Living in Tōtara Vale: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 2,234 live property titles in Tōtara Vale, Auckland are mostly freehold (57%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 868 (38.9%), well above the national share of 8.7%.
Tōtara Vale cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 868
- Share of live titles
- 38.9%
- Live titles in total
- 2,234
- Auckland share
- 14.4%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Auckland
- joint 6 of 160
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 6 of 644
Tōtara Vale at a glance
Where Tōtara Vale differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: cross-lease share of titles (higher than 98% of NZ suburbs); median slope under buildings (higher than 94% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Tōtara Vale is listed under Auckland.
- 2,234 live titles are recorded here, including 868 cross-lease titles (38.9%).
- 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 38.9% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 2.9% 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 Tōtara Vale
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 1,280 | 57.3% |
| Cross lease | 868 | 38.9% |
| Unit title | 65 | 2.9% |
| Leasehold | 1 | 0.0% |
| Other record types | 20 | 0.9% |
| Total | 2,234 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Tōtara Vale compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Tōtara Vale is about 4.5 times the national share (8.7%).
Across Auckland as a whole, the share is 14.4%; Tōtara Vale is about 2.7 times the overall Auckland share (14.4%).
Its cross-lease share is in the highest quarter of 160 in Auckland (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Tōtara Vale are set up
Fewer schemes have four or more flats on one section (3%, against 11% nationally), up to 14.
Three-flat schemes are less common here (4%, against 12% nationally).
Fewer leases include a garage (14% of schemes, against 28% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Tōtara Vale | Auckland | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 403 | 39,589 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 94.0% | 73.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 3.5% | 14.0% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 2.5% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 884 m² | 961 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 436 m² | 418 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 13.9% | 23.0% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 15.9% | 19.2% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 4.0% | 5.5% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 40.4% | 42.1% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 306 | 26,275 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Tōtara Vale
Unit titles are 3% of Tōtara Vale's titles, well below Auckland (15%) and well below New Zealand (8%). They belong to 20 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 2 units or fewer.
New titles in Tōtara Vale since 2020
267 of Tōtara Vale's current titles (12%) were first issued since 2020, below Auckland's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (16%) and close to New Zealand (12%).
Most came recently: 225 since 2023.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 261 | 224 |
| Unit title | 0 | 0 |
| Cross-lease | 6 | 1 |
| Leasehold | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 |
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 Tōtara Vale
The typical building in Tōtara Vale stands on ground sloping 8.7° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), in the steepest quarter of 160 in Auckland.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Tōtara Vale
Tōtara Vale is inland: the typical title is 2.6 km from the sea or harbour edge, and fewer than 1 in 2,000 titles are within 1 km of it.
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 Tōtara Vale: 2023 Census
Tōtara Vale's titles fall in 2 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 2 shown below hold 100% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
Fewer households have no car in Totara Vale South than across Auckland: 4.2% against 6.8%.
More residents were born overseas in Totara Vale South than across Auckland: 58.9% against 42.9%.
More workers commute by bus, train or ferry in Totara Vale South than across Auckland: 10.7% against 7.8%.
