Living in Whanganui: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 3,005 live property titles in Whanganui, Whanganui District are mostly freehold (72%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 305 (10.1%), slightly above the national share of 8.7%.
- Cross-lease titles
- 305
- Share of live titles
- 10.1%
- Live titles in total
- 3,005
- Whanganui District share
- 6.6%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Whanganui District
- 2 of 10
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 328 of 644
Whanganui at a glance
Where Whanganui differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: homes with a heat pump (lower than 95% of NZ suburbs); median weekly rent, new tenancies (lower than 94% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Whanganui is listed under Whanganui District.
- 3,005 live titles are recorded here, including 305 cross-lease titles (10.1%).
- 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 10.1% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 11.4% 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 Whanganui
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 2,167 | 72.1% |
| Cross lease | 305 | 10.1% |
| Unit title | 344 | 11.4% |
| Leasehold | 130 | 4.3% |
| Other record types | 59 | 2.0% |
| Total | 3,005 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Whanganui compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Whanganui is slightly higher than the national share (8.7%).
Across Whanganui District as a whole, the share is 6.6%; Whanganui is about 1.5 times the overall Whanganui District share (6.6%).
Its cross-lease share is 2nd highest of 10 in Whanganui District (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Whanganui are set up
More schemes have four or more flats on one section (31%, against 11% nationally), up to 12.
Fewer schemes refer to more than one flats plan (19%, against 36% nationally), usually because a plan was redrawn.
More leases include a garage (52% of schemes, against 28% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Whanganui | Whanganui District | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 100 | 602 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 49.0% | 67.4% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 19.0% | 14.1% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 31.0% | 18.1% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 900 m² | 863 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 278 m² | 344 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 52.0% | 49.0% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 21.0% | 21.3% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 3.0% | 2.0% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 19.0% | 20.9% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1986 | 1985 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 23 | 236 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Whanganui
Unit titles are 11% of Whanganui's titles, well above Whanganui District (3%) and above New Zealand (8%). They belong to 58 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 5 units or fewer.
The unit-title share is 2nd highest of 10 in Whanganui District.
130 titles (4.3%) are leasehold, 1 of them units in a unit-title development, well above the national share (1.2%).
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 | 2 |
| Under 10 years left | 2 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 4 |
| More than 50 years left | 84 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 35 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 3 |
New titles in Whanganui since 2020
126 of Whanganui's current titles (4%) were first issued since 2020, well below Whanganui District's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (8%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
That rate is joint 2nd lowest of 10 in Whanganui District.
30% are unit titles, in 5 developments; most of the rest are freehold.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 73 | 38 |
| Unit title | 38 | 16 |
| Cross-lease | 1 | 1 |
| Leasehold | 8 | 6 |
| Other | 6 | 4 |
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 Whanganui
The typical building in Whanganui stands on ground sloping 0.8° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), 3rd flattest of 10 in Whanganui District.
Nearly all of its 3,202 measured buildings (95%) stand on ground under 5°.
Much of the land is low-lying: the median elevation is 7 m, and parts are below sea level.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Whanganui
Whanganui is inland: the typical title is 5.0 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 Whanganui: 2023 Census
Whanganui's titles fall in 5 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 3 shown below hold 97% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
More workers walk or cycle to work in Laird Park than across Whanganui District: 11.8% against 6.0%.
More households have no car in Laird Park than across Whanganui District: 14.2% against 8.1%.
Fewer households own their home in Laird Park than across Whanganui District: 54.2% against 70.4%.
