Living in Kelvin Grove: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 3,555 live property titles in Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North City are almost all freehold (95%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 167 (4.7%), well below the national share of 8.7%.
Kelvin Grove cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 167
- Share of live titles
- 4.7%
- Live titles in total
- 3,555
- Palmerston North City share
- 5.7%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Palmerston North City
- 8 of 11
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 506 of 644
Kelvin Grove at a glance
Where Kelvin Grove differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: typical distance to the coast (higher 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
- Kelvin Grove is listed under Palmerston North City.
- 3,555 live titles are recorded here, including 167 cross-lease titles (4.7%).
- 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 4.7% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 0.4% 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
- Mapped public-transport context is not available for this suburb.
Title mix in Kelvin Grove
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 3,371 | 94.8% |
| Cross lease | 167 | 4.7% |
| Unit title | 14 | 0.4% |
| Leasehold | 2 | 0.1% |
| Other record types | 1 | 0.0% |
| Total | 3,555 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Kelvin Grove compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Kelvin Grove is well below the national share (8.7%).
Across Palmerston North City as a whole, the share is 5.7%; Kelvin Grove is slightly lower than the overall Palmerston North City share (5.7%).
How cross-leases in Kelvin Grove are set up
Three-flat schemes are less common here (1%, against 12% nationally).
Fewer schemes have four or more flats on one section (1%, against 11% nationally), up to 10.
Fewer leases include a garage (9% of schemes, against 28% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Kelvin Grove | Palmerston North City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 79 | 734 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 97.5% | 65.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 1.3% | 13.8% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 1.3% | 20.2% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 679 m² | 809 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 340 m² | 348 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 8.9% | 16.8% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 8.9% | 12.8% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 0.0% | 1.2% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 36.7% | 23.7% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1987 | 1985 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 31 | 292 | 54,978 |
New titles in Kelvin Grove since 2020
453 of Kelvin Grove's current titles (13%) were first issued since 2020, well above Palmerston North City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (8%) and slightly above New Zealand (12%).
That rate is the highest of 11 in Palmerston North City.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 453 | 194 |
| Unit title | 0 | 0 |
| Cross-lease | 0 | 0 |
| Leasehold | 0 | 0 |
| 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 Kelvin Grove
The typical building in Kelvin Grove stands on ground sloping 0.8° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), joint steepest of 11 in Palmerston North City.
Nearly all of its 4,839 measured buildings (97%) stand on ground under 5°.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Kelvin Grove
Kelvin Grove is inland: the typical title is 36 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 Kelvin Grove: 2023 Census
Kelvin Grove's titles fall in 6 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 4 shown below hold 96% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
Fewer workers walk or cycle to work in Royal Oak (Palmerston North City) than across Palmerston North City: 3.2% against 7.7%.
Fewer households have no car in Royal Oak (Palmerston North City) than across Palmerston North City: 3.5% against 6.8%.
More households own their home in Royal Oak (Palmerston North City) than across Palmerston North City: 87.6% against 64.1%.
| Measure | Royal Oak (Palmerston North City) 33% of titles | Kelvin Grove West 27% of titles | Kelvin Grove North 24% of titles | Whakarongo 12% of titles | Palmerston North City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,802 | 2,637 | 2,337 | 1,758 | 87,090 |
| Change since 2018 | +19.3% | +0.2% | +4.4% | +6.9% | +2.9% |
| Change since 2013 | +38.2% | −0.5% | +11.1% | +24.9% | +8.8% |
| Median age | 40.9 | 32.2 | 37.8 | 46.1 | 35.7 |
| Households | 966 | 879 | 771 | 603 | 31,497 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 87.6% | 66.6% | 85.2% | 85.6% | 64.1% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 12.1% | 33.1% | 14.8% | 14.4% | 35.9% |
| Median household income | $116,500 | $92,000 | $120,700 | $134,900 | $90,600 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $600 | $450 | $570 | $350 | $400 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 3.5% | 5.8% | 4.1% | 8.9% | 6.6% |
| Ages | |||||
| Under 15 | 21.7% | 22.5% | 23.0% | 18.9% | 19.4% |
| 15 to 29 | 13.4% | 23.1% | 16.0% | 14.2% | 22.3% |
| 30 to 64 | 43.6% | 42.4% | 47.8% | 48.5% | 42.6% |
| 65 and over | 21.2% | 11.8% | 13.2% | 18.6% | 15.7% |
| Where people came from | |||||
