Living in Saint Clair: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 1,537 live property titles in Saint Clair, Dunedin City are almost all freehold (85%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 85 (5.5%), well below the national share of 8.7%.
Saint Clair cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 85
- Share of live titles
- 5.5%
- Live titles in total
- 1,537
- Dunedin City share
- 4.9%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Dunedin City
- joint 8 of 18
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 467 of 644
Saint Clair at a glance
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Saint Clair is listed under Dunedin City.
- 1,537 live titles are recorded here, including 85 cross-lease titles (5.5%).
- 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 5.5% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 7.9% of recorded titles, so title structure can vary within the suburb.
- 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
- Mapped public-transport context is not available for this suburb.
Title mix in Saint Clair
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 1,311 | 85.3% |
| Cross lease | 85 | 5.5% |
| Unit title | 122 | 7.9% |
| Leasehold | 1 | 0.1% |
| Other record types | 18 | 1.2% |
| Total | 1,537 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Saint Clair compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Saint Clair is well below the national share (8.7%).
Across Dunedin City as a whole, the share is 4.9%; Saint Clair is slightly higher than the overall Dunedin City share (4.9%).
How cross-leases in Saint Clair are set up
Fewer schemes refer to more than one flats plan (5%, against 36% nationally), usually because a plan was redrawn.
Three-flat schemes are more common here (27%, against 12% nationally).
Fewer schemes have four or more flats on one section (5%, against 11% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Saint Clair | Dunedin City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 37 | 1,210 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 64.9% | 70.9% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 27.0% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 5.4% | 18.2% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 701 m² | 632 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 314 m² | 270 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 40.5% | 32.4% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 21.6% | 17.5% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 0.0% | 3.6% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 5.4% | 10.2% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1974 | 1980 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 12 | 239 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Saint Clair
Unit titles are 8% of Saint Clair's titles, well above Dunedin City (4%) and close to New Zealand (8%). They belong to 11 developments, each run by a body corporate; 1 has 50 or more units.
New titles in Saint Clair since 2020
98 of Saint Clair's current titles (6%) were first issued since 2020, slightly below Dunedin City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (7%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
40% are unit titles, in 4 developments; most of the rest are freehold.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 56 | 34 |
| Unit title | 39 | 23 |
| Cross-lease | 0 | 0 |
| Leasehold | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 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 Saint Clair
The typical building in Saint Clair stands on ground sloping 3.0° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
About 11% of its 1,944 measured buildings stand on ground of 15° or more.
The land rises from about 0 m to 158 m, and 27% of all of it, including reserves and gullies, is 15° or steeper.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Saint Clair
20% of Saint Clair's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 52% within 500 m and 99% within 1 km. The typical title is 480 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 Clair: 2023 Census
About 68% of Saint Clair's titles are in the census area St Clair (a Stats NZ statistical area), so these figures describe that area, not Saint Clair exactly.
Fewer households have no car in St Clair than across Dunedin City: 3.8% against 8.8%.
More adults hold a degree in St Clair than across Dunedin City: 44.3% against 29.0%.
Household incomes are higher in St Clair than across Dunedin City: $113,500 against $80,500.
