Living in Waiwhetū: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 1,785 live property titles in Waiwhetū, Lower Hutt City are mostly freehold (70%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 362 (20.3%), well above the national share of 8.7%.
- Cross-lease titles
- 362
- Share of live titles
- 20.3%
- Live titles in total
- 1,785
- Lower Hutt City share
- 10.5%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Lower Hutt City
- 3 of 21
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- 120 of 644
Waiwhetū at a glance
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Waiwhetū is listed under Lower Hutt City.
- 1,785 live titles are recorded here, including 362 cross-lease titles (20.3%).
- 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 20.3% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 7.6% 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 Waiwhetū
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 1,243 | 69.6% |
| Cross lease | 362 | 20.3% |
| Unit title | 135 | 7.6% |
| Leasehold | 28 | 1.6% |
| Other record types | 17 | 1.0% |
| Total | 1,785 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Waiwhetū compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Waiwhetū is about 2.3 times the national share (8.7%).
Across Lower Hutt City as a whole, the share is 10.5%; Waiwhetū is about 1.9 times the overall Lower Hutt City share (10.5%).
Its cross-lease share is 3rd highest of 21 in Lower Hutt City (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Waiwhetū are set up
Separate exclusive-use areas are less common (1% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
Fewer leases include a garage (14% of schemes, against 28% nationally).
Carports appear in fewer leases (8% of schemes, against 13% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Waiwhetū | Lower Hutt City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 149 | 2,185 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 73.8% | 82.9% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 12.8% | 9.4% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 13.4% | 7.6% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 750 m² | 791 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 348 m² | 364 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 14.1% | 15.7% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 8.1% | 7.6% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 1.3% | 3.8% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 24.2% | 29.2% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 60 | 1,124 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Waiwhetū
Unit titles are 8% of Waiwhetū's titles, well above Lower Hutt City (5%) and close to New Zealand (8%). They belong to 16 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 8 units or fewer.
28 titles (1.6%) are leasehold.
2 of them have a stated term that has ended or has under 10 years to run, which is worth reading closely in the lease.
Stated lease terms, as at 30 September 2026:
| Stated lease term | Titles |
|---|---|
| Stated term has ended | 2 |
| Under 10 years left | 0 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 0 |
| More than 50 years left | 25 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 1 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 0 |
New titles in Waiwhetū since 2020
208 of Waiwhetū's current titles (12%) were first issued since 2020, above Lower Hutt City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (10%) and close to New Zealand (12%).
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 184 | 71 |
| Unit title | 20 | 20 |
| Cross-lease | 2 | 2 |
| Leasehold | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 1 |
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 Waiwhetū
The typical building in Waiwhetū stands on ground sloping 0.7° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
Nearly all of its 2,098 measured buildings (96%) stand on ground under 5°.
Much of the land is low-lying: the median elevation is 4 m.
Unusually much of the sloping land faces north: 40%, where about a quarter would if slopes faced every way equally.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Waiwhetū
Waiwhetū 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 Waiwhetū: 2023 Census
About 66% of Waiwhetū's titles are in the census area Waiwhetu South (a Stats NZ statistical area), so these figures describe that area, not Waiwhetū exactly.
More households have no car in Waiwhetu South than across Lower Hutt City: 12.0% against 8.0%.
| Measure | Waiwhetu South | Waiwhetu North | Lower Hutt City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,871 | 1,599 | 107,562 |
| Change since 2018 | +5.7% | +0.6% | +2.9% |
| Change since 2013 | +10.4% | +17.7% | +9.5% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 36.3 | 37.5 |
| Households | 1,125 | 588 | 39,027 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 57.6% | 54.1% | 66.8% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 42.4% | 45.4% | 33.2% |
| Median household income | $102,800 | $105,200 | $110,100 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $450 | $350 | $450 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 4.3% | 6.1% | 5.8% |
| Ages | |||
| Under 15 | 18.8% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| 15 to 29 | 19.9% | 19.5% | 18.5% |
| 30 to 64 | 47.9% | 46.5% | 47.7% |
| 65 and over | 13.6% | 13.1% | 14.7% |
| Where people came from | |||
| Born overseas | 33.0% | 26.0% | 27.8% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 18.3% | 22.6% | 18.4% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 41.4% | 39.9% | 38.6% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 3.5% | 5.5% | 3.6% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 19.2% | 17.4% | 16.8% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 32.8% | 30.5% | 29.2% |
| Employed full-time | 59.2% | 54.6% | 55.4% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.6% | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 46.0% | 48.6% | 47.6% |
| Median personal income | $49,500 | $45,000 | $47,800 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||
| Work from home | 17.8% | 19.4% | 17.5% |
| Car, truck or van | 57.0% | 52.8% | 60.8% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 18.8% | 20.4% | 16.3% |
| Walk or cycle | 5.5% | 6.0% | 4.5% |
| Households and families | |||
| One-person households | 26.8% | 23.1% | 23.1% |
| Average people per household | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 12.0% | 11.0% | 8.0% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 9.2% | 9.2% | 7.1% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 42.6% | 44.8% | 44.7% |
| Couples without children | 38.2% | 32.2% | 37.5% |
| One-parent families | 19.1% | 21.7% | 17.8% |
| Homes | |||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 67.7% | 69.5% | 76.3% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 68.0% | 66.3% | 64.4% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 16.4% | 23.5% | 21.4% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 11.3% | 15.5% | 15.0% |
Rents around Waiwhetū
New tenancies in Waiwhetu in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $600 a week (down 7.7% on a year earlier). That is close to the typical suburb in Lower Hutt City ($600), and close to the national median ($600).