| Born overseas | 27.3% | 20.9% | 24.7% | 11.7% | 22.0% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 15.4% | 22.5% | 18.4% | 1.5% | 23.8% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 41.8% | 43.2% | 38.2% | 37.6% | 45.7% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 3.6% | 3.0% | 3.9% | 1.2% | 3.7% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 15.8% | 20.0% | 14.7% | 11.0% | 20.2% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 25.7% | 21.2% | 28.4% | 25.4% | 25.8% |
| Employed full-time | 51.4% | 55.9% | 56.7% | 54.3% | 51.1% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 1.5% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 2.1% | 3.1% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 48.8% | 33.9% | 46.6% | 52.0% | 41.2% |
| Median personal income | $46,000 | $42,800 | $50,600 | $52,200 | $40,800 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||||
| Work from home | 12.7% | 9.8% | 10.8% | 21.4% | 12.6% |
| Car, truck or van | 82.2% | 82.9% | 84.2% | 76.0% | 76.9% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 0.9% | 2.1% | 0.9% | 0.3% | 1.4% |
| Walk or cycle | 3.2% | 4.3% | 2.8% | 2.0% | 7.7% |
| Households and families | |||||
| One-person households | 17.8% | 20.3% | 14.1% | 13.1% | 24.3% |
| Average people per household | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3 | 2.8 | 2.6 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 3.5% | 4.0% | 1.2% | 0.5% | 6.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 2.5% | 4.9% | 2.0% | 1.5% | 4.9% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 47.6% | 45.7% | 53.6% | 45.1% | 41.5% |
| Couples without children | 42.4% | 33.3% | 34.2% | 48.0% | 40.3% |
| One-parent families | 9.7% | 21.0% | 12.2% | 6.9% | 18.2% |
| Homes | |||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 85.1% | 94.2% | 96.5% | 96.5% | 82.6% |
| Average bedrooms | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 76.4% | 65.6% | 68.4% | 58.4% | 64.9% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 4.5% | 20.1% | 7.7% | 8.9% | 17.6% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 3.5% | 15.6% | 7.3% | 7.4% | 13.4% |
Rents around Kelvin Grove
New tenancies in Royal Oak (Palmerston North City) in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $735 a week (down 3.9% on a year earlier). That is above the typical suburb in Palmerston North City ($568), and above the national median ($600); the highest of 11 in Palmerston North City.
| April–June 2026 | Royal Oak (Palmerston North City) 33% of titles | Kelvin Grove West 27% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $735 | $600 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $680–$770 | $510–$610 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −3.9% | +9.1% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 12 | 15 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Kelvin Grove
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Kelvin Grove, among them Cornerstone Christian School (Composite) and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manawatu (Full Primary).
- Cornerstone Christian School (Composite)
- Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manawatu (Full Primary)
- Nearest school: Whakarongo School (1.3 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Cornerstone Christian School (1.6 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Palmerston North Hospital (4.2 km)
School enrolment zones in Kelvin Grove: a guide
One secondary school has a home zone covering most of Kelvin Grove's titles: Freyberg High School.
- Whakarongo School (primary, Years 1–8): about 70% of titles
- Roslyn School (primary, Years 1–8): about 55% of titles
- Ross Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 85% of titles
- Cornerstone Christian School (composite): all or nearly all titles
- Freyberg 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 Kelvin Grove
OpenStreetMap maps 2 places of worship inside Kelvin Grove (2 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Plymouth Bretheren, under 1 km away
- Muslim: Al Qadiri Islamic Centre Manawatu, 5.1 km away
- Sikh: Gurudwara Sri Guru Harkishan Sahib Ji, 5.3 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%)
- Milson: 167 cross-lease titles (6.1%)
- Awapuni: 134 cross-lease titles (4.1%)
- Terrace End: 131 cross-lease titles (6.7%)
- Takaro: 122 cross-lease titles (5.3%)
All suburbs in Palmerston North City
Suburbs like Kelvin Grove
The closest match on the measures on this site is Flagstaff in Hamilton City, nearest on slope, schools, commuting on foot or by bike. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff | Hamilton City | 0.9% | $680 | 39.7 | slope, schools, commuting on foot or by bike |
| Frimley | Hastings District | 3.7% | $600 | 40.5 | slope, median age, born overseas |
| Awapuni, Palmerston North City | Palmerston North City | 4.1% | $600 | 37.4 | schools, unit-title share, slope |
| Leeston | Selwyn District | 1.8% | No data | 39.9 | unit-title share, schools, commuting by public transport |
| Fitzroy, Hamilton City | Hamilton City | 6.2% | $620 | 35.5 | slope, unit-title share, commuting on foot or by bike |
Questions
What is the rent in Kelvin Grove?
New tenancies in Royal Oak (Palmerston North City) (the rent area for part of Kelvin Grove) had a median rent of $735 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 $680 to $770.
What schools are in Kelvin Grove?
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Kelvin Grove: Cornerstone Christian School and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manawatu. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Cornerstone Christian School (1.6 km in a straight line). The secondary-school home zone covering most of its titles is Freyberg High School; check the school's own zone map for any address.