Living in Saint Marys Bay, Auckland: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 782 live property titles in Saint Marys Bay, Auckland are mostly freehold (57%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 111 (14.2%), well above the national share of 8.7%.
Saint Marys Bay, Auckland cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 111
- Share of live titles
- 14.2%
- Live titles in total
- 782
- Auckland share
- 14.4%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Auckland
- 99 of 160
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 230 of 644
Saint Marys Bay at a glance
Where Saint Marys Bay differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: homes with a heat pump (lower than 93% of NZ suburbs); median weekly rent, new tenancies (higher than 90% of NZ suburbs); median age (higher than 90% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Saint Marys Bay is listed under Auckland.
- 782 live titles are recorded here, including 111 cross-lease titles (14.2%).
- 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 14.2% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 25.4% 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 Saint Marys Bay
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 443 | 56.6% |
| Cross lease | 111 | 14.2% |
| Unit title | 199 | 25.4% |
| Leasehold | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other record types | 29 | 3.7% |
| Total | 782 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Saint Marys Bay compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Saint Marys Bay is about 1.6 times the national share (8.7%).
Across Auckland as a whole, the share is 14.4%; Saint Marys Bay is close to the overall Auckland share (14.4%).
How cross-leases in Saint Marys Bay are set up
More schemes have four or more flats on one section (48%, against 11% nationally), up to 14.
Separate exclusive-use areas are more common (15% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
Less land per flat than is typical in New Zealand: about 217 m² per flat, against 408 m².
| Scheme structure | Saint Marys Bay | Auckland | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 27 | 39,589 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 40.7% | 73.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 11.1% | 14.0% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 48.1% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 994 m² | 961 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 217 m² | 418 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 25.9% | 23.0% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 11.1% | 19.2% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 14.8% | 5.5% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 40.7% | 42.1% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1988 | 1989 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 7 | 26,275 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Saint Marys Bay
Unit titles are 25% of Saint Marys Bay's titles, well above Auckland (15%) and well above New Zealand (8%). They belong to 27 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 Saint Marys Bay since 2020
47 of Saint Marys Bay's current titles (6%) were first issued since 2020, well below Auckland's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (16%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
That rate is in the lowest quarter of 157 in Auckland.
49% are unit titles, in 4 developments; most of the rest are freehold.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 20 | 11 |
| Unit title | 23 | 10 |
| Cross-lease | 0 | 0 |
| Leasehold | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 4 | 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 Saint Marys Bay
The typical building in Saint Marys Bay stands on ground sloping 7.1° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), in the steepest quarter of 160 in Auckland.
Unusually much of the sloping land faces north: 50%, 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 Saint Marys Bay
32% of Saint Marys Bay's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 87% within 500 m and 100% within 1 km. The typical title is 290 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 Saint Marys Bay: 2023 Census
About 100% of Saint Marys Bay's titles are in the census area Saint Marys Bay (a Stats NZ statistical area), so these figures describe that area, not Saint Marys Bay exactly.
More workers walk or cycle to work in Saint Marys Bay than across Auckland: 17.1% against 4.2%.
Fewer residents are children under 15 in Saint Marys Bay than across Auckland: 9.2% against 19.2%.
More people live alone in Saint Marys Bay than across Auckland: 34.0% against 18.5%.
