Over 3,500 houses under construction in Cork
Residential construction in Cork accounted for 12.4% of national construction in June 2026 - the second highest in the country - according to figures released as part of a new report by professional services firm EY.
The report - the GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report for Q2 2026 - found that there were 3,770 residential buildings under construction in Cork, compared to a national figure of 30,508.
The figures were based on the GeoDirectory of addresses in Ireland, which forms the basis for the EirCode system.
The highest proportion of construction projects was in Dublin, which had 6,107, or 20% of national construction.
From January 2026 until the release of the report, the number of new houses under construction grew by 27.8% compared to the same period in 2025. However, between May 2025 and May 2026, there was a 41% drop in the number of new projects commencing.
Alongside construction projects, there has also been an increase in the number of addresses being added to the GeoDirectory database. There were 4,154 new addresses added in Cork - the second highest outside of Dublin - or 11.2% of the national figure of 37,128.
Again, Dublin accounted for the highest proportion, 12,524, or 33.7%.
The vacancy rate in Cork matched the national average of 3.7% last month. The national vacancy rate was the same in June 2026 as it was at the same time last year. In total, 81,373 residential units were classified as vacant across the state in Q2 2026.
The highest rates were in the west and north-west, in Leitrim (11.5%), Mayo (10.3%), Roscommon (9.9%), Donegal (8.9%), and Sligo (8/3%).
Dereliction rates fell by 3.5% compared to Q2 2025. Cork accounted for 6.4% of derelict properties in the country, the fourth highest in the country after Mayo, Donegal, and Galway.
The average house price in Cork in the twelve months to May 2026 was €402,438, 4% less than the national average of €437,631.
In Cork city there was a total of 2,217 transactions in the year to May 2026. The majority of these - 1,460 - were in the city’s southside, with an average price of €445,548. The average house price in the city’s northside was €387,583.
Simon MacAllister, Partner at EY, said: “Passing the 30,000 mark for homes under construction represents a significant milestone for the sector, while the more than 37,000 address points added in the year to June demonstrate strong momentum in housing delivery.
“We are seeing much of this activity clustered in high-growth commuter areas, reflecting where population growth and housing demand are most acute. The challenge now is to maintain this pace of delivery and ensure more new housing is brought to the market,” he said.