Living in Browns Bay: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 4,635 live property titles in Browns Bay, Auckland are mostly freehold (57%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 1,143 (24.7%), well above the national share of 8.7%.
- Cross-lease titles
- 1,143
- Share of live titles
- 24.7%
- Live titles in total
- 4,635
- Auckland share
- 14.4%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Auckland
- joint 48 of 160
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 72 of 644
Browns Bay at a glance
Where Browns Bay differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: median slope under buildings (higher than 95% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Browns Bay is listed under Auckland.
- 4,635 live titles are recorded here, including 1,143 cross-lease titles (24.7%).
- The page includes 2023 Census context for the statistical area that represents this suburb.
- The page includes MBIE new-tenancy rent figures for April–June 2026.
Contextual observations
- Cross-lease titles make up 24.7% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 16.7% of recorded titles, so title structure can vary within the suburb.
- Public-transport figures describe how recorded titles sit near mapped stops. They do not describe a service from a particular property.
- Coast distance is a suburb-level map measure, not a flood or hazard assessment.
Questions worth investigating
- For any cross-lease property you consider, do the current title, flats plan and lease match what is built today?
- What do the LIM, council property file and a suitable inspection add for the specific address?
No data held for this suburb
- The core title, Census, rent, transport and coast measures used by this page are available.
Title mix in Browns Bay
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 2,627 | 56.7% |
| Cross lease | 1,143 | 24.7% |
| Unit title | 774 | 16.7% |
| Leasehold | 4 | 0.1% |
| Other record types | 87 | 1.9% |
| Total | 4,635 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Browns Bay compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Browns Bay is about 2.8 times the national share (8.7%).
Across Auckland as a whole, the share is 14.4%; Browns Bay is about 1.7 times the overall Auckland share (14.4%).
How cross-leases in Browns Bay are set up
Three-flat schemes are less common here (2%, against 12% nationally).
Fewer leases include a garage (14% of schemes, against 28% nationally).
Fewer schemes have four or more flats on one section (6%, against 11% nationally), up to 12.
| Scheme structure | Browns Bay | Auckland | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 531 | 39,589 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 91.7% | 73.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 2.4% | 14.0% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 5.6% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 1,038 m² | 961 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 515 m² | 418 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 14.1% | 23.0% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 8.7% | 19.2% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 4.7% | 5.5% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 43.3% | 42.1% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1986 | 1989 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 487 | 26,275 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Browns Bay
Unit titles are 17% of Browns Bay's titles, slightly above Auckland (15%) and well above New Zealand (8%). They belong to 85 developments, each run by a body corporate; 6 have 50 or more units.
The unit-title share is in the highest quarter of 160 in Auckland.
New titles in Browns Bay since 2020
526 of Browns Bay's current titles (11%) were first issued since 2020, below Auckland's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (16%) and slightly below New Zealand (12%).
27% are unit titles, in 2 developments; most of the rest are freehold.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 370 | 224 |
| Unit title | 140 | 65 |
| Cross-lease | 13 | 7 |
| Leasehold | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 1 |
New titles include cross-leases converted to freehold and titles re-issued; they are not a count of new homes. Sources and limits
The lie of the land in Browns Bay
The typical building in Browns Bay stands on ground sloping 9.2° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), the steepest of 160 in Auckland.
About 12% of its 3,976 measured buildings stand on ground of 15° or more.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Browns Bay
4% of Browns Bay's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 21% within 500 m and 38% within 1 km. The typical title is 1.3 km away.
Measured in a straight line from the centre of each title's land to the coastline on LINZ's 1:50k topographic map, which follows harbours and estuaries as well as the open coast; lakes and rivers are not included. Distance says nothing about beach access, views or exposure to coastal hazards; council hazard maps and the LIM describe those.
Who lives around Browns Bay: 2023 Census
Browns Bay's titles fall in 4 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 3 shown below hold 90% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
More residents are 65 or over in Browns Bay Central than across Auckland: 23.2% against 13.3%.
Fewer homes are stand-alone houses in Browns Bay Central than across Auckland: 47.3% against 71.5%.
More people live alone in Browns Bay Central than across Auckland: 27.0% against 18.5%.
| Measure | Browns Bay Central 36% of titles | Browns Bay South West 33% of titles | Browns Bay South East 21% of titles | Auckland whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 3,213 | 4,143 | 2,955 | 1,656,486 |
| Change since 2018 | +13.0% | −1.8% | +0.8% | +5.4% |
| Change since 2013 | +19.5% | +3.7% | +7.7% | +17.0% |
| Median age | 42.5 | 38.4 | 39 | 35.9 |
| Households | 1,263 | 1,341 | 960 | 539,490 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 62.7% | 65.7% | 65.6% | 59.5% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 37.1% | 34.3% | 34.1% | 40.5% |
| Median household income | $99,000 | $125,600 | $130,300 | $116,800 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $600 | $660 | $660 | $540 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 10.3% | 6.0% | 6.6% | 8.8% |
| Ages | ||||
| Under 15 | 14.9% | 18.8% | 18.6% | 19.2% |
| 15 to 29 | 15.3% | 19.3% | 20.4% | 20.9% |
| 30 to 64 | 46.6% | 49.2% | 48.0% | 46.5% |
| 65 and over | 23.2% | 12.8% | 13.1% | 13.3% |
| Where people came from | ||||
| Born overseas | 51.4% | 58.8% | 59.0% | 42.9% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 22.8% | 16.9% | 20.5% | 19.6% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 50.6% | 39.1% | 42.2% | 45.0% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 8.3% | 7.1% | 7.0% | 5.6% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 23.9% | 21.2% | 23.3% | 21.1% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 35.3% | 36.7% | 40.1% | 32.9% |
| Employed full-time | 49.7% | 54.8% | 53.7% | 53.2% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.3% | 2.9% | 2.7% | 3.3% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 52.6% | 50.1% | 51.8% | 47.5% |
| Median personal income | $44,900 | $45,600 | $45,100 | $44,700 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||||
| Work from home | 21.9% | 21.4% | 21.7% | 18.2% |
| Car, truck or van | 66.3% | 69.2% | 67.3% | 68.6% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 8.2% | 7.6% | 8.3% | 7.8% |
| Walk or cycle | 3.6% | 1.0% | 2.0% | 4.2% |
| Households and families | ||||
| One-person households | 27.0% | 11.0% | 11.9% | 18.5% |
| Average people per household | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 6.8% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 6.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 4.3% | 3.7% | 3.5% | 8.8% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 37.6% | 51.8% | 51.8% | 47.2% |
| Couples without children | 45.6% | 33.8% | 34.6% | 35.5% |
| One-parent families | 16.0% | 14.7% | 13.6% | 17.3% |
| Homes | ||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 47.3% | 78.1% | 76.6% | 71.5% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.8 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 68.4% | 65.7% | 66.3% | 66.3% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 20.0% | 24.3% | 19.2% | 20.1% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 14.0% | 20.7% | 16.0% | 17.4% |
Rents around Browns Bay
New tenancies in Browns Bay Central in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $655 a week (down 3.7% on a year earlier). That is close to the typical suburb in Auckland ($675), and slightly above the national median ($600).
