Is Waterford a good place to live?

58/100 livability · Ireland
Waterford, Ireland scores 58/100 for livability — a mixed pick: cost 1/100, climate 99/100, safety 81/100. Warmest-month high ~15.9°C, coldest-month low ~5.4°C. Main natural-disaster exposure: flooding; homicide rate ~0.7/100k. Safety 81/100 blends disaster (66) and crime (98).
Waterford — average monthly high (°C, WorldClim)
JFMAMJJASOND
Livability pillars (0-100)
1Cost99Climate81Safety
Disaster risk by type (1-5)
2Quake3Flood1Storm2Wildfire1Heat1Drought2Cold1Tsunami

How each score is calculated: CostiAffordability, 0–100. Higher = cheaper. = 100 − (country price level vs US × a city-size premium). Source: World Bank PPP ÷ exchange rate (US = 100). · ClimateiComfort, 0–100, from WorldClim monthly temperatures. Penalises hot summers (above ~24°C), cold winters (below ~6°C) and too-cool summers (below 15°C). Higher = milder. · Safetyi0–100. Higher = safer. Blends 55% natural-disaster safety (8 hazards — earthquake from real USGS records, plus flood, storm, wildfire, heat, drought, cold, tsunami) and 45% crime safety (homicide rate). · LivabilityiOverall score, 0–100 = 0.35 × Cost + 0.30 × Climate + 0.35 × Safety. (hover the i)

How to read the scores — all on a 0–100 scale, higher is better.

What living in Waterford actually looks like

On cost, Ireland sits at 99 on the World Bank price level (US=100) — around US price levels — which maps to an affordability score of 1/100. The climate brings cool summers (warmest-month highs around 15.9°C) and cool winters (coldest-month lows near 5.4°C), scoring 99/100 on our comfort index. Personal safety is high at 81/100 — a blend of natural-disaster exposure (66/100; main risk flooding) and crime safety (98/100, homicide roughly 0.7/100k). Weighted together (0.35 cost, 0.30 climate, 0.35 safety) that produces an overall livability of 58/100 — a mixed pick. On balance, Waterford suits people who prioritise climate comfort best; weigh it against the disaster profile below before committing.

Natural-disaster risk in Waterford

Does Waterford flood?

Flood risk in Waterford is moderate (3/5), based on regional river/coastal flood exposure.

How scored: livability = 0.35·cost + 0.30·climate + 0.35·safety. Climate from WorldClim v2.1 normals; cost from World Bank PPP÷FX (real, open); earthquake from USGS (real); flood/storm/wildfire/drought/tsunami tiers indicative — verify before publish.

FAQ

Is Waterford a good place to live?

Waterford scores 58/100 for livability — cost 1, climate 99, safety 81.

Is Waterford safe?

Safety 81/100 = disaster safety 66 (main risk flooding) blended with crime safety 98 (homicide ~0.7/100k).

What's the climate like in Waterford?

Warmest-month highs average ~15.9°C and coldest-month lows ~5.4°C (WorldClim climate normals).

How much does it cost to live in Waterford?

Ireland sits at 99/100 on the World Bank price level (US=100) — affordability score 1/100.

See also

All cities in Ireland → Best places to retire in Ireland → Digital nomad guide to Ireland → Natural-disaster risk in Ireland → Safest cities from flooding → Oceanic-climate cities →

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