Wednesday 26th June
Carlow and Kilkenny are coming in mid-table on a list of the most affordable and unaffordable counties in the country.
According to a report by EYDKM Economic Advisory, buying a house is unaffordable for first-time buyers on the average wage in nearly half the country.
Kilkenny is the 9th most affordable county in Ireland to buy a home in, while Carlow is further down the list at 14th despite slightly lower prices.
Economic consultants EYDKM have calculated that first time buyers who are renting on the average wage would have to save for two and a half years to get a 10% deposit for the average house in KIlkenny.
The average house would be 3.1 times their income – with Central Bank rules only allowing up to three-and-a-half.
In Carlow, they estimate it would take 2.6 years to save a deposit with the house prices at 3.2 times the income.
Seven counties are deemed completely unaffordable with central bank rules putting prices to high for first time buyers in Cork, Galway, Dublin and its commuter belt of Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Louth.