Living in Napier South: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 3,065 live property titles in Napier South, Napier City are mostly freehold (70%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 156 (5.1%), well below the national share of 8.7%.
Napier South cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 156
- Share of live titles
- 5.1%
- Live titles in total
- 3,065
- Napier City share
- 7.0%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Napier City
- 8 of 12
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 490 of 644
Napier South at a glance
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Napier South is listed under Napier City.
- 3,065 live titles are recorded here, including 156 cross-lease titles (5.1%).
- 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 5.1% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 11.5% 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 Napier South
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 2,148 | 70.1% |
| Cross lease | 156 | 5.1% |
| Unit title | 353 | 11.5% |
| Leasehold | 371 | 12.1% |
| Other record types | 37 | 1.2% |
| Total | 3,065 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Napier South compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Napier South is well below the national share (8.7%).
Across Napier City as a whole, the share is 7.0%; Napier South is lower than the overall Napier City share (7.0%).
How cross-leases in Napier South are set up
More schemes have four or more flats on one section (28%, against 11% nationally), up to 8.
Carports appear in fewer leases (7% of schemes, against 13% nationally).
Fewer schemes refer to more than one flats plan (20%, against 36% nationally), usually because a plan was redrawn.
| Scheme structure | Napier South | Napier City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 60 | 899 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 53.3% | 69.3% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 18.3% | 18.9% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 28.3% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 1,011 m² | 888 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 316 m² | 402 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 23.3% | 34.0% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 6.7% | 5.3% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 5.0% | 6.1% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 20.0% | 37.4% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1996 | 1994 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 17 | 526 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Napier South
Unit titles are 12% of Napier South's titles, well above Napier City (4%) and well above New Zealand (8%). They belong to 27 developments, each run by a body corporate; 2 have 50 or more units.
The unit-title share is 2nd highest of 12 in Napier City.
371 titles (12.1%) are leasehold, 116 of them units in a unit-title development, well above the national share (1.2%).
28 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 | 24 |
| Under 10 years left | 4 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 7 |
| More than 50 years left | 143 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 25 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 168 |
New titles in Napier South since 2020
161 of Napier South's current titles (5%) were first issued since 2020, below Napier City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (7%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
45% are unit titles, in 8 developments; most of the rest are freehold.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 80 | 38 |
| Unit title | 72 | 65 |
| Cross-lease | 0 | 0 |
| Leasehold | 2 | 1 |
| Other | 7 | 6 |
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 Napier South
The typical building in Napier South stands on ground sloping 0.7° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
Nearly all of its 3,027 measured buildings (98%) stand on ground under 5°.
Much of the land is low-lying: the median elevation is 3 m.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Napier South
20% of Napier South's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 57% within 500 m and 81% within 1 km. The typical title is 420 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 Napier South: 2023 Census
Napier South's titles fall in 6 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 3 shown below hold 95% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
More workers walk or cycle to work in McLean Park than across Napier City: 8.4% against 5.1%.
More households have no car in McLean Park than across Napier City: 8.6% against 6.0%.
| Measure | McLean Park 34% of titles | Napier Central 32% of titles | Nelson Park 29% of titles | Napier City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,484 | 384 | 2,172 | 64,695 |
| Change since 2018 | −2.6% | −8.6% | −0.4% | +3.9% |
| Change since 2013 | +3.2% | −7.2% | +1.5% | +13.0% |
| Median age | 40.9 | 38.1 | 41.2 | 42 |
| Households | 1,020 | 165 | 831 | 24,591 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 63.5% | 31.7% | 59.2% | 69.3% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 36.2% | 68.3% | 40.4% | 30.7% |
| Median household income | $78,700 | $56,500 | $79,700 | $83,400 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $422 | $425 | $380 | $400 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 9.2% | 15.2% | 6.3% | 7.0% |
| Ages | ||||
| Under 15 | 16.4% | 10.9% | 19.6% | 18.4% |
| 15 to 29 | 19.6% | 23.4% | 17.8% | 17.2% |
| 30 to 64 | 46.5% | 53.9% | 44.9% | 43.3% |
| 65 and over | 17.6% | 12.5% | 17.7% | 21.1% |
| Where people came from | ||||
