Living in Te Anau: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 2,956 live property titles in Te Anau, Southland District are almost all freehold (95%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 53 (1.8%), well below the national share of 8.7%.
- Cross-lease titles
- 53
- Share of live titles
- 1.8%
- Live titles in total
- 2,956
- Southland District share
- 0.7%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Southland District
- 2 of 2
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 617 of 644
Te Anau at a glance
Where Te Anau differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: cross-lease share of titles (lower than 96% of NZ suburbs); typical distance to the coast (higher than 92% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Te Anau is listed under Southland District.
- 2,956 live titles are recorded here, including 53 cross-lease titles (1.8%).
- 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 1.8% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 1.8% 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 Te Anau
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 2,812 | 95.1% |
| Cross lease | 53 | 1.8% |
| Unit title | 52 | 1.8% |
| Leasehold | 11 | 0.4% |
| Other record types | 28 | 0.9% |
| Total | 2,956 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Te Anau compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Te Anau is well below the national share (8.7%).
Across Southland District as a whole, the share is 0.7%; Te Anau is about 2.6 times the overall Southland District share (0.7%).
How cross-leases in Te Anau are set up
Three-flat schemes are less common here (4%, against 12% nationally).
Carports appear in more leases (36% of schemes, against 13% nationally).
Separate exclusive-use areas are more common (8% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Te Anau | Southland District | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 25 | 66 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 88.0% | 63.6% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 4.0% | 18.2% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 8.0% | 18.2% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 840 m² | 1,012 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 410 m² | 404 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 20.0% | 30.3% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 36.0% | 15.2% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 8.0% | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 28.0% | 25.8% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1991 | 1987 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 20 | 37 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Te Anau
Unit titles are 2% of Te Anau's titles, well below New Zealand (8%). They belong to 5 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 6 units or fewer.
11 titles (0.4%) 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 | 4 |
| Under 10 years left | 0 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 5 |
| More than 50 years left | 0 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 2 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 0 |
New titles in Te Anau since 2020
400 of Te Anau's current titles (14%) were first issued since 2020, above Southland District's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (10%) and slightly above New Zealand (12%).
Most came recently: 287 since 2023.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 376 | 280 |
| Unit title | 20 | 5 |
| Cross-lease | 0 | 0 |
| Leasehold | 2 | 1 |
| Other | 2 | 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 Te Anau
The typical building in Te Anau stands on ground sloping 1.0° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
Nearly all of its 4,134 measured buildings (97%) stand on ground under 5°.
The land rises from about 194 m to 1,576 m, and 24% of all of it, including reserves and gullies, is 15° or steeper.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Te Anau
Te Anau is inland: the typical title is 43 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 Te Anau: 2023 Census
About 85% of Te Anau's titles are in the census area Te Ānau (a Stats NZ statistical area), so these figures describe that area, not Te Anau exactly.
More workers walk or cycle to work in Te Ānau than across Southland District: 19.3% against 5.9%.
Fewer workers work from home in Te Ānau than across Southland District: 18.2% against 29.8%.
More residents were born overseas in Te Ānau than across Southland District: 21.8% against 15.4%.
| Measure | Te Ānau | Whitestone | Southland District whole council |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,751 | 624 | 31,833 |
| Change since 2018 | +6.9% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Change since 2013 | +35.9% | +20.9% | +7.5% |
| Median age | 41.9 | 49.7 | 40.3 |
| Households | 1,155 | 258 | 12,750 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 69.1% | 81.4% | 68.3% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 30.9% | 18.6% | 31.7% |
| Median household income | $78,900 | $102,200 | $85,400 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $300 | $143 | $200 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 35.1% | 12.3% | 20.4% |
| Ages | |||
| Under 15 | 17.9% | 17.8% | 20.1% |
| 15 to 29 | 14.1% | 8.2% | 15.8% |
| 30 to 64 | 47.0% | 48.6% | 46.7% |
| 65 and over | 21.0% | 25.5% | 17.4% |
| Where people came from | |||
| Born overseas | 21.8% | 14.6% | 15.4% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 29.3% | 10.0% | 28.5% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 51.0% | 37.9% | 42.7% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 4.0% | 2.9% | 2.4% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 25.2% | 11.7% | 18.0% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 20.4% | 27.1% | 16.4% |
| Employed full-time | 55.4% | 53.8% | 56.4% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 1.6% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 38.4% | 48.8% | 47.5% |
| Median personal income | $41,300 | $47,700 | $44,100 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||
| Work from home | 18.2% | 27.9% | 29.8% |
| Car, truck or van | 60.9% | 64.3% | 60.0% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 1.1% | 1.6% | 0.3% |
| Walk or cycle | 19.3% | 5.4% | 5.9% |
| Households and families | |||
| One-person households | 27.3% | 16.3% | 25.8% |
| Average people per household | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 4.1% | 1.3% | 3.0% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 2.9% | 1.3% | 2.4% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 34.0% | 36.4% | 42.0% |
| Couples without children | 54.8% | 59.1% | 48.9% |
| One-parent families | 11.2% | 3.0% | 9.1% |
| Homes | |||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 80.0% | 87.5% | 90.7% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 62.8% | 41.6% | 53.1% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 8.2% | 7.8% | 14.2% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 4.5% | 2.6% | 9.4% |
Rents around Te Anau
New tenancies in Te Anau in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $530 a week (up 3.9% on a year earlier). That is slightly below the national median ($600).
| April–June 2026 | Te Anau | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $530 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $450–$585 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | +3.9% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 21 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Te Anau
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Te Anau, among them Fiordland College (Secondary (Year 7-15)) and Te Anau School (Contributing).
- Fiordland College (Secondary (Year 7-15))
- Te Anau School (Contributing)
- Nearest school: Fiordland College (8.8 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Fiordland College (8.8 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Lakes District Hospital (81.7 km)
School enrolment zones in Te Anau: a guide
The largest primary-school zone share of Te Anau's titles is in Southland Adventist Christian School's home zone (all or nearly all).
- Southland Adventist Christian School (primary, Years 1–8): 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 Te Anau
OpenStreetMap maps 5 places of worship inside Te Anau (4 Christian, 1 other or not recorded).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Fiordland New Life Church, 7.9 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Suburbs like Te Anau
The closest match on the measures on this site is Hanmer Springs in Hurunui District, nearest on household income, damp homes, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanmer Springs | Hurunui District | 4.2% | No data | 45.8 | household income, damp homes, commuting by public transport |
| Ohakune | Ruapehu District | 6.1% | $400 | 35.7 | degrees, population change, household income |
| Methven | Ashburton District | 3.8% | $520 | 39.6 | damp homes, degrees, rent |
| Maitai | Nelson City | 8.1% | $550 | 49.9 | household income, commuting by public transport, home ownership |
| Wānaka | Queenstown-Lakes District | 1.0% | $825 | 43.3 | cross-lease share, home ownership, damp homes |
Questions
What is the rent in Te Anau?
New tenancies in the Te Anau 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 $450 to $585.
What schools are in Te Anau?
LINZ maps 2 school sites inside Te Anau: Fiordland College and Te Anau School. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Fiordland College (8.8 km in a straight line). Being near a school does not mean being in its zone.