| April–June 2026 | Waiwhetu | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $600 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $548–$696 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −7.7% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 36 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Waiwhetū
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Waiwhetū, among them Gracefield School (Contributing) and Our Lady of the Rosary School (Waiwhetu) (Full Primary).
- Gracefield School (Contributing)
- Our Lady of the Rosary School (Waiwhetu) (Full Primary)
- Nearest school: Our Lady of the Rosary School (Waiwhetu) (0.7 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Sacred Heart College (Lower Hutt) (1.8 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Hutt Hospital (2.5 km)
School enrolment zones in Waiwhetū: a guide
Three secondary schools have a home zone covering most of Waiwhetū's titles: Hutt International Boys School, Hutt Valley High School and St Oran's College.
- Gracefield School (primary, Years 1–6): all or nearly all titles
- Our Lady of the Rosary School (Waiwhetu) (primary, Years 1–8): all or nearly all titles
- Hutt Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): all or nearly all titles
- Hutt International Boys School (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Hutt Valley High School (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- St Oran's 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
Public transport in Waiwhetū
96% of Waiwhetū's titles are within 400 m of a stop with a scheduled weekday service, close to Lower Hutt City as a whole (93%).
83% are that close to a frequent stop (60 or more departures that day), well above the council (43%).
70% are within 800 m of a train station or ferry wharf.
The typical title is 146 m in a straight line from its nearest stop.
Timetable of Wednesday 30 September 2026, Metlink (Greater Wellington Regional Council). Sources and limits
Places of worship near Waiwhetū
OpenStreetMap maps 4 places of worship inside Waiwhetū (4 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Ark of the Covenant, under 1 km away
- Hindu: unnamed, 3.3 km away
- Buddhist: Bodhinyanarama Buddhist Monastery, 6.5 km away
- Muslim: Lower Hutt Islamic Centre, 5.4 km away
- Sikh: Wellington Gurudwara Sahib, 3.6 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Lower Hutt City with many cross-leases
- Stokes Valley: 492 cross-lease titles (12.5%)
- Waterloo: 426 cross-lease titles (21.3%)
- Wainuiomata: 406 cross-lease titles (5.3%)
- Hutt Central: 343 cross-lease titles (15.1%)
- Woburn: 334 cross-lease titles (23.5%)
- Naenae: 333 cross-lease titles (9.6%)
- Avalon: 300 cross-lease titles (13.2%)
- Petone: 247 cross-lease titles (6.3%)
All suburbs in Lower Hutt City
Suburbs like Waiwhetū
The closest match on the measures on this site is Epuni in Lower Hutt City, nearest on population change, slope, home ownership. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epuni | Lower Hutt City | 12.5% | No data | 38.9 | population change, slope, home ownership |
| Fairfield, Lower Hutt City | Lower Hutt City | 14.7% | $600 | 36.4 | rent, working from home, older residents |
| Boulcott | Lower Hutt City | 14.6% | $635 | 41.1 | slope, schools, working from home |
| Waterloo | Lower Hutt City | 21.3% | $660 | 40.5 | slope, elevation, new titles |
| Alicetown | Lower Hutt City | 10.3% | $530 | 36.9 | slope, schools, distance to the coast |
Questions
What is the rent in Waiwhetū?
New tenancies in Waiwhetu (the rent area for part of Waiwhetū) had a median rent of $600 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 $548 to $696.
What schools are in Waiwhetū?
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Waiwhetū: Gracefield School and Our Lady of the Rosary School (Waiwhetu). The nearest secondary school to its centre is Sacred Heart College (Lower Hutt) (1.8 km in a straight line). Secondary-school home zones covering most of its titles are Hutt International Boys School, Hutt Valley High School and St Oran's College; check the school's own zone map for any address.