Living in Nelson: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 1,710 live property titles in Nelson, Nelson City are mostly freehold (78%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 40 (2.3%), well below the national share of 8.7%.
- Cross-lease titles
- 40
- Share of live titles
- 2.3%
- Live titles in total
- 1,710
- Nelson City share
- 5.3%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Nelson City
- 14 of 15
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 607 of 644
Nelson at a glance
Where Nelson differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: cross-lease share of titles (lower than 94% of NZ suburbs); median weekly rent, new tenancies (lower than 94% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Nelson is listed under Nelson City.
- 1,710 live titles are recorded here, including 40 cross-lease titles (2.3%).
- 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 2.3% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 9.8% 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 Nelson
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 1,331 | 77.8% |
| Cross lease | 40 | 2.3% |
| Unit title | 167 | 9.8% |
| Leasehold | 150 | 8.8% |
| Other record types | 22 | 1.3% |
| Total | 1,710 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Nelson compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Nelson is well below the national share (8.7%).
Across Nelson City as a whole, the share is 5.3%; Nelson is well below the overall Nelson City share (5.3%).
Its cross-lease share is 2nd lowest of 15 in Nelson City (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Nelson are set up
Three-flat schemes are more common here (32%, against 12% nationally).
Fewer schemes have four or more flats on one section (5%, against 11% nationally).
Less land per flat than is typical in New Zealand: about 293 m² per flat, against 408 m².
| Scheme structure | Nelson | Nelson City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 19 | 795 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 63.2% | 69.4% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 31.6% | 15.3% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 5.3% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 671 m² | 840 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 293 m² | 381 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 26.3% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 10.5% | 8.9% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 0.0% | 1.9% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 26.3% | 24.4% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1991 | 1991 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 3 | 379 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Nelson
Unit titles are 10% of Nelson's titles, well above Nelson City (3%) and above New Zealand (8%). They belong to 21 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 5 units or fewer.
The unit-title share is the highest of 15 in Nelson City.
150 titles (8.8%) are leasehold, 1 of them units in a unit-title development, well above the national share (1.2%).
8 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 | 8 |
| Under 10 years left | 0 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 4 |
| More than 50 years left | 112 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 25 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 1 |
New titles in Nelson since 2020
145 of Nelson's current titles (8%) were first issued since 2020, close to Nelson City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (8%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
Most are unit titles: 84 in 3 developments (apartments, terraces or townhouses under a body corporate).
Most came recently: 113 since 2023.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 50 | 35 |
| Unit title | 84 | 70 |
| Cross-lease | 0 | 0 |
| Leasehold | 8 | 6 |
| Other | 3 | 2 |
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 Nelson
The typical building in Nelson stands on ground sloping 1.6° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
Much of the land is low-lying: the median elevation is 7 m, and parts are below sea level.
Unusually much of the sloping land faces north: 38%, 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 Nelson
0% of Nelson's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 2% within 500 m and 39% within 1 km. The typical title is 1.2 km 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 Nelson: 2023 Census
Nelson's titles fall in 5 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 3 shown below hold 100% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
Fewer homes are stand-alone houses in Nelson Central-Trafalgar than across Nelson City: 31.6% against 78.4%.
More workers walk or cycle to work in Nelson Central-Trafalgar than across Nelson City: 35.5% against 14.6%.
More households have no car in Nelson Central-Trafalgar than across Nelson City: 11.1% against 5.6%.
