Living in Highbury, Palmerston North City: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 2,202 live property titles in Highbury, Palmerston North City are almost all freehold (86%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 85 (3.9%), well below the national share of 8.7%.
Highbury, Palmerston North City cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 85
- Share of live titles
- 3.9%
- Live titles in total
- 2,202
- Palmerston North City share
- 5.7%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Palmerston North City
- 11 of 11
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 544 of 644
Highbury at a glance
Where Highbury differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: median age (lower than 93% of NZ suburbs); median weekly rent, new tenancies (lower than 91% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Highbury is listed under Palmerston North City.
- 2,202 live titles are recorded here, including 85 cross-lease titles (3.9%).
- 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 3.9% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 9.2% 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 Highbury
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 1,884 | 85.6% |
| Cross lease | 85 | 3.9% |
| Unit title | 203 | 9.2% |
| Leasehold | 7 | 0.3% |
| Other record types | 23 | 1.0% |
| Total | 2,202 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Highbury compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Highbury is well below the national share (8.7%).
Across Palmerston North City as a whole, the share is 5.7%; Highbury is lower than the overall Palmerston North City share (5.7%).
Its cross-lease share is the lowest of 11 in Palmerston North City (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Highbury are set up
Carports appear in fewer leases (3% of schemes, against 13% nationally).
Fewer leases include a garage (14% of schemes, against 28% nationally).
Three-flat schemes are less common here (6%, against 12% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Highbury | Palmerston North City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 35 | 734 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 80.0% | 65.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 5.7% | 13.8% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 14.3% | 20.2% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 766 m² | 809 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 362 m² | 348 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 14.3% | 16.8% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 2.9% | 12.8% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 2.9% | 1.2% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 34.3% | 23.7% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1988 | 1985 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 16 | 292 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Highbury
Unit titles are 9% of Highbury's titles, well above Palmerston North City (3%) and slightly above New Zealand (8%). They belong to 16 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 15 units or fewer.
The unit-title share is the highest of 11 in Palmerston North City.
New titles in Highbury since 2020
99 of Highbury's current titles (4%) were first issued since 2020, well below Palmerston North City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (8%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
That rate is 2nd lowest of 11 in Palmerston North City.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 97 | 47 |
| Unit title | 0 | 0 |
| Cross-lease | 0 | 0 |
| Leasehold | 1 | 1 |
| 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 Highbury
The typical building in Highbury stands on ground sloping 0.7° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
Nearly all of its 3,145 measured buildings (99%) stand on ground under 5°.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Highbury
Highbury is inland: the typical title is 30 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 Highbury: 2023 Census
Highbury's titles fall in 6 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 3 shown below hold 94% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
Fewer adults hold a degree in Highbury East than across Palmerston North City: 13.0% against 25.8%.
More households have no car in Highbury East than across Palmerston North City: 11.3% against 6.8%.
Fewer workers work from home in Highbury East than across Palmerston North City: 8.8% against 12.6%.
| Measure | Highbury East 43% of titles | Park West 40% of titles | Westbrook 11% of titles | Palmerston North City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,904 | 1,914 | 3,081 | 87,090 |
| Change since 2018 | −1.8% | +0.3% | +2.8% | +2.9% |
| Change since 2013 | +13.7% | +5.1% | +11.1% | +8.8% |
| Median age | 31.2 | 47 | 31.8 | 35.7 |
| Households | 927 | 786 | 1,047 | 31,497 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 51.8% | 72.9% | 57.9% | 64.1% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 48.2% | 26.7% | 41.8% | 35.9% |
| Median household income | $69,100 | $63,700 | $82,200 | $90,600 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $250 | $320 | $320 | $400 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 5.6% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 6.6% |
| Ages | ||||
| Under 15 | 24.1% | 16.1% | 22.8% | 19.4% |
| 15 to 29 | 24.0% | 15.7% | 24.3% | 22.3% |
| 30 to 64 | 39.7% | 37.1% | 41.8% | 42.6% |
| 65 and over | 12.4% | 31.0% | 11.1% | 15.7% |
