County Roscommon most affordable county for first-time buyers

County Roscommon is Ireland’s most affordable county for first-time buyers, according to new research from Chill.

First-time buyers in Roscommon face the smallest affordability gap in the country, with new analysis from the insurer showing a single applicant would need to earn €50,625 to qualify under Central Bank mortgage rules. That’s only slightly above the county’s median income of €40,034, leaving an income shortfall of €10,591 – the lowest in Ireland.

Chill’s study compared median first-time-buyer home prices in every county with median local incomes, applying Central Bank limits of 90% loan-to-value and a maximum loan of four times gross income. The findings show that no county in Ireland is fully affordable for a single buyer on the national median salary of €43,221, but Roscommon comes closest.

In Roscommon, the median first-time-buyer home price now stands at €225,000, making it the most accessible point on the property ladder.

While Dublin and Wicklow require near or above €100,000 salaries to purchase a first-time-buyer home, Roscommon leads the list of more affordable counties, followed by Longford and Donegal.

Ian O’Reilly, Head of Personal Lines Sales at Chill, said:

“Roscommon stands out as the most affordable county in Ireland for those looking to get on the property ladder. But even here, the gap between what people earn and what’s needed under mortgage rules still exists. This shows just how tough it has become nationally for first-time buyers.”