| Measure | Nelson Central-Trafalgar 54% of titles | Rutherford 31% of titles | Maitai 15% of titles | Nelson City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 660 | 2,547 | 1,293 | 52,584 |
| Change since 2018 | −2.2% | −1.4% | −5.1% | +3.3% |
| Change since 2013 | +14.0% | +2.3% | −1.6% | +13.2% |
| Median age | 40.4 | 44.2 | 49.9 | 44 |
| Households | 258 | 990 | 552 | 20,577 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 57.1% | 67.3% | 67.4% | 71.2% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 45.2% | 32.7% | 33.2% | 28.8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $91,900 | $79,400 | $81,800 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $400 | $450 | $410 | $430 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 9.3% | 10.1% | 8.7% | 7.4% |
| Ages | ||||
| Under 15 | 9.5% | 16.5% | 14.2% | 16.6% |
| 15 to 29 | 25.9% | 16.1% | 14.6% | 15.6% |
| 30 to 64 | 45.5% | 47.9% | 46.6% | 46.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.6% | 19.4% | 24.6% | 21.6% |
| Where people came from | ||||
| Born overseas | 40.0% | 33.4% | 36.9% | 26.5% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 44.7% | 27.4% | 17.1% | 22.9% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 54.9% | 41.4% | 36.4% | 43.0% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 11.7% | 6.2% | 5.7% | 5.0% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 31.0% | 20.1% | 18.7% | 18.2% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 28.2% | 40.8% | 43.1% | 26.8% |
| Employed full-time | 45.7% | 47.4% | 45.7% | 47.1% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 6.0% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 40.5% | 49.6% | 51.9% | 42.2% |
| Median personal income | $34,500 | $41,000 | $38,700 | $38,800 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||||
| Work from home | 15.7% | 19.2% | 18.9% | 14.8% |
| Car, truck or van | 44.6% | 46.3% | 49.4% | 67.5% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1.1% |
| Walk or cycle | 35.5% | 32.5% | 30.0% | 14.6% |
| Households and families | ||||
| One-person households | 42.7% | 23.1% | 30.2% | 27.1% |
| Average people per household | 2 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 11.1% | 6.4% | 8.0% | 5.6% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 5.5% | 4.7% | 2.8% | 4.1% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 20.5% | 36.6% | 32.0% | 36.4% |
| Couples without children | 53.8% | 50.9% | 56.6% | 48.1% |
| One-parent families | 23.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% | 15.5% |
| Homes | ||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 31.6% | 76.4% | 75.5% | 78.4% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.3 | 3 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 74.0% | 72.4% | 69.3% | 74.4% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 10.8% | 15.6% | 14.0% | 14.0% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 4.1% | 9.6% | 7.4% | 9.6% |
Rents around Nelson
New tenancies in Nelson Central-Trafalgar in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $450 a week (down 12.6% on a year earlier). That is slightly below the typical suburb in Nelson City ($555), and below the national median ($600); 2nd lowest of 12 in Nelson City.
| April–June 2026 | Nelson Central-Trafalgar 54% of titles | Rutherford 31% of titles | Maitai 15% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $450 | $613 | $550 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $325–$635 | $495–$658 | $480–$655 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −12.6% | +1.3% | −8.3% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 12 | 24 | 15 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Nelson
LINZ maps 6 school sites inside Nelson, among them Auckland Point School (Contributing) and Maitai School (Specialist School).
- Auckland Point School (Contributing)
- Maitai School (Specialist School)
- Nelson Central School (Contributing)
- Nelson College For Girls (Secondary (Year 9-15))
- Nelson College For Girls Prep School (Intermediate)
- St Joseph's School (Nelson) (Full Primary)
- Nearest school: Nelson Central School (0.6 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Nelson College For Girls (0.7 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Nelson Hospital (1.8 km)
School enrolment zones in Nelson: a guide
The largest primary-school zone share of Nelson's titles is in Hampden Street School's home zone (about 25%).
- Hampden Street School (primary, Years 1–6): about 25% of titles
About 75% of Nelson's titles are outside every mapped home zone.
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 Nelson
OpenStreetMap maps 15 places of worship inside Nelson (13 Christian, 1 Muslim, 1 other or not recorded).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: The Mission Fellowship, under 1 km away
- Muslim: Nelson Islamic Cultural Society (NICS), under 1 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Nelson City with many cross-leases
- Stoke: 474 cross-lease titles (6.3%)
- Tāhunanui: 257 cross-lease titles (12.4%)
- Nelson South: 204 cross-lease titles (8.4%)
- The Wood: 134 cross-lease titles (7.9%)
- Toi Toi: 117 cross-lease titles (11.6%)
- Washington Valley: 100 cross-lease titles (11.9%)
- Richmond: 94 cross-lease titles (1.1%)
- Annesbrook: 76 cross-lease titles (11.4%)
Suburbs like Nelson
The closest match on the measures on this site is The Wood in Nelson City, nearest on commuting by public transport, household income, distance to the coast. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wood | Nelson City | 7.9% | $550 | 49.5 | commuting by public transport, household income, distance to the coast |
| Nelson South | Nelson City | 8.4% | $613 | 44.2 | population change, commuting by public transport, distance to the coast |
| New Plymouth | New Plymouth District | 10.9% | $540 | 44.2 | distance to a hospital, commuting by public transport, distance to the coast |
| Gisborne | Gisborne District | 6.7% | No data | 46.7 | distance to the coast, elevation, distance to a hospital |
| Sydenham | Christchurch City | 20.5% | $540 | 36.7 | distance to a hospital, elevation, population change |
Questions
What is the rent in Nelson?
New tenancies in Nelson Central-Trafalgar (the rent area for part of Nelson) had a median rent of $450 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 $325 to $635.
What schools are in Nelson?
LINZ maps 6 school sites inside Nelson, including Auckland Point School, Maitai School and Nelson Central School. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Nelson College For Girls (0.7 km in a straight line). Being near a school does not mean being in its zone.