Living in Portlaoise, Co. Laois: Schools, Commute & House Prices 2026
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.Get Leinster InsiderPlanning grants, sales and rent updates for your county, weekly, from official data. Free.Subscribe
Local to Portlaoise? Estate agents, mortgage brokers and solicitors — reach people researching Portlaoise property right here on this page.
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. Enter the current rent and the dates to get the maximum legal rent for Portlaoise, using the official CSO figures.
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. Use the calculator for your own numbers.
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.
More free calculators: what can I afford · stamp duty · budget + commute · rent increase cap · Leinster town finder
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 |
See all recent planning applications in and around Portlaoise →
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.
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).
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.