# Best areas to live in Dublin for families | Where to live | Moving to Ireland > Moving to Dublin with children changes the question from "where is fun" to "where can we get a school place, a garden, a park and a commute that does not… Source: https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/where-to-live/best-areas-to-live-in-dublin-for-families/ Where to live · Step 1 of 6 # Best areas to live in Dublin for families 4 min read · Updated 13 September 2026 Moving to Dublin with children changes the question from "where is fun" to "where can we get a school place, a garden, a park and a commute that does not eat the evening". This guide walks through the suburbs that families in Dublin consistently choose, what each one offers, and what a family-sized home costs there right now. Rent figures come from the Daft.ie Rental Report for the second quarter of 2026 (published August 2026) and the RTB Rent Index for the first quarter of 2026, so treat them as a snapshot rather than a promise. ## What to weigh up before you pick an area Three things decide most family moves in Dublin. First, **school places**: primary schools in popular suburbs fill up, and many use catchment or "first come" enrolment policies, so you should check each school's admission policy on its website before signing a lease. Second, **green space**: Dublin is well served by large parks, but they are unevenly spread. Third, the **commute**: a house that looks affordable in the west of the county can cost you 90 minutes a day if it is not on the Luas, DART or a rail line. Read our commuter guide alongside this one. Also consider the type of school your family wants. Most primary schools are Catholic-patron national schools, but every area now has Educate Together (multi-denominational) and Gaelscoil (Irish-language) options, and secondary school choice is wider again. Citizens Information explains how enrolment works. ## North side favourites **Clontarf and Raheny (Dublin 3 and Dublin 5)** sit on Dublin Bay with the seafront promenade, Dollymount Strand and St Anne's Park, one of the largest parks in the city with playgrounds, a rose garden and weekend markets. Both are on the DART, about 10 to 15 minutes from Connolly. Rents are high but you get established schools and a real village feel. **Malahide and Portmarnock** in north County Dublin are the classic family choice: a marina, the beach, Malahide Castle demesne with its playground and fairy trail, and a DART ride of roughly **25 minutes** to Connolly. Expect to compete for houses here; supply is tight. **Castleknock (Dublin 15)** borders the Phoenix Park, which at over **700 hectares** is the largest enclosed urban park in Europe, with the zoo, playgrounds and endless cycle routes. It has well-regarded primary and secondary schools and rail at Castleknock and Coolmine stations on the Maynooth line. **Swords** is cheaper than the coast, has a large stock of three and four-bedroom houses, several new schools and quick bus access to Dublin Airport. It has no rail yet, so check bus times for your workplace. ## South side favourites **Dundrum and Rathfarnham (Dublin 14 and 16)** combine strong schools with Marlay Park (about 300 acres of woodland, playgrounds and a Saturday market) and the Luas Green Line, roughly **15 minutes** from Dundrum to St Stephen's Green. Rathfarnham also has St Enda's Park and Bushy Park. **Blackrock, Stillorgan and Booterstown** in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown are close to the sea, the DART and a dense cluster of primary and secondary schools. This is the most expensive local authority in Dublin for new tenancies, so budget accordingly. **Lucan and Adamstown** in west Dublin offer newer, larger houses at lower rents, with Adamstown and Kishoge stations on the Kildare line and a new community college. Many families trade a longer commute for an extra bedroom here. ## What a family home costs by area The table shows average asking rents for family-sized homes in the Daft.ie Q2 2026 report, split by Daft's Dublin regions. Percentages are the year-on-year change.
