Living in Herne Bay: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 1,580 live property titles in Herne Bay, Auckland are mostly freehold (51%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 340 (21.5%), well above the national share of 8.7%.
- Cross-lease titles
- 340
- Share of live titles
- 21.5%
- Live titles in total
- 1,580
- Auckland share
- 14.4%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Auckland
- 61 of 160
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 105 of 644
Herne Bay at a glance
Where Herne Bay differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: homes with a heat pump (lower than 96% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Herne Bay is listed under Auckland.
- 1,580 live titles are recorded here, including 340 cross-lease titles (21.5%).
- 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 21.5% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 23.7% 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 Herne Bay
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 813 | 51.5% |
| Cross lease | 340 | 21.5% |
| Unit title | 375 | 23.7% |
| Leasehold | 6 | 0.4% |
| Other record types | 46 | 2.9% |
| Total | 1,580 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Herne Bay compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Herne Bay is about 2.5 times the national share (8.7%).
Across Auckland as a whole, the share is 14.4%; Herne Bay is higher than the overall Auckland share (14.4%).
How cross-leases in Herne Bay are set up
More schemes have four or more flats on one section (43%, against 11% nationally), up to 24.
Two-flat schemes are less common here (38% of schemes, against 76% nationally).
Separate exclusive-use areas are more common (9% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Herne Bay | Auckland | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 82 | 39,589 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 37.8% | 73.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 18.3% | 14.0% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 42.7% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 888 m² | 961 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 315 m² | 418 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 19.5% | 23.0% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 13.4% | 19.2% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 8.5% | 5.5% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 40.2% | 42.1% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1988 | 1989 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 22 | 26,275 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Herne Bay
Unit titles are 24% of Herne Bay's titles, well above Auckland (15%) and well above New Zealand (8%). They belong to 44 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 7 units or fewer.
The unit-title share is in the highest quarter of 160 in Auckland.
New titles in Herne Bay since 2020
103 of Herne Bay's current titles (7%) were first issued since 2020, well below Auckland's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (16%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
Most are unit titles: 63 in 8 developments (apartments, terraces or townhouses under a body corporate).
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 31 | 17 |
| Unit title | 63 | 20 |
| Cross-lease | 3 | 2 |
| Leasehold | 1 | 1 |
| Other | 5 | 3 |
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 Herne Bay
The typical building in Herne Bay stands on ground sloping 5.0° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
Unusually much of the sloping land faces north: 43%, where about a quarter would if slopes faced every way equally.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Herne Bay
35% of Herne Bay's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 92% within 500 m and 100% within 1 km. The typical title is 280 m 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 Herne Bay: 2023 Census
About 85% of Herne Bay's titles are in the census area Herne Bay (a Stats NZ statistical area), so these figures describe that area, not Herne Bay exactly.
More workers walk or cycle to work in Herne Bay than across Auckland: 11.5% against 4.2%.
Fewer residents were born overseas in Herne Bay than across Auckland: 24.9% against 42.9%.
More people live alone in Herne Bay than across Auckland: 30.4% against 18.5%.
| Measure | Herne Bay | Auckland whole council |
|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,775 | 1,656,486 |
| Change since 2018 | −8.6% | +5.4% |
| Change since 2013 | −5.6% | +17.0% |
| Median age | 47.6 | 35.9 |
| Households | 1,176 | 539,490 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 67.1% | 59.5% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 32.7% | 40.5% |
| Median household income | $167,900 | $116,800 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $600 | $540 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 13.3% | 8.8% |
| Ages | ||
| Under 15 | 13.9% | 19.2% |
| 15 to 29 | 16.2% | 20.9% |
| 30 to 64 | 49.6% | 46.5% |
| 65 and over | 20.1% | 13.3% |
| Where people came from | ||
| Born overseas | 24.9% | 42.9% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 22.4% | 19.6% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 38.2% | 45.0% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 18.1% | 21.1% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 52.6% | 32.9% |
| Employed full-time | 52.8% | 53.2% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.4% | 3.3% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 69.9% | 47.5% |
| Median personal income | $70,200 | $44,700 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||
| Work from home | 26.0% | 18.2% |
| Car, truck or van | 54.5% | 68.6% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 5.4% | 7.8% |
| Walk or cycle | 11.5% | 4.2% |
| Households and families | ||
| One-person households | 30.4% | 18.5% |
| Average people per household | 2.3 | 3 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 5.1% | 6.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 2.9% | 8.8% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 37.7% | 47.2% |
| Couples without children | 53.6% | 35.5% |
| One-parent families | 8.7% | 17.3% |
| Homes | ||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 50.3% | 71.5% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 49.2% | 66.3% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 17.4% | 20.1% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 11.9% | 17.4% |
Rents around Herne Bay
New tenancies in Herne Bay in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $720 a week (down 12.2% on a year earlier). That is close to the typical suburb in Auckland ($675), and above the national median ($600).
