Living in Grey Lynn: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 5,638 live property titles in Grey Lynn, Auckland are mostly freehold (54%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 379 (6.7%), below the national share of 8.7%.
- Cross-lease titles
- 379
- Share of live titles
- 6.7%
- Live titles in total
- 5,638
- Auckland share
- 14.4%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Auckland
- 130 of 160
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 416 of 644
Grey Lynn at a glance
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Grey Lynn is listed under Auckland.
- 5,638 live titles are recorded here, including 379 cross-lease titles (6.7%).
- 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 6.7% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 36.6% 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 Grey Lynn
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 3,069 | 54.4% |
| Cross lease | 379 | 6.7% |
| Unit title | 2,064 | 36.6% |
| Leasehold | 6 | 0.1% |
| Other record types | 120 | 2.1% |
| Total | 5,638 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Grey Lynn compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Grey Lynn is lower than the national share (8.7%).
Across Auckland as a whole, the share is 14.4%; Grey Lynn is well below the overall Auckland share (14.4%).
Its cross-lease share is in the lowest quarter of 160 in Auckland (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Grey Lynn are set up
Fewer leases include a garage (11% of schemes, against 28% nationally).
Separate exclusive-use areas are more common (10% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
More schemes have four or more flats on one section (16%, against 11% nationally), up to 15.
| Scheme structure | Grey Lynn | Auckland | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 161 | 39,589 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 71.4% | 73.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 12.4% | 14.0% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 16.1% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 667 m² | 961 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 311 m² | 418 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 10.6% | 23.0% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 12.4% | 19.2% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 9.9% | 5.5% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 42.9% | 42.1% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 33 | 26,275 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Grey Lynn
Unit titles are 37% of Grey Lynn's titles, well above Auckland (15%) and well above New Zealand (8%). They belong to 103 developments, each run by a body corporate; 11 have 50 or more units.
The unit-title share is in the highest quarter of 160 in Auckland.
New titles in Grey Lynn since 2020
567 of Grey Lynn's current titles (10%) were first issued since 2020, well below Auckland's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (16%) and slightly below New Zealand (12%).
Most are unit titles: 437 in 21 developments (apartments, terraces or townhouses under a body corporate).
Most came recently: 459 since 2023.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 109 | 67 |
| Unit title | 437 | 379 |
| Cross-lease | 6 | 5 |
| Leasehold | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 15 | 8 |
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 Grey Lynn
The typical building in Grey Lynn stands on ground sloping 5.7° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Grey Lynn
0% of Grey Lynn's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 0% within 500 m and 9% within 1 km. The typical title is 1.7 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 Grey Lynn: 2023 Census
Grey Lynn's titles fall in 10 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 4 shown below hold 95% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
More workers walk or cycle to work in Grey Lynn East than across Auckland: 23.8% against 4.2%.
Fewer residents are children under 15 in Grey Lynn East than across Auckland: 8.2% against 19.2%.
Fewer homes are stand-alone houses in Grey Lynn East than across Auckland: 31.6% against 71.5%.
| Measure | Grey Lynn East 28% of titles | Grey Lynn Central 25% of titles | Grey Lynn West 22% of titles | Grey Lynn North 20% of titles | Auckland whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 1,800 | 3,471 | 2,865 | 2,913 | 1,656,486 |
| Change since 2018 | −4.8% | −3.3% | −9.2% | −6.0% | +5.4% |
| Change since 2013 | +8.5% | +4.7% | +2.7% | −5.4% | +17.0% |
| Median age | 32.8 | 34.2 | 35.9 | 35.9 | 35.9 |
| Households | 807 | 1,299 | 1,071 | 1,032 | 539,490 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 45.7% | 59.6% | 47.9% | 63.1% | 59.5% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 53.9% | 40.6% | 52.1% | 36.9% | 40.5% |
| Median household income | $141,800 | $173,900 | $135,600 | $175,200 | $116,800 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $660 | $691 | $522 | $720 | $540 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 11.1% | 8.7% | 8.9% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Ages | |||||
| Under 15 | 8.2% | 13.0% | 16.6% | 16.4% | 19.2% |
| 15 to 29 | 33.8% | 26.5% | 22.3% | 23.1% | 20.9% |
| 30 to 64 | 52.2% | 52.7% | 50.3% | 51.9% | 46.5% |
| 65 and over | 6.0% | 7.8% | 10.8% | 8.7% | 13.3% |
| Where people came from | |||||
| Born overseas | 33.5% | 28.5% | 30.8% | 27.3% | 42.9% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 31.7% | 25.2% | 21.2% | 24.1% | 19.6% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 60.4% | 46.9% | 41.8% | 44.4% | 45.0% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 9.0% | 7.2% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.6% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 38.5% | 24.5% | 25.1% | 24.7% | 21.1% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 55.8% | 56.1% | 47.3% | 56.6% | 32.9% |
| Employed full-time | 68.5% | 65.8% | 57.0% | 66.1% | 53.2% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 3.4% | 2.4% | 3.6% | 2.6% | 3.3% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 66.2% | 66.3% | 63.0% | 65.8% | 47.5% |
| Median personal income | $66,400 | $66,100 | $54,800 | $64,700 | $44,700 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||||
| Work from home | 20.4% | 19.7% | 21.6% | 21.4% | 18.2% |
| Car, truck or van | 39.9% | 47.8% | 53.8% | 49.7% | 68.6% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 13.6% | 10.7% | 12.5% | 9.9% | 7.8% |
| Walk or cycle | 23.8% | 19.4% | 9.8% | 16.1% | 4.2% |
| Households and families | |||||
| One-person households | 31.4% | 24.3% | 29.0% | 20.3% | 18.5% |
| Average people per household | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 3 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 10.5% | 5.1% | 10.7% | 4.6% | 6.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 4.7% | 6.0% | 7.3% | 4.8% | 8.8% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 25.7% | 38.0% | 41.5% | 46.0% | 47.2% |
| Couples without children | 62.1% | 50.7% | 41.0% | 40.4% | 35.5% |
| One-parent families | 12.1% | 11.7% | 17.5% | 13.6% | 17.3% |
| Homes | |||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 31.6% | 59.9% | 59.2% | 67.0% | 71.5% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.3 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 3 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 57.0% | 57.3% | 67.4% | 50.9% | 66.3% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 18.5% | 23.3% | 24.6% | 18.9% | 20.1% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 12.7% | 19.0% | 17.6% | 15.6% | 17.4% |
Rents around Grey Lynn
New tenancies in Grey Lynn East in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $650 a week (up 2.4% on a year earlier). That is close to the typical suburb in Auckland ($675), and slightly above the national median ($600).
