Living in Islington, Christchurch City: schools, census and property titles
The 989 live property titles in Islington, Christchurch City are mostly freehold (76%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 171 (17.3%), well above the national share of 8.7%.
Islington, Christchurch City cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 171
- Share of live titles
- 17.3%
- Live titles in total
- 989
- Christchurch City share
- 15.6%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Christchurch City
- 35 of 69
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 168 of 644
Islington at a glance
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Islington is listed under Christchurch City.
- 989 live titles are recorded here, including 171 cross-lease titles (17.3%).
- The page includes 2023 Census context for the statistical area that represents this suburb.
Contextual observations
- Cross-lease titles make up 17.3% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 5.5% 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
- A usable MBIE new-tenancy rent figure is not available for this suburb.
Title mix in Islington
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 748 | 75.6% |
| Cross lease | 171 | 17.3% |
| Unit title | 54 | 5.5% |
| Leasehold | 3 | 0.3% |
| Other record types | 13 | 1.3% |
| Total | 989 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Islington compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Islington is about 2.0 times the national share (8.7%).
Across Christchurch City as a whole, the share is 15.6%; Islington is slightly higher than the overall Christchurch City share (15.6%).
How cross-leases in Islington are set up
More leases include a garage (70% of schemes, against 28% nationally).
Carports appear in fewer leases (7% of schemes, against 13% nationally).
Fewer schemes have four or more flats on one section (7%, against 11% nationally), up to 7.
| Scheme structure | Islington | Christchurch City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 76 | 12,525 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 80.3% | 79.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 13.2% | 7.8% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 6.6% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 1,011 m² | 809 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 428 m² | 369 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 69.7% | 52.2% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 6.6% | 5.2% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 0.0% | 2.1% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 46.1% | 25.6% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1993 | 1989 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 52 | 6,564 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Islington
Unit titles are 5% of Islington's titles, well below Christchurch City (8%) and well below New Zealand (8%). They belong to 9 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 6 units or fewer.
New titles in Islington since 2020
107 of Islington's current titles (11%) were first issued since 2020, slightly below Christchurch City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (13%) and slightly below New Zealand (12%).
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 89 | 68 |
| Unit title | 12 | 0 |
| Cross-lease | 2 | 1 |
| Leasehold | 1 | 1 |
| Other | 3 | 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 Islington
The typical building in Islington stands on ground sloping 0.7° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
Nearly all of its 1,552 measured buildings (99%) stand on ground under 5°.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Islington
Islington is inland: the typical title is 15 km from the sea or harbour edge, and none is 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.
Christchurch District Plan maps for Islington
Of Islington's 989 titles, 51% are in the Residential Suburban zone, 27% are in the Industrial General zone, 9% are in the Medium density residential zone.
| District Plan zone | Share of all titles | Share of cross-lease titles |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Suburban | 51% | 88% |
| Industrial General | 27% | 2% |
| Medium density residential | 9% | 10% |
| Industrial Heavy | 6% | 0% |
| Rural Urban Fringe | 4% | 0% |
| Other zones | 3% | 0% |
1% of titles are in at least one qualifying matter area, where the District Plan limits the extra housing density it would otherwise allow: Electricity Transmission Corridors and Infrastructure (1%).
| Mapped hazard or noise overlay | Share of all titles | Share of cross-lease titles |
|---|---|---|
| Flood Management Area | 0% | 0% |
| High Flood Hazard Management Area | 0% | 0% |
| Flood Ponding Management Area | 0% | 0% |
| Liquefaction Management Zone | 0% | 0% |
| Slope Hazard Management Area | 0% | 0% |
| Tsunami Inundation area | 0% | 0% |
| 50 dB Ldn airport noise contour | 13% | 0% |
Source: Christchurch City Council, District Plan open data (CC BY 4.0), layers last edited 2026-09-16. Each title is counted once, at the centre of its land, so a title partly inside an area may be counted outside it and the other way round. These are the council's planning maps for the operative District Plan, not assessments of any property: being outside a mapped area does not mean a site is free of that hazard, and being inside one does not describe any particular site. Zone rules set what can be built; check the District Plan, and the LIM for any property.