| Measure | Saint Marys Bay | Auckland whole council |
|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,049 | 1,656,486 |
| Change since 2018 | −7.1% | +5.4% |
| Change since 2013 | −10.4% | +17.0% |
| Median age | 48.7 | 35.9 |
| Households | 885 | 539,490 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 61.0% | 59.5% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 38.6% | 40.5% |
| Median household income | $149,300 | $116,800 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $600 | $540 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 12.5% | 8.8% |
| Ages | ||
| Under 15 | 9.2% | 19.2% |
| 15 to 29 | 18.4% | 20.9% |
| 30 to 64 | 48.0% | 46.5% |
| 65 and over | 24.2% | 13.3% |
| Where people came from | ||
| Born overseas | 31.5% | 42.9% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 27.2% | 19.6% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 46.2% | 45.0% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 8.3% | 5.6% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 27.5% | 21.1% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 53.5% | 32.9% |
| Employed full-time | 53.3% | 53.2% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.1% | 3.3% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 69.1% | 47.5% |
| Median personal income | $63,800 | $44,700 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||
| Work from home | 25.8% | 18.2% |
| Car, truck or van | 45.4% | 68.6% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 7.5% | 7.8% |
| Walk or cycle | 17.1% | 4.2% |
| Households and families | ||
| One-person households | 34.0% | 18.5% |
| Average people per household | 2.2 | 3 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 5.8% | 6.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 2.5% | 8.8% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 34.1% | 47.2% |
| Couples without children | 56.6% | 35.5% |
| One-parent families | 8.7% | 17.3% |
| Homes | ||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 47.7% | 71.5% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.7 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 51.1% | 66.3% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 16.7% | 20.1% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 8.9% | 17.4% |
Rents around Saint Marys Bay
New tenancies in Saint Marys Bay in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $750 a week (up 0.0% on a year earlier). That is slightly above the typical suburb in Auckland ($675), and above the national median ($600).
| April–June 2026 | Saint Marys Bay | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $750 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $600–$950 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | +0.0% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 30 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Saint Marys Bay
One school site lies inside Saint Marys Bay: St Mary's College (Ponsonby) (Secondary (Year 7-15)).
- St Mary's College (Ponsonby) (Secondary (Year 7-15))
- Nearest school: St Mary's College (Ponsonby) (0.4 km)
- Nearest secondary school: St Mary's College (Ponsonby) (0.4 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Auckland City Hospital (2.8 km)
School enrolment zones in Saint Marys Bay: a guide
Two secondary schools have a home zone covering most of Saint Marys Bay's titles: Western Springs College and Auckland Girls' Grammar School.
- Ponsonby Primary School (primary, Years 1–6): about 75% of titles
- Ponsonby Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): all or nearly all titles
- Western Springs College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Auckland Girls' Grammar School (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 Saint Marys Bay
90% of Saint Marys Bay's titles are within 400 m of a stop with a scheduled weekday service, slightly above Auckland as a whole (82%).
90% are that close to a frequent stop (60 or more departures that day), well above the council (54%); in the highest quarter of 160 in Auckland.
The typical title is 227 m in a straight line from its nearest stop.
Timetable of Wednesday 30 September 2026, Auckland Transport. Sources and limits
Places of worship near Saint Marys Bay
OpenStreetMap maps 1 place of worship inside Saint Marys Bay (1 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Saint Mary's Old Convent Chapel, under 1 km away
- Hindu: Sri Radha Krishna Mandir, 2.8 km away
- Buddhist: Dorje Chang Institute for Wisdom Culture, 6.5 km away
- Muslim: Al-Masjid Al-Jamie, 1.1 km away
- Sikh: Gurdwara Sahib North Shore, 6.7 km away
- Jewish: Auckland Hebrew Congregation, 1.8 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 Saint Marys Bay
The closest match on the measures on this site is Herne Bay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herne Bay | Auckland | 21.5% | $720 | 47.6 | distance to the coast, elevation, working from home |
| Ponsonby | Auckland | 7.8% | $895 | 38 | recent movers within NZ, population change, distance to a hospital |
| Freemans Bay, Auckland | Auckland | 6.8% | $783 | 41 | slope, population change, distance to the coast |
| Mission Bay | Auckland | 36.8% | $790 | 46.8 | distance to the coast, older residents, elevation |
| Ōrākei | Auckland | 23.0% | $893 | 44.8 | distance to the coast, elevation, born overseas |
Questions
What is the rent in Saint Marys Bay, Auckland?
New tenancies in the Saint Marys Bay rent area had a median rent of $750 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 $600 to $950.
What schools are in Saint Marys Bay, Auckland?
LINZ maps 1 school site inside Saint Marys Bay: St Mary's College (Ponsonby). The nearest secondary school to its centre is St Mary's College (Ponsonby) (0.4 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.