Living in Palmerston North: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 4,467 live property titles in Palmerston North, Palmerston North City are almost all freehold (81%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 448 (10.0%), slightly above the national share of 8.7%.
Palmerston North cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 448
- Share of live titles
- 10.0%
- Live titles in total
- 4,467
- Palmerston North City share
- 5.7%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Palmerston North City
- 2 of 11
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 330 of 644
Palmerston North at a glance
Where Palmerston North differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: median weekly rent, new tenancies (lower than 97% of NZ suburbs); median age (lower than 96% of NZ suburbs); typical distance to the coast (higher than 90% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Palmerston North is listed under Palmerston North City.
- 4,467 live titles are recorded here, including 448 cross-lease titles (10.0%).
- 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 10.0% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 6.7% 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 Palmerston North
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 3,635 | 81.4% |
| Cross lease | 448 | 10.0% |
| Unit title | 299 | 6.7% |
| Leasehold | 43 | 1.0% |
| Other record types | 42 | 0.9% |
| Total | 4,467 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Palmerston North compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Palmerston North is slightly higher than the national share (8.7%).
Across Palmerston North City as a whole, the share is 5.7%; Palmerston North is about 1.8 times the overall Palmerston North City share (5.7%).
Its cross-lease share is 2nd highest of 11 in Palmerston North City (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Palmerston North are set up
Separate exclusive-use areas are less common (1% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
More schemes have four or more flats on one section (42%, against 11% nationally), up to 14.
Two-flat schemes are less common here (36% of schemes, against 76% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Palmerston North | Palmerston North City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 131 | 734 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 35.9% | 65.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 21.4% | 13.8% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 42.0% | 20.2% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 978 m² | 809 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 316 m² | 348 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 17.6% | 16.8% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 17.6% | 12.8% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 0.8% | 1.2% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 17.6% | 23.7% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1984 | 1985 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 26 | 292 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Palmerston North
Unit titles are 7% of Palmerston North's titles, well above Palmerston North City (3%) and slightly below New Zealand (8%). They belong to 40 developments, each run by a body corporate; 1 has 50 or more units.
The unit-title share is 2nd highest of 11 in Palmerston North City.
43 titles (1.0%) are leasehold.
4 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 | 1 |
| Under 10 years left | 3 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 5 |
| More than 50 years left | 24 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 10 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 0 |
New titles in Palmerston North since 2020
282 of Palmerston North's current titles (6%) were first issued since 2020, below Palmerston North City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (8%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
25% are unit titles, in 4 developments; most of the rest are freehold.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 200 | 116 |
| Unit title | 70 | 67 |
| Cross-lease | 3 | 0 |
| Leasehold | 5 | 4 |
| Other | 4 | 3 |
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 Palmerston North
The typical building in Palmerston North stands on ground sloping 0.7° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
Nearly all of its 4,926 measured buildings (99%) stand on ground under 5°.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Palmerston North
Palmerston North is inland: the typical title is 33 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 Palmerston North: 2023 Census
Palmerston North's titles fall in 10 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 4 shown below hold 84% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
More households have no car in Palmerston North Central than across Palmerston North City: 24.3% against 6.8%.
Fewer households own their home in Palmerston North Central than across Palmerston North City: 20.3% against 64.1%.
More workers walk or cycle to work in Palmerston North Central than across Palmerston North City: 24.0% against 7.7%.
| Measure | Palmerston North Central 31% of titles | Palmerston North Hospital 22% of titles | Papaioea North 20% of titles | Papaioea South 10% of titles | Palmerston North City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 1,074 | 2,541 | 2,454 | 1,884 | 87,090 |
| Change since 2018 | −3.8% | −0.8% | −2.3% | −3.2% | +2.9% |
| Change since 2013 | −11.8% | +5.6% | +7.2% | +0.0% | +8.8% |
| Median age | 29.6 | 41.2 | 40.3 | 35.2 | 35.7 |
| Households | 384 | 948 | 1,092 | 870 | 31,497 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 20.3% | 58.5% | 45.3% | 39.3% | 64.1% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 79.7% | 41.5% | 54.7% | 60.7% | 35.9% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $95,200 | $57,600 | $57,400 | $90,600 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $326 | $400 | $360 | $360 | $400 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 13.1% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 9.2% | 6.6% |
| Ages | |||||
| Under 15 | 14.5% | 15.6% | 14.7% | 14.8% | 19.4% |
| 15 to 29 | 36.0% | 21.4% | 22.5% | 26.3% | 22.3% |
| 30 to 64 | 42.2% | 43.7% | 39.6% | 42.7% | 42.6% |
| 65 and over | 7.3% | 19.5% | 23.1% | 16.2% | 15.7% |
| Where people came from | |||||