| April–June 2026 | Grey Lynn East 28% of titles | Grey Lynn Central 25% of titles | Grey Lynn West 22% of titles | Grey Lynn North 20% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $650 | $650 | $738 | $768 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $550–$770 | $575–$825 | $483–$850 | $609–$914 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | +2.4% | −14.5% | +20.4% | −12.2% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 42 | 33 | 48 | 24 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Grey Lynn
LINZ maps 4 school sites inside Grey Lynn, among them Grey Lynn School (Contributing) and Newton Central School (Contributing).
- Grey Lynn School (Contributing)
- Newton Central School (Contributing)
- St Joseph's School (Grey Lynn) (Full Primary)
- St Paul's College (Ponsonby) (Secondary (Year 7-15))
- Nearest school: Richmond Road School (0.5 km)
- Nearest secondary school: St Paul's College (Ponsonby) (0.8 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Auckland City Hospital (2.8 km)
School enrolment zones in Grey Lynn: a guide
Two secondary schools have a home zone covering most of Grey Lynn's titles: Western Springs College and Auckland Girls' Grammar School.
- Newton Central School (primary, Years 1–6): about 40% of titles
- Grey Lynn School (primary, Years 1–6): about 40% of titles
- Richmond Road School (primary, Years 1–6): about 25% of titles
- Westmere School (Auckland) (primary, Years 1–6): about 10% of titles
- Pasadena Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 75% of titles
- Kowhai Intermediate School (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 50% of titles
- Ponsonby Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 35% of titles
- Western Springs College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Auckland Girls' Grammar School (secondary): about 90% 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 Grey Lynn
100% of Grey Lynn's titles are within 400 m of a stop with a scheduled weekday service, above Auckland as a whole (82%).
69% are that close to a frequent stop (60 or more departures that day), above the council (54%).
17% are within 800 m of a train station or ferry wharf.
The typical title is 127 m in a straight line from its nearest stop.
Timetable of Wednesday 30 September 2026, Auckland Transport. Sources and limits
Places of worship near Grey Lynn
OpenStreetMap maps 15 places of worship inside Grey Lynn (13 Christian, 2 other or not recorded).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: United Church of Tonga, under 1 km away
- Hindu: Sri Radha Krishna Mandir, 1.6 km away
- Buddhist: Dorje Chang Institute for Wisdom Culture, 4.6 km away
- Muslim: Al-Masjid Al-Jamie, under 1 km away
- Sikh: Gurdwara Sahib North Shore, 8.5 km away
- Jewish: Auckland Hebrew Congregation, 1.9 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 Grey Lynn
The closest match on the measures on this site is Parnell in Auckland, nearest on near a stop, commuting on foot or by bike, distance to the coast. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parnell | Auckland | 11.7% | $720 | 32.2 | near a stop, commuting on foot or by bike, distance to the coast |
| Kingsland | Auckland | 7.3% | $675 | 32.8 | median age, older residents, near a stop |
| Freemans Bay, Auckland | Auckland | 6.8% | $783 | 41 | born overseas, near a stop, cross-lease share |
| Morningside, Auckland | Auckland | 22.6% | $650 | 34.6 | rent, distance to the coast, distance to a hospital |
| Ponsonby | Auckland | 7.8% | $895 | 38 | distance to a hospital, degrees, distance to the coast |
Questions
What is the rent in Grey Lynn?
New tenancies in Grey Lynn East (the rent area for part of Grey Lynn) had a median rent of $650 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 $550 to $770.
What schools are in Grey Lynn?
LINZ maps 4 school sites inside Grey Lynn, including Grey Lynn School, Newton Central School and St Joseph's School (Grey Lynn). The nearest secondary school to its centre is St Paul's College (Ponsonby) (0.8 km in a straight line). Secondary-school home zones covering most of its titles are Western Springs College and Auckland Girls' Grammar School; check the school's own zone map for any address.