Living in Saint Kilda: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 2,267 live property titles in Saint Kilda, Dunedin City are mostly freehold (71%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 573 (25.3%), well above the national share of 8.7%.
Saint Kilda cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 573
- Share of live titles
- 25.3%
- Live titles in total
- 2,267
- Dunedin City share
- 4.9%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Dunedin City
- 1 of 18
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 62 of 644
Saint Kilda at a glance
Where Saint Kilda differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: homes with a heat pump (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 Kilda is listed under Dunedin City.
- 2,267 live titles are recorded here, including 573 cross-lease titles (25.3%).
- 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 25.3% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 2.5% 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 Kilda
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 1,617 | 71.3% |
| Cross lease | 573 | 25.3% |
| Unit title | 57 | 2.5% |
| Leasehold | 3 | 0.1% |
| Other record types | 17 | 0.7% |
| Total | 2,267 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Saint Kilda compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Saint Kilda is about 2.9 times the national share (8.7%).
Across Dunedin City as a whole, the share is 4.9%; Saint Kilda is about 5.2 times the overall Dunedin City share (4.9%).
Its cross-lease share is the highest of 18 in Dunedin City (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Saint Kilda are set up
Separate exclusive-use areas are less common (0% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
Fewer schemes refer to more than one flats plan (9%, against 36% nationally), usually because a plan was redrawn.
More leases include a garage (48% of schemes, against 28% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Saint Kilda | Dunedin City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 256 | 1,210 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 73.4% | 70.9% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 13.3% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 13.3% | 18.2% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 590 m² | 632 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 253 m² | 270 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 48.0% | 32.4% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 11.3% | 17.5% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 0.4% | 3.6% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 9.0% | 10.2% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1980 | 1980 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 6 | 239 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Saint Kilda
Unit titles are 3% of Saint Kilda's titles, below Dunedin City (4%) and well below New Zealand (8%). They belong to 17 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 2 units or fewer.
New titles in Saint Kilda since 2020
120 of Saint Kilda's current titles (5%) were first issued since 2020, below Dunedin City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (7%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 106 | 78 |
| Unit title | 10 | 0 |
| Cross-lease | 2 | 1 |
| Leasehold | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 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 Saint Kilda
The typical building in Saint Kilda stands on ground sloping 0.7° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), in the flattest quarter of 18 in Dunedin City.
Nearly all of its 3,223 measured buildings (99%) stand on ground under 5°.
Much of the land is low-lying: the median elevation is 1 m.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Saint Kilda
0% of Saint Kilda's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 20% within 500 m and 96% within 1 km. The typical title is 710 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 Kilda: 2023 Census
Saint Kilda's titles fall in 5 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 2 shown below hold 99% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
More households have no car in St Kilda North than across Dunedin City: 15.6% against 8.8%.
More people live alone in St Kilda North than across Dunedin City: 40.7% against 27.0%.
More workers commute by bus, train or ferry in St Kilda North than across Dunedin City: 6.6% against 4.6%.