| April–June 2026 | Herne Bay | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $720 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $590–$950 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −12.2% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 39 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Herne Bay
LINZ maps 3 school sites inside Herne Bay, among them Auckland Secondary Schools' Centre (Activity Centre) and Bayfield School (Contributing).
- Auckland Secondary Schools' Centre (Activity Centre)
- Bayfield School (Contributing)
- Ponsonby Primary School (Contributing)
- Nearest school: Bayfield School (0.3 km)
- Nearest secondary school: St Paul's College (Ponsonby) (0.9 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Auckland City Hospital (3.7 km)
School enrolment zones in Herne Bay: a guide
Two secondary schools have a home zone covering most of Herne Bay's titles: Auckland Girls' Grammar School and Western Springs College.
- Ponsonby Primary School (primary, Years 1–6): about 50% of titles
- Bayfield School (primary, Years 1–6): about 45% of titles
- Ponsonby Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): all or nearly all titles
- Auckland Girls' Grammar School (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Western Springs College (secondary): all or nearly all 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 Herne Bay
80% of Herne Bay's titles are within 400 m of a stop with a scheduled weekday service, close to Auckland as a whole (82%).
80% are that close to a frequent stop (60 or more departures that day), above the council (54%); in the highest quarter of 160 in Auckland.
The typical title is 233 m in a straight line from its nearest stop.
Timetable of Wednesday 30 September 2026, Auckland Transport. Sources and limits
Places of worship near Herne Bay
No place of worship is mapped in OpenStreetMap inside Herne Bay's boundary.
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, under 1 km away
- Hindu: Sri Radha Krishna Mandir, 3.2 km away
- Buddhist: Dorje Chang Institute for Wisdom Culture, 5.6 km away
- Muslim: Al-Masjid Al-Jamie, 1.3 km away
- Sikh: Gurdwara Sahib North Shore, 6.9 km away
- Jewish: Auckland Hebrew Congregation, 2.7 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 Herne Bay
The closest match on the measures on this site is Saint Marys Bay, Auckland in Auckland, nearest on distance to the coast, elevation, working from home. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Marys Bay, Auckland | Auckland | 14.2% | $750 | 48.7 | distance to the coast, elevation, working from home |
| Mission Bay | Auckland | 36.8% | $790 | 46.8 | distance to the coast, elevation, home ownership |
| Saint Heliers | Auckland | 33.6% | $880 | 48.4 | schools, near a frequent stop, distance to the coast |
| Ponsonby | Auckland | 7.8% | $895 | 38 | schools, population change, distance to the coast |
| Ōrākei | Auckland | 23.0% | $893 | 44.8 | distance to the coast, elevation, distance to a hospital |
Questions
What is the rent in Herne Bay?
New tenancies in the Herne Bay rent area had a median rent of $720 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 $590 to $950.
What schools are in Herne Bay?
LINZ maps 3 school sites inside Herne Bay: Auckland Secondary Schools' Centre, Bayfield School and Ponsonby Primary School. The nearest secondary school to its centre is St Paul's College (Ponsonby) (0.9 km in a straight line). Secondary-school home zones covering most of its titles are Auckland Girls' Grammar School and Western Springs College; check the school's own zone map for any address.