| April–June 2026 | Browns Bay Central 36% of titles | Browns Bay South West 33% of titles | Browns Bay South East 21% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $655 | $850 | $850 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $569–$773 | $715–$900 | $613–$988 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −3.7% | +21.4% | +24.1% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 18 | 21 | 18 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Browns Bay
No school site lies inside Browns Bay's boundary; the nearest is Sherwood School (Auckland), 0.6 km away in a straight line.
- Nearest school: Sherwood School (Auckland) (0.6 km)
- Nearest secondary school: City Impact Church School (1.2 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: North Shore Hospital (7.1 km)
School enrolment zones in Browns Bay: a guide
One secondary school has a home zone covering most of Browns Bay's titles: Long Bay College.
- Browns Bay School (primary, Years 1–6): about 55% of titles
- Sherwood School (Auckland) (primary, Years 1–6): about 40% of titles
- Pinehill School (Browns Bay) (primary, Years 1–6): about 20% of titles
- Torbay School (primary, Years 1–6): about 10% of titles
- Northcross Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): all or nearly all titles
- Murrays Bay Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 45% of titles
- Long Bay College (secondary): about 70% of titles
- Rangitoto College (secondary): about 50% of titles
A guide only: check the school's own zone map for any address. Zones as at 14 July 2026. Sources and limits
Public transport in Browns Bay
91% of Browns Bay's titles are within 400 m of a stop with a scheduled weekday service, slightly above Auckland as a whole (82%).
54% are that close to a frequent stop (60 or more departures that day), close to the council (54%).
The typical title is 172 m in a straight line from its nearest stop.
Timetable of Wednesday 30 September 2026, Auckland Transport. Sources and limits
Places of worship near Browns Bay
OpenStreetMap maps 4 places of worship inside Browns Bay (3 Christian, 1 other or not recorded).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Auckland Korean Full Gospel Church, under 1 km away
- Hindu: Shree Sanatan Dharam Hanuman Mandir, 8.1 km away
- Buddhist: Wat Phra Dhammakaya Auckland, 5.3 km away
- Muslim: Muslim Prayer Room, 3.2 km away
- Sikh: Gurdwara Sahib North Shore, 7.0 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Auckland with many cross-leases
- Papatoetoe: 3,998 cross-lease titles (25.8%)
- Remuera: 3,046 cross-lease titles (26.7%)
- Mount Roskill: 2,891 cross-lease titles (28.3%)
- Mount Wellington: 2,700 cross-lease titles (24.1%)
- Glenfield: 2,347 cross-lease titles (36.6%)
- Epsom: 2,335 cross-lease titles (29.8%)
- New Lynn: 2,016 cross-lease titles (24.4%)
- Mount Eden: 2,005 cross-lease titles (20.7%)
Suburbs like Browns Bay
The closest match on the measures on this site is Windsor Park, Auckland in Auckland, nearest on working from home, distance to the coast, median age. Closeness is arithmetic, not a rating. Sources and limits
| Suburb | Council | Cross-lease share of titles | Median weekly rent, new tenancies | Median age | Closest on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor Park, Auckland | Auckland | 28.9% | $720 | 43.5 | working from home, distance to the coast, median age |
| Unsworth Heights | Auckland | 14.9% | $595 | 39.4 | children, distance to the coast, degrees |
| Highland Park | Auckland | 36.4% | $700 | 40.1 | schools, distance to the coast, damp homes |
| Howick | Auckland | 24.1% | $630 | 38.8 | distance to the coast, cross-lease share, near a stop |
| Sunnyhills | Auckland | 18.6% | $655 | 41.4 | rent, distance to the coast, distance to a hospital |
Questions
What is the rent in Browns Bay?
New tenancies in Browns Bay Central (the rent area for part of Browns Bay) had a median rent of $655 a week in the April–June 2026 quarter (MBIE bond data, all dwelling types). These are rents agreed for new tenancies, not asking rents. The middle half of those rents ran from $569 to $773.
What schools are in Browns Bay?
No school site lies inside Browns Bay's boundary. The nearest school is Sherwood School (Auckland) (0.6 km in a straight line). The secondary-school home zone covering most of its titles is Long Bay College; check the school's own zone map for any address.