Living in Portlaoise, Co. Laois: Schools, Commute & House Prices 2026
On this page
- Who lives in Portlaoise
- Getting around and commuting
- Getting around Portlaoise
- Commute to Dublin from Portlaoise
- Schools in Portlaoise
- Things to do in and around Portlaoise
- Where Portlaoise is
- What it costs: house prices and rent in Portlaoise
- Before you move: planning and flood
- Recent development in Portlaoise
- Flood maps
- County context
- Common questions about living in Portlaoise
- Nearby Laois towns
Leinster house prices & rents › Laois › Living in Portlaoise
Portlaoise is a town in Co. Laois, about 75 minutes from Dublin city centre by car and on the rail line, 11 schools, 59.0% of households own their home. Living here costs a median €365,000 to buy or €1,316 a month to rent (a 4.3% gross yield).
Official CSO, Department of Education, Transport for Ireland, PPR & RTB data · 566 sales · updated July 2026
How Portlaoise compares: at €365,000 it is 3% above the County Laois median of €355k. Its 4.3% gross yield is above the county average of 4.3%.Recent activity in Portlaoise: latest recorded sale Jun 2026; 440 new homes approved in the last year; prices +27.4% year on year. This page updates as new official data lands.
Who lives in Portlaoise — 59.0% own their home, full Census breakdown
Who lives in Portlaoise
23,494 people live in Portlaoise on Census 2022 night. 59% of households own their home and 37% rent, so Portlaoise leans towards owner occupiers. The most common way to commute is by car (68%). It skews young: 23% are under 15 against 10% aged 65 and over. 37% of those who have finished education hold a third level qualification.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Population (2022) | 23,494 |
| Owner-occupied households | 59% |
| Rented households | 37% |
| Aged under 15 | 23% |
| Aged 25 to 44 | 32% |
| Aged 65 and over | 10% |
| Third level or higher | 37% |
| At work (aged 15+) | 56% |
| Unemployment rate | 9% |
| Commute by car | 68% |
| Commute by public transport | 10% |
| Commute on foot or bike | 16% |
Source: CSO Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics for the Portlaoise built-up area, CC-BY 4.0.
Getting around and commuting
Nearest train station: Portlaoise (in the town), on several Dublin intercity lines
Public transport serving Portlaoise — Rail + bus
Getting around Portlaoise
Portlaoise is served by 9 public-transport operators running 24 scheduled routes. Operators are Bus Éireann, City Direct, Dublin Coach, Iarnród Éireann / Irish Rail, JJ Kavanagh, Martley's, Slieve Bloom Coach Tours, TFI Local Link Laois Offaly and TFI Local Link Tipperary.
| Operator | Mode |
|---|---|
| Bus Éireann | Bus / coach |
| City Direct | Bus / coach |
| Dublin Coach | Bus / coach |
| Iarnród Éireann / Irish Rail | Rail |
| JJ Kavanagh | Bus / coach |
| Martley's | Bus / coach |
| Slieve Bloom Coach Tours | Bus / coach |
| TFI Local Link Laois Offaly | Bus / coach |
| TFI Local Link Tipperary | Bus / coach |
Scheduled routes (a sample of 24)
- 73 - Waterford - Athlone - Longford
- 726 - Portlaoise - Dublin Airport
- 735 - Limerick - Nenagh - Dublin Airport
- 823 - Birr - Portlaoise
- 827 - Mountmellick - Portarlington - Portlaoise
- 828 - Cashel - Portlaoise
- 829 - Portlaoise - Portarlington - Tullamore
- 830 - Portlaoise - Tullamore
- 831 - Portlaoise - Portlaoise
- 832 - Errill - Portlaoise
- 834 - Roscrea - Portlaoise
- 838 - Kilkenny - Portlaoise
- 858 - Thurles - Portlaoise
- LS1 - Borris-in-Ossory - Mount Lucas
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 Portlaoise
Driving from Portlaoise to Dublin city centre takes about 69 minutes by car on a clear run. That makes it the 2nd-closest to Dublin of the 2 Laois towns we have routed, behind Portarlington at 66 minutes.
| Town | Drive to Dublin |
|---|---|
| Portlaoise, Laois This town | 69 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 Portlaoise
There are 7 primary and 4 post-primary schools in and around Portlaoise, 2 of them in the DEIS programme.
| School | Level | Pupils | DEIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portlaoise College | Post-primary | 952 | DEIS |
| St. Mary'S C.B.S. | Post-primary | 806 | |
| Scoil Chriost Ri | Post-primary | 802 | |
| Scoil Bhride Ns | Primary | 727 | DEIS |
| Holy Family Senior School | Primary | 644 | |
| Holy Family Junior School | Primary | 599 | |
| Dunamase College (Coláiste Dhún Másc) | Post-primary | 577 | |
| Portlaoise Educate Together Ns | Primary | 457 | |
| Gaelscoil Phort Laoise | Primary | 369 | |
| Fraoch Mor N S | Primary | 212 | |
| Maryboro N S | Primary | 96 |
Source: Department of Education, Data on Individual Schools. CC-BY 4.0.
Things to do in and around Portlaoise
- Heritage nearby: Dunamase Castle (6 km) · Timahoe Round Tower (10 km) · Sierkieran Monastic Site (33 km) · Dunmore Cave (34 km)
- Walking trails in County Laois: Barrow Way · Abbeyleix Loops - Collins Bog Loop · Abbeyleix Loops - Killamuck Bog Loop · Brittas Forest Loop
- Nature reserves: Slieve Bloom Mountains Nature Reserve · Timahoe Esker Nature Reserve · Coolacurragh Wood Nature Reserve
Full guide: things to do in Portlaoise →
Where Portlaoise is
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
What it costs: house prices and rent in Portlaoise
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price (12 mo) | €365,000 (+27.4% YoY) |
| Average monthly rent | €1,316 |
| Gross rental yield | 4.3% |
| Net yield (est.) | 3.4% |
| Laois county median | €355k |
| New build / second-hand | €395,000 / €283,000 |
What this means: New builds in Portlaoise sell at about a 40% premium to second-hand homes (€395,000 vs €283,000).