| Born overseas | 16.0% | 27.8% | 18.2% | 18.1% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 20.2% | 34.3% | 21.1% | 22.6% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 44.9% | 66.9% | 41.3% | 42.9% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 3.7% | 6.5% | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 17.2% | 34.6% | 15.9% | 17.2% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 23.5% | 16.5% | 22.2% | 20.6% |
| Employed full-time | 52.5% | 53.9% | 47.6% | 48.6% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.3% | 4.3% | 3.1% | 2.8% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 39.8% | 38.4% | 42.7% | 40.5% |
| Median personal income | $40,900 | $34,100 | $36,000 | $39,200 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||||
| Work from home | 11.4% | 16.4% | 13.4% | 12.8% |
| Car, truck or van | 78.2% | 58.9% | 73.2% | 80.3% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 0.7% | 2.7% | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| Walk or cycle | 8.4% | 19.2% | 11.5% | 5.1% |
| Households and families | ||||
| One-person households | 29.4% | 47.4% | 28.9% | 26.9% |
| Average people per household | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 8.6% | 20.0% | 8.9% | 6.0% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 4.9% | 9.4% | 5.7% | 6.1% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 32.5% | 29.4% | 38.3% | 36.3% |
| Couples without children | 44.0% | 47.1% | 36.0% | 44.6% |
| One-parent families | 23.4% | 23.5% | 26.3% | 19.1% |
| Homes | ||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 72.2% | 35.6% | 73.4% | 79.1% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.9 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 69.6% | 75.0% | 69.7% | 76.0% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 16.7% | 25.0% | 19.1% | 15.9% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 10.3% | 9.4% | 12.4% | 11.3% |
Rents around Napier South
New tenancies in McLean Park 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 Napier City ($600), and close to the national median ($600).
| April–June 2026 | McLean Park 34% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $600 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $550–$650 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −7.7% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 18 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Napier South
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Napier South, among them Napier Intermediate (Intermediate) and Nelson Park School (Contributing).
- Napier Intermediate (Intermediate)
- Nelson Park School (Contributing)
- Nearest school: Nelson Park School (0.3 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Napier Girls' High School (1.4 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Hawke's Bay Hospital (16.3 km)
School enrolment zones in Napier South: a guide
Seven secondary schools have a home zone covering most of Napier South's titles, among them Iona College, Lindisfarne College and Napier Boys' High School.
- Nelson Park School (primary, Years 1–6): about 60% of titles
- Te Awa School (primary, Years 1–6): about 35% of titles
- Napier Central School (primary, Years 1–6): about 25% of titles
- Napier Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): all or nearly all titles
- Hastings Christian School (composite): all or nearly all titles
- Taikura Rudolf Steiner School (composite): all or nearly all titles
- Iona College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Lindisfarne College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Napier Boys' High School (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- St John's College (Hastings) (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- St Joseph's Maori Girls' College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Woodford House (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Napier Girls' 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 Napier South
OpenStreetMap maps 8 places of worship inside Napier South (7 Christian, 1 Buddhist).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: The Oasis Church (Elim), under 1 km away
- Buddhist: Phuntsok Choeling Buddhist Centre, 1.2 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Napier City with many cross-leases
- Taradale: 553 cross-lease titles (9.7%)
- Marewa: 348 cross-lease titles (14.6%)
- Greenmeadows: 282 cross-lease titles (10.5%)
- Onekawa: 222 cross-lease titles (7.4%)
- Tamatea: 138 cross-lease titles (6.1%)
- Pirimai: 117 cross-lease titles (7.3%)
- Westshore: 75 cross-lease titles (10.6%)
- Ahuriri: 40 cross-lease titles (4.0%)
Suburbs like Napier South
The closest match on the measures on this site is Greenmeadows in Napier City, nearest on slope, elevation, working from home. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenmeadows | Napier City | 10.5% | No data | 41.1 | slope, elevation, working from home |
| Tamatea | Napier City | 6.1% | $595 | 37.4 | elevation, slope, rent |
| Saint Leonards, Hastings District | Hastings District | 8.2% | $600 | 36.1 | rent, slope, population change |
| Pirimai | Napier City | 7.3% | No data | 34 | slope, elevation, commuting by public transport |
| Mayfield, Marlborough District | Marlborough District | 11.8% | No data | 39.3 | slope, elevation, home ownership |
Questions
What is the rent in Napier South?
New tenancies in McLean Park (the rent area for part of Napier South) 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 $550 to $650.
What schools are in Napier South?
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Napier South: Napier Intermediate and Nelson Park School. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Napier Girls' High School (1.4 km in a straight line). Secondary-school home zones covering most of its titles include Iona College, Lindisfarne College and Napier Boys' High School; check the school's own zone map for any address.