Living in Wattle Downs: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 2,536 live property titles in Wattle Downs, Auckland are almost all freehold (95%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 119 (4.7%), well below the national share of 8.7%.
Wattle Downs cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 119
- Share of live titles
- 4.7%
- Live titles in total
- 2,536
- Auckland share
- 14.4%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Auckland
- joint 140 of 160
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 506 of 644
Wattle Downs at a glance
Where Wattle Downs differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: typical distance to the coast (lower 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
- Wattle Downs is listed under Auckland.
- 2,536 live titles are recorded here, including 119 cross-lease titles (4.7%).
- 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 4.7% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 0.2% 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 Wattle Downs
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 2,404 | 94.8% |
| Cross lease | 119 | 4.7% |
| Unit title | 6 | 0.2% |
| Leasehold | 2 | 0.1% |
| Other record types | 5 | 0.2% |
| Total | 2,536 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Wattle Downs compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Wattle Downs is well below the national share (8.7%).
Across Auckland as a whole, the share is 14.4%; Wattle Downs 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 Wattle Downs are set up
Three-flat schemes are less common here (2%, against 12% nationally).
Fewer schemes have four or more flats on one section (2%, against 11% nationally), up to 12.
Separate exclusive-use areas are less common (3% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Wattle Downs | Auckland | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 59 | 39,589 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 96.6% | 73.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 1.7% | 14.0% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 1.7% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 907 m² | 961 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 454 m² | 418 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 16.9% | 23.0% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 18.6% | 19.2% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 3.4% | 5.5% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 45.8% | 42.1% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 56 | 26,275 | 54,978 |
New titles in Wattle Downs since 2020
298 of Wattle Downs'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%).
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 289 | 158 |
| Unit title | 6 | 0 |
| Cross-lease | 1 | 1 |
| Leasehold | 1 | 1 |
| Other | 1 | 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 Wattle Downs
The typical building in Wattle Downs stands on ground sloping 1.4° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), in the flattest quarter of 160 in Auckland.
Much of the land is low-lying: the median elevation is 9 m.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Wattle Downs
49% of Wattle Downs's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 93% within 500 m and 100% within 1 km. The typical title is 200 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 Wattle Downs: 2023 Census
Wattle Downs's titles fall in 4 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 3 shown below hold 98% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
Fewer workers walk or cycle to work in Wattle Downs West than across Auckland: 0.5% against 4.2%.
Fewer workers commute by bus, train or ferry in Wattle Downs West than across Auckland: 3.9% against 7.8%.
Fewer households have no car in Wattle Downs West than across Auckland: 4.3% against 6.8%.
| Measure | Wattle Downs West 45% of titles | Wattle Downs East 29% of titles | Wattle Downs North 25% of titles | Auckland whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 3,861 | 2,283 | 3,408 | 1,656,486 |
| Change since 2018 | +1.6% | +1.6% | +12.1% | +5.4% |
| Change since 2013 | +18.5% | +12.4% | +27.9% | +17.0% |
| Median age | 38 | 40.7 | 27.4 | 35.9 |
| Households | 1,269 | 702 | 834 | 539,490 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 79.9% | 81.6% | 36.0% | 59.5% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 20.3% | 18.4% | 64.0% | 40.5% |
| Median household income | $120,400 | $119,100 | $91,600 | $116,800 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $650 | $620 | $495 | $540 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 4.5% | 6.0% | 3.7% | 8.8% |
| Ages | ||||
| Under 15 | 21.3% | 16.8% | 29.4% | 19.2% |
| 15 to 29 | 16.8% | 17.7% | 25.4% | 20.9% |
| 30 to 64 | 44.3% | 45.1% | 39.2% | 46.5% |
| 65 and over | 17.7% | 20.4% | 6.2% | 13.3% |
| Where people came from | ||||
| Born overseas | 36.2% | 31.0% | 30.9% | 42.9% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 12.4% | 12.1% | 15.0% | 19.6% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 38.3% | 37.5% | 48.4% | 45.0% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 3.2% | 3.2% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 13.3% | 13.1% | 20.0% | 21.1% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 25.5% | 23.8% | 12.2% | 32.9% |
