Living in Whataupoko: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 1,714 live property titles in Whataupoko, Gisborne District are almost all freehold (94%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 90 (5.3%), well below the national share of 8.7%.
- Cross-lease titles
- 90
- Share of live titles
- 5.3%
- Live titles in total
- 1,714
- Gisborne District share
- 2.3%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Gisborne District
- 3 of 5
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 479 of 644
Whataupoko at a glance
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Whataupoko is listed under Gisborne District.
- 1,714 live titles are recorded here, including 90 cross-lease titles (5.3%).
- 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 5.3% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 0.4% 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 Whataupoko
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 1,614 | 94.2% |
| Cross lease | 90 | 5.3% |
| Unit title | 7 | 0.4% |
| Leasehold | 1 | 0.1% |
| Other record types | 2 | 0.1% |
| Total | 1,714 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Whataupoko compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Whataupoko is well below the national share (8.7%).
Across Gisborne District as a whole, the share is 2.3%; Whataupoko is about 2.3 times the overall Gisborne District share (2.3%).
Its cross-lease share is 3rd highest of 5 in Gisborne District (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Whataupoko are set up
Fewer schemes refer to more than one flats plan (11%, against 36% nationally), usually because a plan was redrawn.
Separate exclusive-use areas are less common (2% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
Carports appear in fewer leases (7% of schemes, against 13% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Whataupoko | Gisborne District | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 44 | 236 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 90.9% | 78.0% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 9.1% | 13.6% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 0.0% | 8.5% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 818 m² | 878 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 408 m² | 404 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 40.9% | 32.2% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 6.8% | 11.0% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 2.3% | 1.3% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 11.4% | 12.3% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1976 | 1984 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 28 | 135 | 54,978 |
New titles in Whataupoko since 2020
60 of Whataupoko's current titles (4%) were first issued since 2020, well below Gisborne District's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (6%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
That rate is joint 2nd lowest of 5 in Gisborne District.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 60 | 31 |
| Unit title | 0 | 0 |
| Cross-lease | 0 | 0 |
| 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 Whataupoko
The typical building in Whataupoko stands on ground sloping 1.2° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), the steepest of 5 in Gisborne District.
The land rises from about 0 m to 170 m, and 40% 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 Whataupoko
Whataupoko is inland: the typical title is 2.1 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 Whataupoko: 2023 Census
Whataupoko's titles fall in 3 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 2 shown below hold 98% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
More workers walk or cycle to work in Whataupoko West than across Gisborne District: 11.1% against 4.9%.
Fewer households have no car in Whataupoko West than across Gisborne District: 3.8% against 6.5%.
More residents were born overseas in Whataupoko West than across Gisborne District: 19.0% against 11.8%.
| Measure | Whataupoko West 52% of titles | Whataupoko East 46% of titles | Gisborne District whole council |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,106 | 1,914 | 51,135 |
| Change since 2018 | +2.6% | +1.9% | +7.6% |
| Change since 2013 | +9.9% | +7.0% | +17.1% |
| Median age | 43.7 | 42 | 36.7 |
| Households | 819 | 708 | 17,124 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 67.8% | 82.2% | 62.9% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 32.2% | 17.4% | 37.1% |
| Median household income | $88,300 | $106,200 | $81,000 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $430 | $480 | $310 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 7.1% | 7.4% | 10.8% |
| Ages | |||
| Under 15 | 17.9% | 19.9% | 22.3% |
| 15 to 29 | 17.1% | 14.4% | 18.8% |
| 30 to 64 | 43.0% | 46.1% | 42.3% |
| 65 and over | 21.8% | 19.6% | 16.6% |
| Where people came from | |||
| Born overseas | 19.0% | 18.9% | 11.8% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 25.2% | 20.2% | 29.6% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 39.8% | 35.3% | 42.3% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 4.1% | 2.9% | 3.5% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 15.7% | 13.8% | 16.8% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 25.7% | 29.4% | 18.0% |
| Employed full-time | 49.5% | 55.0% | 47.5% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.1% | 1.0% | 4.0% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 47.1% | 49.6% | 40.3% |
| Median personal income | $41,200 | $48,500 | $35,800 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||
| Work from home | 14.2% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Car, truck or van | 73.4% | 78.8% | 77.4% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Walk or cycle | 11.1% | 5.8% | 4.9% |
| Households and families | |||
| One-person households | 24.3% | 24.1% | 24.3% |
| Average people per household | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.8 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 3.8% | 2.2% | 6.5% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 4.8% | 3.0% | 10.7% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 34.0% | 43.2% | 38.6% |
| Couples without children | 45.9% | 43.2% | 35.4% |
| One-parent families | 19.6% | 13.6% | 25.9% |
| Homes | |||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 85.8% | 92.4% | 85.1% |
| Average bedrooms | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 70.1% | 67.8% | 56.7% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 17.9% | 18.9% | 30.0% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 13.0% | 14.8% | 23.4% |
Rents around Whataupoko
New tenancies in Whataupoko West in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $650 a week (up 8.3% on a year earlier). That is close to the typical suburb in Gisborne District ($638), and slightly above the national median ($600); joint highest of 4 in Gisborne District.
| April–June 2026 | Whataupoko West 52% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $650 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $550–$775 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | +8.3% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 27 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Whataupoko
One school site lies inside Whataupoko: Gisborne Central School (Contributing).
- Gisborne Central School (Contributing)
- Nearest school: Gisborne Central School (0.6 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Tūranga Tangata Rite (2.1 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Gisborne Hospital (3.2 km)
School enrolment zones in Whataupoko: a guide
One secondary school has a home zone covering most of Whataupoko's titles: Campion College.
- Gisborne Central School (primary, Years 1–6): all or nearly all titles
- Mangapapa School (primary, Years 1–6): about 20% of titles
- Te Wharau School (primary, Years 1–6): about 15% of titles
- Ilminster Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): all or nearly all titles
- Gisborne Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): all or nearly all titles
- Campion College (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 Whataupoko
No place of worship is mapped in OpenStreetMap inside Whataupoko's boundary.
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Gisborne Central Baptist Church, 1.5 km away
- Sikh: Gisborne Sikh Temple, 3.5 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Gisborne District with many cross-leases
- Te Hāpara: 186 cross-lease titles (7.6%)
- Gisborne: 97 cross-lease titles (6.7%)
- Mangapapa: 64 cross-lease titles (3.8%)
- Kaiti: 54 cross-lease titles (4.3%)
All suburbs in Gisborne District
Suburbs like Whataupoko
The closest match on the measures on this site is Maungatapu in Tauranga City, nearest on schools, stand-alone houses, distance to a hospital. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maungatapu | Tauranga City | 16.2% | $645 | 41.5 | schools, stand-alone houses, distance to a hospital |
| Brooklands, New Plymouth District | New Plymouth District | 8.5% | $535 | 40.8 | born overseas, slope, schools |
| Waiuku | Auckland | 8.6% | $615 | 42.5 | unit-title share, stand-alone houses, population change |
| Otūmoetai | Tauranga City | 24.0% | No data | 42.2 | recent movers within NZ, population change, distance to a hospital |
| Greenmeadows | Napier City | 10.5% | No data | 41.1 | unit-title share, land per flat, new titles |
Questions
What is the rent in Whataupoko?
New tenancies in Whataupoko West (the rent area for part of Whataupoko) had a median rent of $650 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 $550 to $775.
What schools are in Whataupoko?
LINZ maps 1 school site inside Whataupoko: Gisborne Central School. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Tūranga Tangata Rite (2.1 km in a straight line). The secondary-school home zone covering most of its titles is Campion College; check the school's own zone map for any address.