Living in Bell Block: schools, census and property titles
The 3,049 live property titles in Bell Block, New Plymouth District are almost all freehold (94%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 123 (4.0%), well below the national share of 8.7%.
- Cross-lease titles
- 123
- Share of live titles
- 4.0%
- Live titles in total
- 3,049
- New Plymouth District share
- 6.6%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in New Plymouth District
- joint 16 of 18
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 538 of 644
Bell Block at a glance
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Bell Block is listed under New Plymouth District.
- 3,049 live titles are recorded here, including 123 cross-lease titles (4.0%).
- The page includes 2023 Census context for the statistical area that represents this suburb.
Contextual observations
- Cross-lease titles make up 4.0% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 1.4% 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
- A usable MBIE new-tenancy rent figure is not available for this suburb.
- Mapped public-transport context is not available for this suburb.
Title mix in Bell Block
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 2,858 | 93.7% |
| Cross lease | 123 | 4.0% |
| Unit title | 42 | 1.4% |
| Leasehold | 2 | 0.1% |
| Other record types | 24 | 0.8% |
| Total | 3,049 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Bell Block compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Bell Block is well below the national share (8.7%).
Across New Plymouth District as a whole, the share is 6.6%; Bell Block is well below the overall New Plymouth District share (6.6%).
Its cross-lease share is joint 2nd lowest of 18 in New Plymouth District (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Bell Block are set up
Fewer schemes have four or more flats on one section (3%, against 11% nationally).
Carports appear in more leases (31% of schemes, against 13% nationally).
Fewer schemes refer to more than one flats plan (21%, against 36% nationally), usually because a plan was redrawn.
| Scheme structure | Bell Block | New Plymouth District | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 58 | 1,094 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 89.7% | 66.6% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 6.9% | 17.6% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 3.4% | 15.8% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 744 m² | 809 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 352 m² | 337 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 22.4% | 38.9% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 31.0% | 15.5% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 6.9% | 7.8% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 20.7% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1988 | 1990 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 30 | 430 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Bell Block
Unit titles are 1% of Bell Block's titles, well below New Plymouth District (2%) and well below New Zealand (8%). They belong to 8 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 3 units or fewer.
New titles in Bell Block since 2020
308 of Bell Block's current titles (10%) were first issued since 2020, slightly above New Plymouth District's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (9%) and slightly below New Zealand (12%).
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 276 | 133 |
| Unit title | 27 | 15 |
| Cross-lease | 1 | 1 |
| Leasehold | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 4 | 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 Bell Block
The typical building in Bell Block stands on ground sloping 1.3° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), 3rd flattest of 18 in New Plymouth District.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Bell Block
3% of Bell Block's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 10% within 500 m and 32% 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 Bell Block: 2023 Census
Bell Block's titles fall in 5 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 4 shown below hold 100% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
Fewer households have no car in Bell Block Central than across New Plymouth District: 3.1% against 5.3%.
Fewer workers work from home in Bell Block Central than across New Plymouth District: 11.0% against 16.8%.
Fewer adults hold a degree in Bell Block Central than across New Plymouth District: 14.5% against 20.7%.
| Measure | Bell Block Central 35% of titles | Bell Block West 32% of titles | Bell Block East-Puketapu 20% of titles | Waiwhakaiho-Bell Block South 13% of titles | New Plymouth District whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,895 | 3,444 | 1,530 | 177 | 87,000 |
| Change since 2018 | +5.9% | +7.4% | +39.0% | +15.7% | +7.8% |
| Change since 2013 | +18.8% | +28.1% | +108.2% | +9.3% | +17.3% |
| Median age | 37.8 | 42.1 | 39.6 | 34.7 | 40.7 |
| Households | 1,053 | 1,278 | 546 | 66 | 33,207 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 74.4% | 76.5% | 87.4% | 54.5% | 72.4% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 25.6% | 23.5% | 12.6% | 45.5% | 27.6% |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $85,100 | $117,700 | $97,400 | $86,400 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $400 | $420 | $530 | $446 | $380 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 4.8% | 6.3% | 5.6% | 7.7% | 6.9% |
