Crime is mixed across the county. Celbridge is a standout - it’s one of the safest towns in Ireland.
Kildare towns are considered well connected and generally safe - but a new national study shows they’re still stuck in the middle when it comes to quality of life.
On broadband and commuting, Kildare is strong.
Athy, Maynooth, Naas, Newbridge and Leixlip all score well for fast internet and access to major routes. That’s one of the county’s biggest strengths compared with many towns around the country.
But housing costs are the big problem.
Most Kildare towns are far more expensive than the national leaders like Ballina and Longford.
Maynooth, Naas and Leixlip in particular are dragged down by high median house prices, which hurts their overall ranking.
Crime is mixed across the county.
Celbridge is a standout - it’s one of the safest towns in Ireland.
But Athy, Naas, Newbridge and Leixlip all sit generally mid-range for crime, which means they don’t get a boost in the rankings.
Services and amenities are generally considered good.
Maynooth and Naas score well for cafés, schools and local services, helping keep them competitive nationally.
When everything is added together, Athy comes out best in Kildare at 18th place.
Maynooth follows at 25th, then Leixlip at 32nd, Newbridge at 36th and Naas at 39th.
Nationally, towns like Arklow, Ballina and Enniscorthy come out on top - mainly because they combine decent services with much cheaper housing.
Many of the top-ranking towns also combine good school access with much cheaper housing - which is where parts of Kildare lose ground.
Meanwhile, two Wicklow Towns have been named among the best places for a work-life balance in Ireland.
Arklow has been named as the best place for work-life balance while Wicklow Town is fourth.
The Switcher.ie list looked at factors such as house prices, broadband speeds, cafes, crime rates and proximity to major roads and bus stops.
It examined 50 towns across the country.
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