The most affordable counties for first-time buyers have been revealed.
Getting on the property ladder can be no easy task, and with deposit saving time on the up, the location of your first home is more important than ever.
Latest figures from the BPFI (Banking & Payments Federation Ireland) revealed that 60% of mortgage drawdowns came from first-time buyers.
The First Time Buyer Affordability Index 2026 released by telecom company Switcher.ie highlighted that the average first-time mortgage approval was for €330,199.
The Index also detailed the most affordable locations for first-time buyers, as well as the least and most unattainable areas.
In the research, the company looked at factors such as house prices, average income and household savings.
On average throughout the country, it can take a couple up to seven years and two months to save for a mortgage deposit in Ireland, dependent on location.
Longford is the most affordable for first-time buyers, with the Index finding an average of two years and three months for a mortgage of €224,000.
Also ranked the most affordable include Leitrim, Donegal, Roscommon, Mayo, Cavan, Clare, Limerick City, Offaly and Monaghan.
The statistics show it could take two years and four months to save for a deposit on a home in Leitrim, and two and a half years for a forever home in Donegal, Roscommon or Mayo.
This came following a look at the median first-time buyer house prices for the location along with the median annual earnings, and took into consideraiton the minimum 10% deposit required for a mortgage.
Looking at the most expensive areas, the Dublin southside coastal town of Dún Laoghaire topped the ranks.
Switcher.ie said: ‘The gap between house prices and income is so wide that a sole buyer might need a staggering 66 years (33 years for a couple) to save for a deposit in Dún Laoghaire.’
The median house price for a first-time buyer in the coastal town is around €595,340.
South Dublin, Galway City, Louth, Wicklow, Fingal, Dublin City, Meath, Kildare and County Cork are among the others deemed the least affordable.
Getting on the property ladder can be very daunting, but a number of schemes are available to help you on the way.
Many first-time buyers rely on help-to-buy schemes and grants, though these typically require the purchase of a newly built home.
Further investigation carried out by Switcher.ie found a correlation between areas with the highest house prices and the number of new builds. Longford, Donegal and Leitrim, in turn, only see a fraction of these new build homes.
Eoin Clarke, Commercial Director of Switcher.ie, said: ‘Despite healthy wage rises over the last couple of years, getting a foot on the Irish property ladder isn’t proving any easier.
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‘Much depends on where you live, work, and plan to buy a property; however, now that Ireland has laws in place to support flexible working, the daily commute has taken a back seat.’
Mr Clarke added that cheaper and more rural locations were becoming a ‘feasible option.’
The Commercial Director’s advice for those looking to become mortgage approved was to spend time learning about mortgages, begin saving and preparing early.
He detailed the first-time buyer schemes, such as First Home Scheme and Help to Buy, which can aid with mortgage costs and/or provide tax relief.