| Ages | |||||
| Under 15 | 20.3% | 18.9% | 22.5% | 20.3% | 19.8% |
| 15 to 29 | 17.4% | 15.9% | 12.7% | 20.3% | 16.3% |
| 30 to 64 | 43.1% | 39.5% | 46.3% | 49.2% | 44.3% |
| 65 and over | 19.3% | 25.6% | 18.2% | 11.9% | 19.6% |
| Where people came from | |||||
| Born overseas | 19.0% | 19.1% | 24.8% | 15.3% | 17.1% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 25.0% | 27.4% | 14.4% | — | 21.9% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 40.5% | 48.3% | 54.5% | 55.2% | 42.2% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 3.9% | 2.6% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 15.9% | 20.3% | 13.4% | 23.7% | 16.3% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 14.5% | 15.7% | 22.5% | 12.8% | 20.7% |
| Employed full-time | 49.8% | 45.1% | 53.0% | 59.6% | 48.4% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 6.4% | 2.5% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 34.0% | 36.9% | 46.6% | 29.4% | 43.0% |
| Median personal income | $37,600 | $37,300 | $48,700 | $40,600 | $39,200 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||||
| Work from home | 11.0% | 13.9% | 17.4% | 17.6% | 16.8% |
| Car, truck or van | 82.5% | 79.6% | 79.9% | 82.4% | 75.6% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Walk or cycle | 5.1% | 4.4% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 5.5% |
| Households and families | |||||
| One-person households | 22.9% | 24.8% | 13.3% | 20.0% | 24.7% |
| Average people per household | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 3.1% | 4.3% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 5.3% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 5.0% | 4.7% | 2.2% | 5.3% | 4.2% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 42.2% | 38.6% | 43.8% | — | 39.5% |
| Couples without children | 41.8% | 46.1% | 46.9% | — | 43.9% |
| One-parent families | 16.0% | 15.6% | 8.8% | — | 16.5% |
| Homes | |||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 86.6% | 80.1% | 93.4% | 68.2% | 84.3% |
| Average bedrooms | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 59.4% | 63.9% | 72.8% | 60.0% | 53.2% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 13.6% | 12.2% | 5.2% | 15.0% | 16.4% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 11.9% | 8.2% | 4.6% | 10.0% | 14.0% |
Schools and hospitals near Bell Block
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Bell Block, among them Bell Block School (Full Primary) and Puketapu School (New Plymouth) (Full Primary).
- Bell Block School (Full Primary)
- Puketapu School (New Plymouth) (Full Primary)
- Nearest school: Puketapu School (New Plymouth) (0.5 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Sacred Heart Girls' College (New Plymouth) (5.0 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Taranaki Base Hospital (9.7 km)
School enrolment zones in Bell Block: a guide
One secondary school has a home zone covering most of Bell Block's titles: Waitara High School.
- Puketapu School (primary, Years 1–8): about 75% of titles
- Bell Block School (primary, Years 1–8): about 55% of titles
- Highlands Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 15% of titles
- Waitara 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 Bell Block
OpenStreetMap maps 5 places of worship inside Bell Block (5 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: New Plymouth Oasis Fellowship, under 1 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in New Plymouth District with many cross-leases
- Westown: 386 cross-lease titles (14.5%)
- New Plymouth: 333 cross-lease titles (10.9%)
- Strandon: 231 cross-lease titles (18.5%)
- Waitara: 195 cross-lease titles (5.5%)
- Fitzroy: 163 cross-lease titles (17.1%)
- Moturoa: 157 cross-lease titles (15.0%)
- Lower Vogeltown: 142 cross-lease titles (22.6%)
All suburbs in New Plymouth District
Suburbs like Bell Block
The closest match on the measures on this site is Brooklands, New Plymouth District in New Plymouth District, nearest on population change, born overseas, commuting by public transport. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklands, New Plymouth District | New Plymouth District | 8.5% | $535 | 40.8 | population change, born overseas, commuting by public transport |
| Frankleigh Park | New Plymouth District | 5.0% | No data | 38.8 | commuting by public transport, born overseas, population change |
| Vogeltown, New Plymouth District | New Plymouth District | 16.6% | $620 | 41.2 | unit-title share, recent movers within NZ, born overseas |
| Spotswood, New Plymouth District | New Plymouth District | 10.9% | $580 | 36.9 | population change, distance to the coast, recent movers within NZ |
| Welbourn | New Plymouth District | 9.5% | $525 | 41.3 | new titles, commuting by public transport, distance to the coast |
Questions
What schools are in Bell Block?
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Bell Block: Bell Block School and Puketapu School (New Plymouth). The nearest secondary school to its centre is Sacred Heart Girls' College (New Plymouth) (5.0 km in a straight line). The secondary-school home zone covering most of its titles is Waitara High School; check the school's own zone map for any address.