Room for a small stand-alone unit in Islington
Since 15 January 2026 a new detached unit of up to 70 m² needs no building consent and, in a residential zone, no resource consent, if (among other conditions) it sits at least 2 m from boundaries and other buildings and the site's building coverage stays at or under 50%. Testing those two dimensional rules against LINZ parcel and building outlines for 464 residential sections in Islington (250–5,000 m²):
| Result of the public-data screen | All residential sections | Cross-lease sections |
|---|---|---|
| No obvious barrier: a 7 × 10 m space fits and coverage would stay at or under 50% | 36% | 27% |
| … of which also in a mapped hazard, qualifying-matter or noise overlay (check needed) | 1% | 0% |
| Space fits but coverage would exceed 50% | 0% | 0% |
| No room for the space | 64% | 73% |
A screen of two measurements, not advice, and never a statement that anything can be built. Building outlines are approximate and leave out decks, sheds, pools and driveways; easements, land covenants, consent notices, pipes, trees, unmapped hazards and district plan rules that still apply are not visible here. On a cross-lease section the other owners' consent and a new flats plan are normally needed as well, and "one unit per site" may mean one for the whole shared section. The council's Project Information Memorandum (PIM) is the authoritative check. Sources: LINZ NZ Primary Parcels and NZ Building Outlines (CC BY 4.0), Christchurch City Council District Plan (CC BY 4.0).
Every Christchurch suburb on the same screen
Who lives around Islington: 2023 Census
Islington's titles fall in 5 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 3 shown below hold 96% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
Fewer adults hold a degree in Islington than across Christchurch City: 13.4% against 29.2%.
Fewer workers work from home in Islington than across Christchurch City: 6.1% against 13.0%.
Fewer workers walk or cycle to work in Islington than across Christchurch City: 5.0% against 9.6%.
| Measure | Islington 40% of titles | Islington-Hornby Industrial 37% of titles | Hornby West 20% of titles | Christchurch City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 960 | 354 | 2,472 | 391,383 |
| Change since 2018 | −0.9% | +3.5% | −0.8% | +6.1% |
| Change since 2013 | +6.0% | −7.1% | +6.2% | +14.6% |
| Median age | 37.8 | 51.3 | 37.8 | 37.5 |
| Households | 369 | 138 | 909 | 149,442 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 65.9% | 56.5% | 66.3% | 64.8% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 33.3% | 45.7% | 34.0% | 35.2% |
| Median household income | $78,900 | $72,300 | $84,500 | $90,600 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $380 | $230 | $430 | $415 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 5.3% | 12.7% | 4.7% | 8.1% |
| Ages | ||||
| Under 15 | 15.0% | 11.0% | 15.9% | 16.5% |
| 15 to 29 | 23.4% | 13.6% | 21.8% | 21.6% |
| 30 to 64 | 46.6% | 55.1% | 45.0% | 45.5% |
| 65 and over | 15.0% | 21.2% | 17.4% | 16.3% |
| Where people came from | ||||
| Born overseas | 23.5% | 23.7% | 28.0% | 27.9% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 21.3% | 17.9% | 20.2% | 20.1% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 38.4% | 52.2% | 44.9% | 47.2% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 4.1% | 4.3% | 2.7% | 4.2% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 14.1% | 22.2% | 18.8% | 21.5% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 13.4% | 8.9% | 13.6% | 29.2% |
| Employed full-time | 55.0% | 53.8% | 52.1% | 50.1% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.6% | 3.8% | 2.9% | 2.7% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 25.1% | 30.2% | 24.8% | 43.7% |
| Median personal income | $38,900 | $37,500 | $40,400 | $40,400 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||||
| Work from home | 6.1% | 6.3% | 7.0% | 13.0% |
| Car, truck or van | 83.8% | 85.7% | 80.1% | 71.7% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 2.8% | 4.8% | 3.6% | 4.1% |
| Walk or cycle | 5.0% | 4.8% | 7.2% | 9.6% |
| Households and families | ||||
| One-person households | 33.6% | 35.1% | 24.6% | 25.9% |
| Average people per household | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 7.8% | 5.7% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 6.6% | 8.3% | 5.7% | 4.6% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 40.2% | 34.8% | 42.5% | 40.2% |
| Couples without children | 36.6% | 56.5% | 38.3% | 43.3% |
| One-parent families | 22.0% | 8.7% | 19.2% | 16.5% |
| Homes | ||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 83.7% | 53.2% | 80.3% | 73.4% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 3 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 83.6% | 50.0% | 84.1% | 86.2% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 20.7% | 17.6% | 18.3% | 15.6% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 12.4% | 11.8% | 13.8% | 9.4% |
Schools and hospitals near Islington
No school site lies inside Islington's boundary; the nearest is Hornby Primary School, 1.8 km away in a straight line.