| Measure | Totara Vale South 56% of titles | Totara Vale North 44% of titles | Auckland whole council |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 3,471 | 2,964 | 1,656,486 |
| Change since 2018 | −2.3% | −6.6% | +5.4% |
| Change since 2013 | +6.2% | +0.9% | +17.0% |
| Median age | 34.2 | 35.4 | 35.9 |
| Households | 1,158 | 972 | 539,490 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 50.5% | 57.1% | 59.5% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 49.2% | 42.6% | 40.5% |
| Median household income | $108,200 | $121,000 | $116,800 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $552 | $584 | $540 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 6.3% | 4.8% | 8.8% |
| Ages | |||
| Under 15 | 17.6% | 18.2% | 19.2% |
| 15 to 29 | 22.2% | 21.5% | 20.9% |
| 30 to 64 | 50.4% | 50.0% | 46.5% |
| 65 and over | 9.8% | 10.4% | 13.3% |
| Where people came from | |||
| Born overseas | 58.9% | 55.6% | 42.9% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 22.0% | 17.3% | 19.6% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 46.9% | 39.5% | 45.0% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 6.7% | 6.0% | 5.6% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 23.6% | 18.8% | 21.1% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 34.5% | 35.5% | 32.9% |
| Employed full-time | 58.0% | 58.5% | 53.2% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 3.9% | 2.0% | 3.3% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 42.6% | 42.7% | 47.5% |
| Median personal income | $45,400 | $47,800 | $44,700 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||
| Work from home | 15.0% | 16.7% | 18.2% |
| Car, truck or van | 70.2% | 69.2% | 68.6% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 10.7% | 10.9% | 7.8% |
| Walk or cycle | 2.4% | 1.9% | 4.2% |
| Households and families | |||
| One-person households | 16.1% | 13.8% | 18.5% |
| Average people per household | 3 | 3.1 | 3 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 4.2% | 2.6% | 6.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 8.8% | 8.7% | 8.8% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 48.4% | 51.7% | 47.2% |
| Couples without children | 33.9% | 33.8% | 35.5% |
| One-parent families | 18.1% | 14.5% | 17.3% |
| Homes | |||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 69.2% | 90.5% | 71.5% |
| Average bedrooms | 3 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 65.0% | 67.3% | 66.3% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 32.0% | 26.0% | 20.1% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 26.3% | 22.8% | 17.4% |
Rents around Tōtara Vale
New tenancies in Totara Vale South in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $600 a week (down 9.1% on a year earlier). That is slightly below the typical suburb in Auckland ($675), and close to the national median ($600); in the lowest quarter of 129 in Auckland.
| April–June 2026 | Totara Vale South 56% of titles | Totara Vale North 44% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $600 | $680 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $548–$692 | $615–$795 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −9.1% | −4.6% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 30 | 30 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Tōtara Vale
One school site lies inside Tōtara Vale: Target Road School (Contributing).
- Target Road School (Contributing)
- Nearest school: Target Road School (0.3 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Raki Paewhenua (2.1 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: North Shore Hospital (3.2 km)
School enrolment zones in Tōtara Vale: a guide
The largest secondary-school zone shares of Tōtara Vale's titles are level, in Westlake Girls' High School and Westlake Boys' High School (about 10% each).
- Target Road School (primary, Years 1–6): all or nearly all titles
- Glenfield Intermediate School (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 95% of titles
- Wairau Intermediate School (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 95% of titles
- Westlake Girls' High School (secondary): about 10% of titles
- Westlake Boys' High School (secondary): about 10% of titles
- Albany Junior High School (secondary): about 5% of titles
- Albany Senior High School (secondary): about 5% 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 Tōtara Vale
100% of Tōtara Vale's titles are within 400 m of a stop with a scheduled weekday service, above Auckland as a whole (82%).
51% are that close to a frequent stop (60 or more departures that day), close to the council (54%).
The typical title is 133 m in a straight line from its nearest stop.
Timetable of Wednesday 30 September 2026, Auckland Transport. Sources and limits
Places of worship near Tōtara Vale
OpenStreetMap maps 1 place of worship inside Tōtara Vale (1 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Reformed Church of the North Shore, under 1 km away
- Hindu: Shree Sanatan Dharam Hanuman Mandir, 4.0 km away
- Buddhist: Wat Phra Dhammakaya Auckland, 3.0 km away
- Muslim: North Shore Islamic Centre, under 1 km away
- Sikh: Gurdwara Sahib North Shore, 2.5 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 Tōtara Vale
The closest match on the measures on this site is Bayview in Auckland, nearest on schools, median age, unit-title share. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayview | Auckland | 37.8% | $663 | 34.1 | schools, median age, unit-title share |
| Sunnynook | Auckland | 27.8% | $760 | 34.8 | schools, near a stop, commuting on foot or by bike |
| Hillcrest, Auckland | Auckland | 28.8% | $700 | 36.3 | near a stop, children, commuting by public transport |
| Forrest Hill | Auckland | 33.7% | $763 | 37 | land per flat, children, distance to the coast |
| Glenfield | Auckland | 36.6% | $650 | 36.5 | children, stand-alone houses, land per flat |
Questions
What is the rent in Tōtara Vale?
New tenancies in Totara Vale South (the rent area for part of Tōtara Vale) had a median rent of $600 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 $548 to $692.
What schools are in Tōtara Vale?
LINZ maps 1 school site inside Tōtara Vale: Target Road School. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Raki Paewhenua (2.1 km in a straight line). Being near a school does not mean being in its zone.