| Born overseas | 30.0% | 21.5% | 25.7% | 25.1% | 22.0% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 39.8% | 27.6% | 30.1% | 33.8% | 23.8% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 67.7% | 47.3% | 53.3% | 53.9% | 45.7% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 4.9% | 4.1% | 5.1% | 6.2% | 3.7% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 35.3% | 22.8% | 25.6% | 30.8% | 20.2% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 22.8% | 30.1% | 25.9% | 25.8% | 25.8% |
| Employed full-time | 46.7% | 52.0% | 42.4% | 49.5% | 51.1% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 6.5% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 27.9% | 46.7% | 44.5% | 37.8% | 41.2% |
| Median personal income | $29,400 | $43,500 | $32,300 | $36,900 | $40,800 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||||
| Work from home | 12.0% | 11.6% | 12.3% | 11.0% | 12.6% |
| Car, truck or van | 59.0% | 68.9% | 65.5% | 70.8% | 76.9% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 3.8% | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| Walk or cycle | 24.0% | 16.9% | 19.9% | 15.8% | 7.7% |
| Households and families | |||||
| One-person households | 38.1% | 26.8% | 44.2% | 43.1% | 24.3% |
| Average people per household | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 24.3% | 7.3% | 18.1% | 14.8% | 6.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 10.3% | 3.5% | 3.7% | 5.0% | 4.9% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 27.3% | 37.9% | 34.3% | 31.4% | 41.5% |
| Couples without children | 38.2% | 45.3% | 45.1% | 46.4% | 40.3% |
| One-parent families | 34.5% | 16.4% | 21.1% | 22.1% | 18.2% |
| Homes | |||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 32.1% | 80.1% | 54.4% | 48.3% | 82.6% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.5 | 3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 74.3% | 65.9% | 63.4% | 65.8% | 64.9% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 26.9% | 17.4% | 14.7% | 19.8% | 17.6% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 19.4% | 13.2% | 11.2% | 14.7% | 13.4% |
Rents around Palmerston North
New tenancies in Palmerston North Central in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $425 a week (down 5.6% on a year earlier). That is below the typical suburb in Palmerston North City ($568), and below the national median ($600); the lowest of 11 in Palmerston North City.
| April–June 2026 | Palmerston North Central 31% of titles | Papaioea North 20% of titles | Papaioea South 10% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $425 | $430 | $455 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $370–$593 | $345–$598 | $376–$573 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −5.6% | +2.4% | +8.3% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 24 | 51 | 42 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Palmerston North
LINZ maps 8 school sites inside Palmerston North, among them Carncot Independent School (Full Primary) and Central Normal School (Contributing).
- Carncot Independent School (Full Primary)
- Central Normal School (Contributing)
- Mana Tamariki (Composite)
- Palmerston North Adventist Christian School (Contributing)
- Palmerston North Boys' High School (Secondary (Year 9-15))
- Palmerston North Intermediate (Intermediate)
- Queen Elizabeth College (Secondary (Year 7-15))
- Russell Street School (Contributing)
- Nearest school: Mana Tamariki (0.1 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Mana Tamariki (0.1 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Palmerston North Hospital (1.1 km)
School enrolment zones in Palmerston North: a guide
One secondary school has a home zone covering most of Palmerston North's titles: Palmerston North Boys' High School.
- Central Normal School (primary, Years 1–6): about 40% of titles
- Russell Street School (primary, Years 1–6): about 35% of titles
- Terrace End School (primary, Years 1–6): about 15% of titles
- College Street Normal School (primary, Years 1–6): about 15% of titles
- Hokowhitu School (primary, Years 1–6): about 10% of titles
- West End School (P North) (primary, Years 1–6): about 5% of titles
- Palmerston North Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 60% of titles
- Ross Intermediate (intermediate, Years 7–8): about 45% of titles
- Cornerstone Christian School (composite): all or nearly all titles
- Palmerston North Boys' High School (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Freyberg High School (secondary): about 40% of titles
- Palmerston North Girls' High School (secondary): about 20% 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 Palmerston North
OpenStreetMap maps 24 places of worship inside Palmerston North (21 Christian, 1 Muslim, 1 Sikh, 1 other or not recorded).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Victoria Avenue Gospel Hall, under 1 km away
- Muslim: Palmerston North Islamic Centre, 1.8 km away
- Sikh: Gurudwara Sri Guru Harkishan Sahib Ji, under 1 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
- 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%)
- Takaro: 122 cross-lease titles (5.3%)
All suburbs in Palmerston North City
Suburbs like Palmerston North
The closest match on the measures on this site is Hastings in Hastings District, nearest on slope, heat pumps, population change. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings | Hastings District | 10.3% | No data | 34.9 | slope, heat pumps, population change |
| Hamilton East | Hamilton City | 15.9% | $455 | 32.9 | population change, slope, stand-alone houses |
| West End, Palmerston North City | Palmerston North City | 9.4% | $520 | 32.7 | slope, distance to the coast, elevation |
| Melville | Hamilton City | 13.3% | No data | 32.4 | distance to a hospital, heat pumps, older residents |
| Richmond, Christchurch City | Christchurch City | 22.4% | $488 | 33.4 | land per flat, slope, stand-alone houses |
Questions
What is the rent in Palmerston North?
New tenancies in Palmerston North Central (the rent area for part of Palmerston North) had a median rent of $425 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 $370 to $593.
What schools are in Palmerston North?
LINZ maps 8 school sites inside Palmerston North, including Carncot Independent School, Central Normal School and Mana Tamariki. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Mana Tamariki (0.1 km in a straight line). The secondary-school home zone covering most of its titles is Palmerston North Boys' High School; check the school's own zone map for any address.