| Measure | St Clair | Kew (Dunedin City) | Dunedin City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,346 | 1,758 | 128,901 |
| Change since 2018 | +0.0% | +1.4% | +2.1% |
| Change since 2013 | +0.0% | +1.0% | +7.2% |
| Median age | 44.9 | 40.9 | 37 |
| Households | 900 | 690 | 49,188 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 77.7% | 75.2% | 68.1% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 22.0% | 25.2% | 31.8% |
| Median household income | $113,500 | $90,300 | $80,500 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $500 | $440 | $400 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 8.5% | 7.2% | 8.2% |
| Ages | |||
| Under 15 | 15.2% | 16.4% | 14.8% |
| 15 to 29 | 19.8% | 17.9% | 26.7% |
| 30 to 64 | 44.2% | 43.9% | 41.2% |
| 65 and over | 20.8% | 21.8% | 17.3% |
| Where people came from | |||
| Born overseas | 23.6% | 24.5% | 21.2% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 20.2% | 23.8% | 22.7% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 37.2% | 42.9% | 45.1% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 4.4% | 4.3% | 3.7% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 17.7% | 19.4% | 24.0% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 44.3% | 38.2% | 29.0% |
| Employed full-time | 49.2% | 49.4% | 44.5% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.3% | 2.7% | 3.2% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 57.0% | 51.8% | 42.6% |
| Median personal income | $46,200 | $40,900 | $33,500 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||
| Work from home | 16.5% | 13.4% | 12.6% |
| Car, truck or van | 67.9% | 71.5% | 70.3% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 5.8% | 6.2% | 4.6% |
| Walk or cycle | 8.8% | 6.9% | 11.4% |
| Households and families | |||
| One-person households | 23.0% | 26.5% | 27.0% |
| Average people per household | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 3.8% | 6.3% | 8.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 2.0% | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 39.5% | 40.5% | 38.4% |
| Couples without children | 49.8% | 46.4% | 46.5% |
| One-parent families | 10.2% | 13.7% | 15.1% |
| Homes | |||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 89.0% | 84.0% | 81.2% |
| Average bedrooms | 3.3 | 3 | 3 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 82.5% | 82.9% | 77.7% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 11.9% | 16.6% | 17.3% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 8.3% | 12.3% | 11.5% |
Rents around Saint Clair
New tenancies in St Clair in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $740 a week. That is above the typical suburb in Dunedin City ($565), and above the national median ($600); the highest of 13 in Dunedin City.
| April–June 2026 | St Clair | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $740 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $525–$750 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | — | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 15 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Saint Clair
One school site lies inside Saint Clair: St Clair School (Contributing).
- St Clair School (Contributing)
- Nearest school: St Clair School (0.9 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Queen's High School (1.1 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Dunedin Hospital (5.1 km)
School enrolment zones in Saint Clair: a guide
Four secondary schools have a home zone covering most of Saint Clair's titles, among them John McGlashan College, Kavanagh College and St Hildas Collegiate.
- St Clair School (primary, Years 1–6): about 60% of titles
- Dunedin Rudolf Steiner School (primary, Years 1–8): all or nearly all titles
- Liberton Christian School (primary, Years 1–8): all or nearly all titles
- Tahuna Normal Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 60% of titles
- Columba College (composite): all or nearly all titles
- John McGlashan College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Kavanagh College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- St Hildas Collegiate (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Queens 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
Places of worship near Saint Clair
OpenStreetMap maps 1 place of worship inside Saint Clair (1 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Reformed Church of Dunedin, under 1 km away
- Muslim: Masjid Al Huda, 5.3 km away
- Jewish: Dunedin Jewish Congregation, 6.1 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Dunedin City with many cross-leases
- Mosgiel: 626 cross-lease titles (8.9%)
- Saint Kilda: 573 cross-lease titles (25.3%)
- South Dunedin: 356 cross-lease titles (16.9%)
- Caversham: 165 cross-lease titles (12.2%)
- Dunedin Central: 123 cross-lease titles (3.4%)
- North East Valley: 96 cross-lease titles (5.4%)
- Roslyn: 85 cross-lease titles (9.8%)
Suburbs like Saint Clair
The closest match on the measures on this site is Andersons Bay in Dunedin City, nearest on distance to the coast, population change, elevation. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andersons Bay | Dunedin City | 4.0% | No data | 40.6 | distance to the coast, population change, elevation |
| Musselburgh | Dunedin City | 8.1% | $565 | 38.7 | distance to the coast, population change, commuting by public transport |
| Belleknowes | Dunedin City | 4.7% | $615 | 41.5 | population change, stand-alone houses, household income |
| Tainui | Dunedin City | 5.5% | No data | 37.2 | cross-lease share, schools, distance to the coast |
| Kenmure | Dunedin City | 5.5% | No data | 37.3 | cross-lease share, population change, schools |
Questions
What is the rent in Saint Clair?
New tenancies in St Clair (the rent area for part of Saint Clair) 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 $525 to $750.
What schools are in Saint Clair?
LINZ maps 1 school site inside Saint Clair: St Clair School. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Queen's High School (1.1 km in a straight line). Secondary-school home zones covering most of its titles include John McGlashan College, Kavanagh College and St Hildas Collegiate; check the school's own zone map for any address.