Living in Moturoa: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 1,046 live property titles in Moturoa, New Plymouth District are mostly freehold (78%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 157 (15.0%), well above the national share of 8.7%.
- Cross-lease titles
- 157
- Share of live titles
- 15.0%
- Live titles in total
- 1,046
- New Plymouth District share
- 6.6%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in New Plymouth District
- 5 of 18
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 204 of 644
Moturoa at a glance
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Moturoa is listed under New Plymouth District.
- 1,046 live titles are recorded here, including 157 cross-lease titles (15.0%).
- 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 15.0% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 0.5% 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 Moturoa
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 813 | 77.7% |
| Cross lease | 157 | 15.0% |
| Unit title | 5 | 0.5% |
| Leasehold | 67 | 6.4% |
| Other record types | 4 | 0.4% |
| Total | 1,046 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Moturoa compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Moturoa is about 1.7 times the national share (8.7%).
Across New Plymouth District as a whole, the share is 6.6%; Moturoa is about 2.3 times the overall New Plymouth District share (6.6%).
How cross-leases in Moturoa are set up
Separate exclusive-use areas are more common (11% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
Three-flat schemes are more common here (23%, against 12% nationally).
More schemes have four or more flats on one section (20%, against 11% nationally), up to 8.
| Scheme structure | Moturoa | New Plymouth District | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 56 | 1,094 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 57.1% | 66.6% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 23.2% | 17.6% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 19.6% | 15.8% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 856 m² | 809 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 316 m² | 337 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 30.4% | 38.9% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 17.9% | 15.5% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 10.7% | 7.8% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 26.8% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1992 | 1990 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 19 | 430 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Moturoa
67 titles (6.4%) are leasehold, well above the national share (1.2%).
6 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 | 4 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 0 |
| More than 50 years left | 6 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 54 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 1 |
New titles in Moturoa since 2020
97 of Moturoa's current titles (9%) were first issued since 2020, close to New Plymouth District's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (9%) and below New Zealand (12%).
12 are cross-lease titles, often re-issued when a flats plan is updated.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 69 | 35 |
| Unit title | 0 | 0 |
| Cross-lease | 12 | 9 |
| Leasehold | 16 | 10 |
| 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 Moturoa
The typical building in Moturoa stands on ground sloping 4.6° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), 2nd steepest of 18 in New Plymouth District.
Unusually much of the sloping land faces north: 39%, 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 Moturoa
11% of Moturoa's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 64% within 500 m and 99% within 1 km. The typical title is 410 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 Moturoa: 2023 Census
Moturoa's titles fall in 4 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 2 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 Moturoa than across New Plymouth District: 8.2% against 5.5%.
Fewer residents are children under 15 in Moturoa than across New Plymouth District: 14.6% against 19.8%.
More people live alone in Moturoa than across New Plymouth District: 31.1% against 24.7%.
| Measure | Moturoa 55% of titles | Spotswood 40% of titles | New Plymouth District whole council |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 1,908 | 3,864 | 87,000 |
| Change since 2018 | +5.5% | +6.4% | +7.8% |
| Change since 2013 | +11.0% | +12.0% | +17.3% |
| Median age | 45.3 | 36.9 | 40.7 |
| Households | 813 | 1,458 | 33,207 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 66.4% | 65.4% | 72.4% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 33.6% | 34.6% | 27.6% |
| Median household income | $76,700 | $76,200 | $86,400 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $424 | $388 | $380 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 7.3% | 7.9% | 6.9% |
| Ages | |||
| Under 15 | 14.6% | 19.3% | 19.8% |
| 15 to 29 | 15.9% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
| 30 to 64 | 45.4% | 44.8% | 44.3% |
| 65 and over | 24.1% | 16.1% | 19.6% |
| Where people came from | |||
| Born overseas | 18.9% | 16.0% | 17.1% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 20.3% | 19.4% | 21.9% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 46.8% | 40.8% | 42.2% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 5.8% | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 18.3% | 16.2% | 16.3% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 19.2% | 16.2% | 20.7% |
| Employed full-time | 46.1% | 49.2% | 48.4% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 3.3% | 3.8% | 2.5% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 43.4% | 34.6% | 43.0% |
| Median personal income | $38,700 | $36,500 | $39,200 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||
| Work from home | 15.8% | 12.2% | 16.8% |
| Car, truck or van | 72.4% | 81.0% | 75.6% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 0.6% | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Walk or cycle | 8.2% | 4.2% | 5.5% |
| Households and families | |||
| One-person households | 31.1% | 26.2% | 24.7% |
| Average people per household | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 5.9% | 6.8% | 5.3% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 3.4% | 5.1% | 4.2% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 28.6% | 36.7% | 39.5% |
| Couples without children | 53.6% | 40.1% | 43.9% |
| One-parent families | 17.9% | 22.9% | 16.5% |
| Homes | |||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 77.8% | 82.1% | 84.3% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 56.3% | 54.4% | 53.2% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 17.2% | 20.8% | 16.4% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 14.7% | 18.5% | 14.0% |
Rents around Moturoa
New tenancies in Moturoa in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $530 a week (up 11.6% on a year earlier). That is close to the typical suburb in New Plymouth District ($553), and slightly below the national median ($600); in the lowest quarter of 16 in New Plymouth District.
| April–June 2026 | Moturoa 55% of titles | Spotswood 40% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $530 | $580 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $480–$595 | $550–$620 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | +11.6% | +1.8% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 21 | 27 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Moturoa
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Moturoa, among them Moturoa School (Contributing) and West End Te Kura o Morere (Contributing).
- Moturoa School (Contributing)
- West End Te Kura o Morere (Contributing)
- Nearest school: Moturoa School (0.1 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Te Pi'ipi'inga Kakano Mai I Rangiatea (1.0 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Taranaki Base Hospital (1.8 km)
School enrolment zones in Moturoa: a guide
The largest primary-school zone share of Moturoa's titles is in Moturoa School's home zone (about 75%).
- Moturoa School (primary, Years 1–6): about 75% of titles
- West End School (primary, Years 1–6): about 45% of 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 Moturoa
OpenStreetMap maps 1 place of worship inside Moturoa (1 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Saint James Presbyterian Church, 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%)
- Lower Vogeltown: 142 cross-lease titles (22.6%)
- Vogeltown: 133 cross-lease titles (16.6%)
All suburbs in New Plymouth District
Suburbs like Moturoa
The closest match on the measures on this site is Westown in New Plymouth District, nearest on schools, degrees, unit-title share. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westown | New Plymouth District | 14.5% | $550 | 38 | schools, degrees, unit-title share |
| Strandon | New Plymouth District | 18.5% | $600 | 46.5 | commuting by public transport, schools, distance to the coast |
| Welbourn | New Plymouth District | 9.5% | $525 | 41.3 | damp homes, commuting by public transport, stand-alone houses |
| Lower Vogeltown | New Plymouth District | 22.6% | $535 | 40.8 | commuting by public transport, home ownership, born overseas |
| Brooklands, New Plymouth District | New Plymouth District | 8.5% | $535 | 40.8 | commuting by public transport, home ownership, born overseas |
Questions
What is the rent in Moturoa?
New tenancies in the Moturoa rent area had a median rent of $530 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 $480 to $595.
What schools are in Moturoa?
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Moturoa: Moturoa School and West End Te Kura o Morere. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Te Pi'ipi'inga Kakano Mai I Rangiatea (1.0 km in a straight line). Being near a school does not mean being in its zone.