Recent sales in Portlaoise
| Date | Address | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 26 | APT 2A, STRADBROOK, PORTLAOISE | Second-hand | €200,000 |
| 22 Jun 26 | 39 MARYBOROUGH CRESCENT, PORTLAOISE, CO LAOIS | Second-hand | €245,000 |
| 19 Jun 26 | 18 LYNDEN COURT, BALLYFIN ROAD, PORTLAOISE | Second-hand | €322,000 |
| 17 Jun 26 | 1A STRADBROOK, STRADBALLY RD, PORTLAOISE | Second-hand | €240,000 |
| 16 Jun 26 | GLENLAHAN, STRADBALLY RD, PORTLAOISE | Second-hand | €815,000 |
| 15 Jun 26 | 30 MARYBOROUGH CRESCENT, PORTLAOISE, LAOIS | Second-hand | €247,000 |
| 15 Jun 26 | 34 BRIDLE WALK, KILMINCHY, PORTLAOISE | Second-hand | €217,000 |
| 15 Jun 26 | 6 THE DOWNS, STRADBALLY ROAD, PORTLAOISE | Second-hand | €554,000 |
Actual sale prices from the Property Price Register, verifiable at propertypriceregister.ie.
Portlaoise median price, year by year
| Year | Median | Relative | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | €255,000 | 539 sales | |
| 2024 | €295,000 | 531 sales | |
| 2025 | €330,000 | 566 sales | |
| 2026 | €381,000 | 221 sales |
Average rent by size
| 1-bed | 2-bed | 3-bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| €1,103 | €1,312 | €1,302 | €1,515 |
Maximum legal rent increase in Portlaoise
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
Portlaoise compared with County Laois
| County | Median | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| Portlaoise | 365000 | |
| County Laois median | 355000 |
Rent or buy in Portlaoise?
At a glance: €365,000 to buy versus €1,316 a month to rent, a 4.3% gross yield.
Local Property Tax in Portlaoise
The median home (€365,000) falls in LPT Band 3, a base charge of €333 a year before Laois County Council's local adjustment factor. Use the calculator for your exact valuation.
Renting in Portlaoise: 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 Portlaoise
In the 12 months to July 2026, 104 planning grants were recorded in and around Portlaoise, including 440 new homes approved across those grants.
| Decided | Development | Homes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-13 | construct 92 No. residential dwellings comprising 86 No. 4-bed houses and 6 No. 2-bed sheltered housing units. The proposed development will be 1 No... | 92 |
| 2026-05-22 | carry out development which will consist of: A proposed residential and commercial development on a brownfield site of 4.96 hectares to include the... | 76 |
| 2026-01-13 | construct a creche (c. 961 sq m) and 74 No. residential dwellings comprising 64 No. 4-bed houses and 4 No. 1-bed and 6 No. 2-bed sheltered housing... | 74 |
| 2025-10-08 | Construct of 74 no. residential dwellings, comprising of 24 no. Duplexes, consisting of 12 no. two-bed units and 12 no. three-bed units over three... | 71 |
| 2026-01-12 | provide 36 No. 4-bed, 2 No. storey houses.The development will also include: the continuation of the Link Road permitted in Phases 1A & 1B, as... | 36 |
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 440 homes approved here in the last year are about 6% of Portlaoise's roughly 7,785 households, a supply pipeline that typically eases price pressure.
Flood maps
For the modelled fluvial, coastal and pluvial flood extents around Portlaoise, open the official OPW flood maps, the authoritative source for Portlaoise, Laois.
View the official OPW flood maps for Portlaoise →
Source: Office of Public Works, floodinfo.ie. No OPW flood-extent values are reproduced here.
County context
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Population (2022 Census) | 91,877 |
| Population change 2016 to 2022 | +8.5% |
| Disposable income per person (index, State = 100) | 76.2 |
| New dwelling permissions (Midland region, 2017) | 168 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 Laois towns
Mountmellick · Portarlington · Mountrath
All Laois house prices · All Leinster house prices · Things to do in Portlaoise
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 Portlaoise
What's it like to live in Portlaoise?
Portlaoise is a town in Co. Laois, about 75 minutes from Dublin city centre by car and on the rail line, 11 schools, 59.0% of households own their home (CSO Census 2022, Department of Education, Transport for Ireland).
How much does it cost to live in Portlaoise?
A home in Portlaoise costs a median €365,000 to buy or €1,316 a month to rent, a 4.3% gross yield (Property Price Register, RTB via CSO).
How long is the commute from Portlaoise to Dublin?
About 75 minutes to Dublin city centre by car and on the rail line (OpenStreetMap routing).
What schools are in Portlaoise?
Schools in Portlaoise include Portlaoise College, St. Mary'S C.B.S., Scoil Chriost Ri, Scoil Bhride Ns, among 7 primary and 4 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 Portlaoise pay as a buy-to-let?
Pre-filled with Portlaoise'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 Portlaoise?
Pre-filled with Portlaoise'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 Portlaoise property
Pre-filled with Portlaoise'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 Portlaoise home
Pre-filled with Portlaoise'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 Portlaoise
Pre-filled with Portlaoise'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.