| Measure | Laird Park 36% of titles | Whanganui Central 32% of titles | Cornmarket 29% of titles | Whanganui District whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,247 | 702 | 1,425 | 47,619 |
| Change since 2018 | +0.0% | +15.8% | +5.6% | +5.1% |
| Change since 2013 | +7.2% | +43.6% | +18.8% | +13.0% |
| Median age | 40 | 38.3 | 48.4 | 42.9 |
| Households | 918 | 312 | 723 | 18,726 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 54.2% | 41.3% | 45.6% | 70.4% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 45.8% | 58.7% | 54.8% | 29.6% |
| Median household income | $52,600 | $51,300 | $40,600 | $63,600 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $350 | $360 | $300 | $340 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 10.1% | 17.5% | 8.5% | 8.1% |
| Ages | ||||
| Under 15 | 19.0% | 13.7% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| 15 to 29 | 18.6% | 25.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| 30 to 64 | 41.8% | 45.3% | 42.1% | 42.4% |
| 65 and over | 20.8% | 15.8% | 27.4% | 22.3% |
| Where people came from | ||||
| Born overseas | 14.4% | 25.3% | 20.6% | 13.5% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 24.8% | 50.9% | 30.2% | 18.4% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 52.4% | 65.1% | 52.1% | 43.3% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 3.4% | 2.8% | 4.6% | 3.0% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 21.2% | 34.5% | 23.0% | 16.4% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 14.8% | 22.2% | 19.9% | 17.6% |
| Employed full-time | 40.8% | 45.0% | 35.7% | 42.8% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 4.1% | 5.0% | 4.9% | 3.7% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 33.2% | 38.4% | 40.3% | 39.1% |
| Median personal income | $29,700 | $29,600 | $29,000 | $32,500 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||||
| Work from home | 11.2% | 20.5% | 10.9% | 14.0% |
| Car, truck or van | 75.5% | 64.3% | 68.2% | 78.3% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Walk or cycle | 11.8% | 14.3% | 18.9% | 6.0% |
| Households and families | ||||
| One-person households | 38.6% | 43.3% | 56.3% | 32.1% |
| Average people per household | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 14.2% | 18.6% | 24.7% | 8.1% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 5.8% | 4.5% | 4.9% | 5.1% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 26.6% | 29.8% | 27.5% | 33.9% |
| Couples without children | 33.7% | 44.7% | 41.8% | 43.6% |
| One-parent families | 39.6% | 27.7% | 29.7% | 22.5% |
| Homes | ||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 77.9% | 36.8% | 46.9% | 84.6% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 3 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 50.2% | 57.3% | 54.2% | 48.2% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 28.7% | 18.4% | 23.2% | 20.1% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 20.7% | 11.5% | 16.7% | 15.7% |
Rents around Whanganui
New tenancies in Laird Park in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $450 a week (down 6.2% on a year earlier). That is slightly below the typical suburb in Whanganui District ($530), and below the national median ($600); the lowest of 6 in Whanganui District.
| April–June 2026 | Laird Park 36% of titles | Whanganui Central 32% of titles | Cornmarket 29% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $450 | $425 | $450 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $425–$543 | $395–$506 | $410–$560 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −6.2% | +1.2% | +0.0% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 30 | 12 | 21 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Whanganui
LINZ maps 5 school sites inside Whanganui, among them Cullinane College (Secondary (Year 9-15)) and Keith Street School (Contributing).
- Cullinane College (Secondary (Year 9-15))
- Keith Street School (Contributing)
- St Mary's School (Wanganui) (Full Primary)
- Whanganui City College (Secondary (Year 9-15))
- Whanganui Intermediate (Intermediate)
- Nearest school: Keith Street School (0.4 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Whanganui City College (0.6 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Whanganui Hospital (2.2 km)
School enrolment zones in Whanganui: a guide
One secondary school has a home zone covering most of Whanganui's titles: Wanganui Collegiate School.
- Carlton School (primary, Years 1–6): about 10% of titles
- Wanganui Collegiate 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 Whanganui
OpenStreetMap maps 19 places of worship inside Whanganui (17 Christian, 2 other or not recorded).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Elim Worship Centre, under 1 km away
- Muslim: Masjid e Bilal - Wanganui Islamic Centre, 2.8 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Whanganui District with many cross-leases
- Springvale: 309 cross-lease titles (15.2%)
- Wanganui East: 232 cross-lease titles (8.8%)
- Gonville: 214 cross-lease titles (8.5%)
- Castlecliff: 137 cross-lease titles (5.1%)
- Aramoho: 117 cross-lease titles (6.0%)
- Tawhero: 105 cross-lease titles (9.3%)
- Saint Johns Hill: 66 cross-lease titles (6.4%)
- College Estate: 34 cross-lease titles (8.2%)
All suburbs in Whanganui District
Suburbs like Whanganui
The closest match on the measures on this site is Tawhero in Whanganui District, nearest on schools, commuting by public transport, distance to a hospital. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tawhero | Whanganui District | 9.3% | $570 | 38.1 | schools, commuting by public transport, distance to a hospital |
| Wanganui East | Whanganui District | 8.8% | $520 | 42.3 | heat pumps, working from home, elevation |
| Gonville | Whanganui District | 8.5% | $550 | 41.7 | elevation, commuting by public transport, slope |
| College Estate | Whanganui District | 8.2% | No data | 42.2 | population change, distance to the coast, elevation |
| Waitara | New Plymouth District | 5.5% | $500 | 37.4 | schools, commuting by public transport, heat pumps |
Questions
What is the rent in Whanganui?
New tenancies in Laird Park (the rent area for part of Whanganui) had a median rent of $450 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 $425 to $543.
What schools are in Whanganui?
LINZ maps 5 school sites inside Whanganui, including Cullinane College, Keith Street School and St Mary's School (Wanganui). The nearest secondary school to its centre is Whanganui City College (0.6 km in a straight line). The secondary-school home zone covering most of its titles is Wanganui Collegiate School; check the school's own zone map for any address.