| Measure | St Kilda North 51% of titles | St Kilda South 48% of titles | Dunedin City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,550 | 2,832 | 128,901 |
| Change since 2018 | +0.5% | −4.5% | +2.1% |
| Change since 2013 | +3.3% | +0.1% | +7.2% |
| Median age | 42.4 | 38.9 | 37 |
| Households | 1,104 | 1,212 | 49,188 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 61.1% | 63.9% | 68.1% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 39.1% | 36.1% | 31.8% |
| Median household income | $59,500 | $66,400 | $80,500 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $380 | $382 | $400 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 6.5% | 6.2% | 8.2% |
| Ages | |||
| Under 15 | 12.9% | 15.6% | 14.8% |
| 15 to 29 | 21.6% | 22.6% | 26.7% |
| 30 to 64 | 41.9% | 43.1% | 41.2% |
| 65 and over | 23.6% | 18.9% | 17.3% |
| Where people came from | |||
| Born overseas | 20.7% | 19.8% | 21.2% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 21.5% | 23.9% | 22.7% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 48.3% | 44.4% | 45.1% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 4.1% | 4.2% | 3.7% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 22.3% | 20.4% | 24.0% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 23.7% | 22.5% | 29.0% |
| Employed full-time | 43.9% | 49.2% | 44.5% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.3% | 3.0% | 3.2% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 37.7% | 37.3% | 42.6% |
| Median personal income | $31,200 | $37,200 | $33,500 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||
| Work from home | 8.8% | 10.5% | 12.6% |
| Car, truck or van | 73.5% | 73.0% | 70.3% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 6.6% | 5.8% | 4.6% |
| Walk or cycle | 10.4% | 9.7% | 11.4% |
| Households and families | |||
| One-person households | 40.7% | 35.6% | 27.0% |
| Average people per household | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 15.6% | 13.4% | 8.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 4.4% | 4.3% | 3.4% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 33.7% | 36.8% | 38.4% |
| Couples without children | 42.5% | 38.9% | 46.5% |
| One-parent families | 23.8% | 24.4% | 15.1% |
| Homes | |||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 58.7% | 76.3% | 81.2% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.6 | 2.7 | 3 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 85.5% | 85.1% | 77.7% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 17.1% | 20.1% | 17.3% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 11.2% | 11.6% | 11.5% |
Rents around Saint Kilda
New tenancies in St Kilda North in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $535 a week (up 8.5% on a year earlier). That is close to the typical suburb in Dunedin City ($565), and slightly below the national median ($600); 3rd lowest of 13 in Dunedin City.
| April–June 2026 | St Kilda North 51% of titles | St Kilda South 48% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $535 | $550 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $463–$648 | $500–$600 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | +8.5% | +10.0% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 24 | 27 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Saint Kilda
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Saint Kilda, among them Musselburgh School (Contributing) and Tahuna Normal Intermediate (Intermediate).
- Musselburgh School (Contributing)
- Tahuna Normal Intermediate (Intermediate)
- Nearest school: Musselburgh School (0.6 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Kings High School (Dunedin) (1.1 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Dunedin Hospital (3.8 km)
School enrolment zones in Saint Kilda: a guide
Four secondary schools have a home zone covering most of Saint Kilda's titles, among them John McGlashan College, Kavanagh College and Queens High School.
- Musselburgh School (primary, Years 1–6): about 90% of titles
- St Clair School (primary, Years 1–6): about 20% 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): all or nearly all 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
- Queens High School (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- St Hildas Collegiate (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 Kilda
OpenStreetMap maps 3 places of worship inside Saint Kilda (3 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: St Kilda Tongan Methodist Church, under 1 km away
- Muslim: Masjid Al Huda, 3.9 km away
- Jewish: Dunedin Jewish Congregation, 4.8 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%)
- 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%)
- Saint Clair: 85 cross-lease titles (5.5%)
Suburbs like Saint Kilda
The closest match on the measures on this site is Forbury Corner in Dunedin City, nearest on commuting on foot or by bike, slope, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forbury Corner | Dunedin City | 16.7% | $573 | 39.7 | commuting on foot or by bike, slope, elevation |
| Caversham | Dunedin City | 12.2% | $570 | 42.9 | schools, distance to a hospital, recent movers within NZ |
| Maori Hill, Timaru District | Timaru District | 27.0% | $490 | 44.4 | distance to the coast, population change, commuting on foot or by bike |
| Seaview, Timaru District | Timaru District | 18.5% | $430 | 41 | born overseas, distance to the coast, commuting on foot or by bike |
| South Dunedin | Dunedin City | 16.9% | $540 | 46.3 | slope, elevation, born overseas |
Questions
What is the rent in Saint Kilda?
New tenancies in St Kilda North (the rent area for part of Saint Kilda) had a median rent of $535 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 $463 to $648.
What schools are in Saint Kilda?
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Saint Kilda: Musselburgh School and Tahuna Normal Intermediate. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Kings High School (Dunedin) (1.1 km in a straight line). Secondary-school home zones covering most of its titles include John McGlashan College, Kavanagh College and Queens High School; check the school's own zone map for any address.