Ray White finds 30 suburbs where under-35s are putting down roots
Young homeowners in New Zealand are clustering in the more affordable corners of the market, according to new Ray White research identifying the country’s top 30 suburbs for under-35s. Half of the areas on the list have a typical sale price below $700,000, under the national median of $770,000, OneRoof reported.
Canterbury dominates, with nine of the 30 in and around Christchurch, while Wellington and Waikato have five each. Auckland, the country’s largest city, has only three.
“It seems there are really two areas where young buyers are concentrating or settling down,” Ray White economist Atom Go Tian (pictured) told OneRoof, pointing to newer estate suburbs and affordable areas on the fringes of major cities.
Where young buyers are finding value
Rolleston leads the Canterbury group. Rolleston South East is the youngest area on the list, with a median age of 31.4, while Rolleston North Central has the highest rate of home ownership at 81%.
In Lower Hutt, four Wainuiomata suburbs made the cut, with typical prices between $520,000 and $595,000. All four have more than doubled in value over the decade.
“Buyers are finding that instead of a two-bedroom house with no car park they can actually get themselves a three-bedroom home,” said Chip McCabe, director of Ray White Kemeys Brothers.
The cheapest areas on the list are Strathmore ($341,000) and Moananui ($389,000) in Tokoroa, and Castlecliff East in Whanganui ($390,000), all of which grew strongly from very low starting points.
Ray White built the list from 2023 Census areas with a median age under 35, home ownership of at least 66%, and a decade of sales data. Only 22.5% of areas nationally skewed that young at the 2023 Census, down from 27.8% in 2018.
Auckland’s price barrier
Auckland’s three entries are the most expensive on the list. Ormiston South has a median of $1.53 million, Mission Heights South $1.28 million, and Swanson $890,000.
“Getting the first house is so difficult in Auckland,” said Harcourts Auckland agent Gabriel Elkhishin.
Wider market data shows the same divide. Cotality’s October 2026 Housing Chart Pack found Auckland property values fell 3.2% in the year to September, while Christchurch values rose 3.4%.
What it means for advisers
The research suggests young clients are still buying, often on the fringes of the main centres or in regional towns. That fits the broader trend, with first-home buyers of all ages holding a record share of the market. Cotality data shows they accounted for 29% of purchases in August, completing around 24,950 deals over the past year.
Rising mortgage rates could test that momentum. BNZ estimates owning a median-priced home now costs about 35% of household income, compared with about 25% for renting, and its chief economist Mike Jones has questioned whether first-home buyer demand can hold as rates climb. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s next official cash rate decision is due on 28 October 2026.
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