| Where people came from | ||||
| Born overseas | 16.5% | 18.1% | 15.2% | 22.0% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 19.2% | 16.5% | 19.4% | 23.8% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 43.5% | 41.7% | 42.3% | 45.7% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 3.5% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 3.7% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 16.2% | 15.3% | 18.2% | 20.2% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 13.0% | 17.3% | 14.8% | 25.8% |
| Employed full-time | 45.2% | 43.4% | 50.5% | 51.1% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 5.9% | 2.2% | 4.5% | 3.1% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 29.9% | 34.8% | 28.7% | 41.2% |
| Median personal income | $30,800 | $33,300 | $37,000 | $40,800 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||||
| Work from home | 8.8% | 9.7% | 8.6% | 12.6% |
| Car, truck or van | 83.2% | 83.1% | 86.0% | 76.9% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 1.5% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.4% |
| Walk or cycle | 5.4% | 3.8% | 3.0% | 7.7% |
| Households and families | ||||
| One-person households | 23.8% | 33.1% | 23.2% | 24.3% |
| Average people per household | 2.9 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 11.3% | 9.5% | 7.2% | 6.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 14.3% | 6.0% | 10.5% | 4.9% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 35.4% | 32.7% | 38.9% | 41.5% |
| Couples without children | 27.3% | 51.9% | 31.1% | 40.3% |
| One-parent families | 37.3% | 15.4% | 30.3% | 18.2% |
| Homes | ||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 78.8% | 79.8% | 89.1% | 82.6% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 65.6% | 62.4% | 64.8% | 64.9% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 27.5% | 14.6% | 26.7% | 17.6% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 21.8% | 8.4% | 21.1% | 13.4% |
Rents around Highbury
New tenancies in Highbury East in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $480 a week (down 1.0% on a year earlier). That is slightly below the typical suburb in Palmerston North City ($568), and below the national median ($600); 2nd lowest of 11 in Palmerston North City.
| April–June 2026 | Highbury East 43% of titles | Westbrook 11% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $480 | $570 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $400–$515 | $493–$593 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −1.0% | +3.6% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 27 | 18 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Highbury
LINZ maps 3 school sites inside Highbury, among them Monrad - Te Kura Waenga o Tirohanga (Intermediate) and Takaro School (Full Primary).
- Monrad - Te Kura Waenga o Tirohanga (Intermediate)
- Takaro School (Full Primary)
- Te Kura o Wairau (Contributing)
- Nearest school: Takaro School (0.7 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Awatapu College (1.7 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Palmerston North Hospital (4.2 km)
School enrolment zones in Highbury: a guide
One secondary school has a home zone covering most of Highbury's titles: Awatapu College.
- Longburn School (primary, Years 1–8): about 10% of titles
- Cornerstone Christian School (composite): all or nearly all titles
- Awatapu College (secondary): about 85% 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 Highbury
OpenStreetMap maps 3 places of worship inside Highbury (3 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: St Michael's Church and Marae, under 1 km away
- Muslim: Palmerston North Islamic Centre, 1.8 km away
- Sikh: Gurudwara Shri Fateh Sahib, 1.8 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Palmerston North City with many cross-leases
- Palmerston North: 448 cross-lease titles (10.0%)
- Roslyn: 194 cross-lease titles (7.1%)
- West End: 194 cross-lease titles (9.4%)
- Hokowhitu: 184 cross-lease titles (4.6%)
- Kelvin Grove: 167 cross-lease titles (4.7%)
- Milson: 167 cross-lease titles (6.1%)
- Awapuni: 134 cross-lease titles (4.1%)
- Terrace End: 131 cross-lease titles (6.7%)
All suburbs in Palmerston North City
Suburbs like Highbury
The closest match on the measures on this site is Roslyn, Palmerston North City in Palmerston North City, nearest on recent movers within NZ, slope, stand-alone houses. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roslyn, Palmerston North City | Palmerston North City | 7.1% | $568 | 34.9 | recent movers within NZ, slope, stand-alone houses |
| Camberley | Hastings District | 4.7% | No data | 30.1 | slope, new titles, older residents |
| Takaro | Palmerston North City | 5.3% | $535 | 32.8 | slope, born overseas, elevation |
| Milson | Palmerston North City | 6.1% | $588 | 33.4 | slope, commuting by public transport, elevation |
| Aranui | Christchurch City | 7.9% | $550 | 32.4 | slope, recent movers within NZ, born overseas |
Questions
What is the rent in Highbury, Palmerston North City?
New tenancies in Highbury East (the rent area for part of Highbury) had a median rent of $480 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 $400 to $515.
What schools are in Highbury, Palmerston North City?
LINZ maps 3 school sites inside Highbury: Monrad - Te Kura Waenga o Tirohanga, Takaro School and Te Kura o Wairau. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Awatapu College (1.7 km in a straight line). The secondary-school home zone covering most of its titles is Awatapu College; check the school's own zone map for any address.