Dublin region (Daft.ie, Q2 2026)2-bed house3-bed house4-bed house
City Centre€2,579 (+3.7%)€3,203 (+2.5%)€3,996 (+7.6%)
North Dublin City (Clontarf, Raheny, Drumcondra)€2,617 (+11.9%)€3,119 (+10.2%)€3,771 (+7.2%)
South Dublin City (Rathmines, Rathfarnham, Terenure)€2,779 (+4.8%)€3,464 (+2.2%)€4,531 (+8.7%)
North County (Malahide, Swords, Portmarnock)€2,353 (+8.0%)€2,803 (+7.5%)€3,717 (+13.4%)
South County (Dundrum, Blackrock, Stillorgan)€2,781 (+8.7%)€3,525 (+6.7%)€4,346 (+7.2%)
West Dublin (Lucan, Castleknock, Tallaght)€2,340 (+7.7%)€2,889 (+12.6%)€3,436 (+7.4%)
For context, the RTB Rent Index for Q1 2026 puts the standardised average rent for a new tenancy at **€2,629** in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, **€2,301** in Dublin City, **€2,269** in Fingal and **€2,267** in South Dublin. Existing tenants pay noticeably less, which is why families who find a good house tend to stay put. ## Practical tips for a family move - Apply to schools before you have an address if you can; many accept applications for the following September from early autumn. - Ask the letting agent whether the property is a "family let". Some landlords prefer families for longer tenancies, which can work in your favour. - Check the Dublin Bus, Luas and DART journey planner from the actual door of the house, not the suburb name. - Look for a home within walking distance of a primary school; the school run in Dublin traffic is a daily cost people underestimate. - Register your children with a GP as soon as you arrive. Children under 8 are entitled to a free GP visit card. ## ★ Useful links - [Daft.ie Rental Report Q2 2026](https://www.daft.ie/report) - [RTB Rent Index](https://www.rtb.ie/data-insights/rtb-research-reports/rtb-esri-rent-index/) - [Citizens Information: going to primary school](https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/primary-and-post-primary-education/going-to-primary-school/) - [Department of Education: find a school](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/find-a-school/) - [TFI journey planner](https://www.transportforireland.ie/plan-a-journey/) ![](https://www.movingtoireland.co/apple-touch-icon.png) You have read 24% of this guide ## Keep reading in the Moving to Ireland app The rest of **Best areas to live in Dublin for families** — about 3 minutes more — is in the app, free to download, alongside 98 other guides and a checklist built around your own move. Still to come in this guide - North side favourites - South side favourites - What a family home costs by area - Practical tips for a family move [Download free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261) iPhone and iPad · no account needed ## More on where to live [All 6 guides in this section](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/where-to-live/) - ### [Best areas of Dublin for young professionals](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/where-to-live/best-areas-to-live-in-dublin-for-young-professionals/) If you are moving to Dublin for work and do not have children in tow, your priorities are probably a short commute, somewhere to eat and meet people… 4 min read - ### [Best Dublin suburbs for commuters](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/where-to-live/best-dublin-suburbs-for-commuters/) Dublin's rents fall quickly as you move away from the centre, but only some of the cheaper suburbs have a fast, reliable way in. The trick is to pick a… 4 min read - ### [Dublin areas ranked by rent](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/where-to-live/dublin-areas-ranked-by-rent/) Before you fall in love with a neighbourhood, it helps to know where it sits on the price ladder. This page ranks Dublin's areas from most to least… 3 min read - ### [Best areas to live in Cork](https://www.movingtoireland.co/guides/where-to-live/best-areas-to-live-in-cork/) Cork is Ireland's second city and, for many people moving for jobs in pharma, tech or at the universities, it is a happier fit than Dublin: smaller… 3 min read Keep going ## Get the full where-to-live roadmap in the app Moving to Ireland turns 99 guides into a personal checklist. Tell it your passport, whether you have moved yet, and who is coming with you, and it lays out every step in order — from the visa to the bins. - Step-by-step checklist - Tailored to your passport - Pre-move & post-move - Family & pet sections [![Download Moving to Ireland on the App Store](https://www.movingtoireland.co/images/app-store-badge.svg)](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261) ★★★★★ 4.9 on the App Store [![Expats who settled in Ireland, two five-star App Store reviews, and the Moving to Ireland app showing its relocation checklist](https://www.movingtoireland.co/images/app-social-proof.webp)](https://apps.apple.com/app/moving-to-ireland/id6446055261)