa, Presentation College, St. Gerard'S School, among 12 primary and 7 post-primary in total (Department of Education, 2024/25).
Shortlist is full (max 3 towns). View your shortlist to remove a town first.
Median of open-market sales each year (Property Price Register). Latest year is partial.
Could a home in Bray pay as a buy-to-let?
Pre-filled with Bray's median price and average rent. Change any figure and it recalculates instantly.
Illustrative. Assumes ~18% of rent for management, insurance and voids; 25-year mortgage on the borrowed share; ~4% acquisition costs. Not financial advice.
What can you afford to buy in Bray?
Pre-filled with Bray's median price. Adjust the income and deposit and it recalculates instantly.
Central Bank rules: 3.5x gross income for most buyers; first-time buyers can borrow up to 90% LTV. Figures are illustrative, not financial advice.
Stamp duty on a Bray property
Pre-filled with Bray's median price. Change the purchase price and see your stamp duty and total cost instantly.
Irish residential stamp duty: 1% on the first €1,000,000; 2% on any amount above. Figures are illustrative, not legal or financial advice.
Local Property Tax for a Bray home
Pre-filled with Bray's median price. Uses the 2026 Revenue valuation bands (valuation date: 1 November 2025).
Revenue LPT 2026-2030 band table (source: revenue.ie). Your local authority can vary the base charge by up to 15%. Figures are illustrative; verify at Revenue's LPT reckoner for your exact property.
Rent cap calculator for Bray
Pre-filled with Bray's median rent. From 1 March 2026 all private tenancies in Ireland are covered by national rent control: the annual increase is capped at 2% or CPI inflation, whichever is lower.
Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2025; national rent control from 1 March 2026 (source: rtb.ie). RPZ_CAP_PCT = 2.0% per annum -- flagged for Bryan to verify the exact statutory rate before publishing. Figures are illustrative, not legal advice.