| Employed full-time | 54.5% | 51.3% | 47.7% | 53.2% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.3% | 2.4% | 7.5% | 3.3% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 45.6% | 47.8% | 25.2% | 47.5% |
| Median personal income | $48,500 | $44,600 | $35,000 | $44,700 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||||
| Work from home | 15.6% | 13.6% | 9.0% | 18.2% |
| Car, truck or van | 79.5% | 81.1% | 86.0% | 68.6% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 3.9% | 3.6% | 4.2% | 7.8% |
| Walk or cycle | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.4% | 4.2% |
| Households and families | ||||
| One-person households | 17.9% | 16.6% | 12.8% | 18.5% |
| Average people per household | 3 | 3 | 3.9 | 3 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 4.3% | 3.2% | 7.2% | 6.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 5.3% | 5.2% | 26.0% | 8.8% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 49.3% | 42.9% | 43.9% | 47.2% |
| Couples without children | 35.9% | 42.4% | 19.3% | 35.5% |
| One-parent families | 14.8% | 15.1% | 36.9% | 17.3% |
| Homes | ||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 81.6% | 92.7% | 84.9% | 71.5% |
| Average bedrooms | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 78.0% | 73.1% | 68.2% | 66.3% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 11.4% | 10.7% | 37.8% | 20.1% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 10.7% | 12.1% | 31.8% | 17.4% |
Rents around Wattle Downs
New tenancies in Wattle Downs West in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $740 a week (down 6.3% on a year earlier). That is slightly above the typical suburb in Auckland ($675), and above the national median ($600).
| April–June 2026 | Wattle Downs West 45% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $740 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $663–$848 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −6.3% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 18 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Wattle Downs
LINZ maps 3 school sites inside Wattle Downs, among them Clayton Park School (Full Primary) and Reremoana School (Full Primary).
- Clayton Park School (Full Primary)
- Reremoana School (Full Primary)
- South Auckland Middle School (Restricted Composite (Year 7-10))
- Nearest school: Clayton Park School (0.8 km)
- Nearest secondary school: James Cook High School (1.3 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Middlemore Hospital (10.3 km)
School enrolment zones in Wattle Downs: a guide
One secondary school has a home zone covering most of Wattle Downs's titles: James Cook High School.
- Leabank School (primary, Years 1–6): about 20% of titles
- Reremoana Primary School (primary, Years 1–8): about 45% of titles
- Clayton Park School (primary, Years 1–8): about 35% of titles
- Waimahia Intermediate School (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 15% of titles
- James Cook High 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 Wattle Downs
99% of Wattle Downs's titles are within 400 m of a stop with a scheduled weekday service, above Auckland as a whole (82%).
24% are that close to a frequent stop (60 or more departures that day), well below the council (54%); in the lowest quarter of 160 in Auckland.
The typical title is 159 m in a straight line from its nearest stop.
Timetable of Wednesday 30 September 2026, Auckland Transport. Sources and limits
Places of worship near Wattle Downs
OpenStreetMap maps 2 places of worship inside Wattle Downs (2 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Elim Christian Centre - South, 1.0 km away
- Hindu: Shiv Mandir, 1.5 km away
- Buddhist: Wat Dipadhammarama, 6.5 km away
- Muslim: Masjid Ayesha, 3.7 km away
- Sikh: Gurdwara Sahib, 3.0 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 Wattle Downs
The closest match on the measures on this site is Pahurehure in Auckland, nearest on household income, distance to the coast, new titles. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pahurehure | Auckland | 13.9% | $680 | 36.8 | household income, distance to the coast, new titles |
| Papamoa Beach | Tauranga City | 7.1% | No data | No data | distance to the coast, elevation, slope |
| Flagstaff | Hamilton City | 0.9% | $680 | 39.7 | children, working from home, heat pumps |
| Welcome Bay | Tauranga City | 9.8% | $710 | 36.5 | schools, degrees, distance to the coast |
| Maunu | Whangarei District | 5.6% | No data | 44.4 | cross-lease share, home ownership, land per flat |
Questions
What is the rent in Wattle Downs?
New tenancies in Wattle Downs West (the rent area for part of Wattle Downs) had a median rent of $740 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 $663 to $848.
What schools are in Wattle Downs?
LINZ maps 3 school sites inside Wattle Downs: Clayton Park School, Reremoana School and South Auckland Middle School. The nearest secondary school to its centre is James Cook High School (1.3 km in a straight line). The secondary-school home zone covering most of its titles is James Cook High School; check the school's own zone map for any address.