- Nearest school: Hornby Primary School (1.8 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Hornby High School (2.0 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Christchurch Hospital (10.0 km)
School enrolment zones in Islington: a guide
Four secondary schools have a home zone covering most of Islington's titles, among them Hagley Community College, Hornby High School and St Thomas of Canterbury College.
- Hornby Primary School (primary, Years 1–6): about 80% of titles
- South Hornby School (primary, Years 1–6): about 10% of titles
- St Bernadette's School (Hornby) (primary, Years 1–8): all or nearly all titles
- Templeton School (primary, Years 1–8): about 5% of titles
- Christchurch Adventist School (composite): all or nearly all titles
- Middleton Grange School (Year 1-8) (composite): all or nearly all titles
- Middleton Grange School (Year 11-13) (composite): all or nearly all titles
- Middleton Grange School (Year 9-10) (composite): all or nearly all titles
- Hagley Community College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Hornby High School Years 9-15 (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- St Thomas of Canterbury College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Villa Maria College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Hornby High School Years 7-8 (secondary): about 95% 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 Islington
57% of Islington's titles are within 400 m of a stop with a scheduled weekday service, below Christchurch City as a whole (83%).
1% are that close to a frequent stop (60 or more departures that day), well below the council (54%); in the lowest quarter of 69 in Christchurch City.
The typical title is 369 m in a straight line from its nearest stop.
Timetable of Wednesday 30 September 2026, Metro (Environment Canterbury). Sources and limits
Places of worship near Islington
No place of worship is mapped in OpenStreetMap inside Islington's boundary.
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Lighthouse Baptist Church, 1.2 km away
- Hindu: Sri Ganesha Temple Christchurch, 8.8 km away
- Buddhist: Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, 8.5 km away
- Muslim: University of Canterbury Musalla, 7.1 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Christchurch City with many cross-leases
- St Albans: 1,674 cross-lease titles (24.5%)
- Riccarton: 1,331 cross-lease titles (27.2%)
- Linwood: 1,165 cross-lease titles (23.6%)
- Avonhead: 982 cross-lease titles (24.2%)
- Sydenham: 982 cross-lease titles (20.5%)
- Ilam: 964 cross-lease titles (27.4%)
- Edgeware: 870 cross-lease titles (36.8%)
- Woolston: 862 cross-lease titles (15.2%)
All suburbs in Christchurch City
Suburbs like Islington
The closest match on the measures on this site is Templeton in Christchurch City, nearest on slope, near a frequent stop, commuting by public transport. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Templeton | Christchurch City | 14.0% | No data | 40 | slope, near a frequent stop, commuting by public transport |
| Avondale, Christchurch City | Christchurch City | 13.6% | No data | 36.7 | slope, near a frequent stop, older residents |
| Casebrook | Christchurch City | 14.4% | $560 | 38.3 | slope, commuting by public transport, near a frequent stop |
| Bromley | Christchurch City | 19.2% | No data | 36.7 | heat pumps, slope, population change |
| Hampstead | Ashburton District | 14.3% | No data | 37.6 | working from home, slope, median age |
Questions
What schools are in Islington, Christchurch City?
No school site lies inside Islington's boundary. The nearest school is Hornby Primary School (1.8 km in a straight line). Secondary-school home zones covering most of its titles include Hagley Community College, Hornby High School and St Thomas of Canterbury College; check the school's own zone map for any address.