A Clare auctioneer claims the increasing age profile of home buyers in Clare highlights the growing divide between urban and rural living.
New CSO figures show the average median age of home buyers in Clare is now over 41 years old, which is more than three years above the national average.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office show there were 1,000 homes purchased in Clare in 2019, with the average age of buyers in the county at 41.6.
In the Killaloe, Shannon and Ennis electoral areas this dropped below 40 however, while the median age of those buying homes in Kilrush were on average 45 years old and in Ennistymon’s local electoral area it was 48.
Average prices of joint transactions were the highest in Ennis at €193,000, while the Kilrush had the lowest at €130,000.
David Costello of Costello Estate Agents believes the trends of younger people migrating out of rural areas to more urban areas is impacting on the age profile of those buying homes.
But he says the pandemic has led to a drip feed of people back to Clare who can work from home here while continuing to earn an East coast wage.
An Ennis auctioneer believes the last two years have resulted in seismic changes in the market though.
Doug Hurley of DNG O’Sullivan Hurley says people moving back here to work from home has put a further squeeze on affordability for locals.
Of ten new housing builds in Ennis, only one is going to the private market with the rest earmarked for social housing and he says this is putting pressure on first time buyers who are left with little to no stock options.
Doug fears he lack of housing stock is stifling economic growth in the county.
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