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Suburb profile · Canterbury · NZ

Opua (Mackenzie District) NZ

Opua (Mackenzie District) is in Canterbury, New Zealand, with population 1,398.

Limited data

Thin-context

This page still helps with local context, but the evidence stack is too thin for a clean suburb-level call. Use nearby alternatives or compare mode before turning it into a shortlist decision.

Why it fits

Lower deprivation supports a livability-led read.

What to check

The page is thin enough that nearby alternatives should be checked before shortlisting.

Median rent
Census rent fallback
Population
1,398
1K local footprint
D3 vs NZ
Income
$44K/yr
Median personal income
D6 vs NZ
NZDep
Decile 4
Mid-range deprivation
D4 vs NZ
Schools
2
matched school context

Area prices & affordability

Median sale price
$674K
+26.9% over 5yr
2.3%YoY
Lower quartile
$559K
Entry-level price
House Price Index
5,408
QV-based HPI
26.2%5yr
Income to buy
9.0x
Years of median income
Annual sales
148
Transactions, TA
Years of median household income to buy

Figures are for the MacKenzie District territorial authority (as at 2026-02). New Zealand has no free suburb-level sale-price series, so these are TA-wide medians from HUD Local Housing Statistics (LINZ District Valuation Roll + Stats NZ) — a market backdrop for Opua (Mackenzie District), not a Opua (Mackenzie District)-specific sale price.

Personal income

$44K personal · yr+6% vs Canterbury suburb median

Median individual income. NZ has no suburb-level household-income or sale-price data, so this is a personal-income benchmark, not a household-affordability measure.

Schools

Total2
Students42
State2
  • Albury SchoolContributing · State
  • Cannington SchoolFull Primary · State

Building activity

Latest consents
4
3 houses · 1 units
20.0%YoY D7 vs NZ

Employment

Employed residents
840
Was 825 in 2018
1.8%vs 2018 D4 vs NZ

Full data detail

Opua (Mackenzie District) Canterbury — Property Data and Demographics

Opua (Mackenzie District) is a small community in Canterbury with a population of 1,398 and a median age of 40. Median personal income is $44K per year. The main ethnic groups are European, Māori, Asian. Canterbury population estimates moved +1.6% in the year ended June 2024, after averaging +1.9% a year from 2018 to 2023, which should be read as a broader regional movement backdrop rather than suburb-level migration precision. The resident employment base moved from 825 in 2018 to 840 in 2023 (+1.8%), which should be read as a census-to-census employment backdrop rather than a live jobs series. Te Waihanga's December 2025 Pipeline snapshot tracked over 12,000 NZ infrastructure initiatives, with more than 2,700 under construction and transport taking 52% of projected 2026 pipeline spend, which should be read as a broader national delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project list.

Livability indicators for Opua (Mackenzie District): NZDep decile 4 (moderate deprivation); 2 schools with avg EQI 448.

In 2026, Opua (Mackenzie District) recorded 4 building approvals (3 houses, 1 unit), down 20% year-on-year.

Market & money
Livability signalsHeuristics
School QualityEQI 448· Average
DeprivationDecile 4· Moderate
Development-20%· Steady
DevelopmentStats NZ
Consents (2026)4
Houses3
Units1
YoY change-20%
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 23
Population1,398
Median age40
Household size
HH income · yr
Personal income · yr$44,000
Deprivation (NZDep)NZDep23
Less deprived4/10
NZDep score953

1 = least deprived · 10 = most deprived

EthnicityCensus 23
European1,299
Māori114
Asian27
Pacific Peoples9
MELAA9
Top industriesCensus 23
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing363
Construction60
Retail Trade48
Education and Training48
Manufacturing45
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets0
Pharmacies0
GP / clinics0
Fuel stations0
Cafes & dining2
Shortlist workspace

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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Thin evidence

Opua (Mackenzie District) is a thin local read, not a complete suburb verdict.

NZ suburb pages combine Stats NZ, MBIE, MoE, GTFS, and pinned service coverage. The key difference is that some items are direct feeds, while others are fallback or snapshot layers.

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using MBIE bond data when present.

Treat current rent as a decision input, not as a guaranteed market quote.

HOSPITAL POSTURE
Hospital coverage comes from an official pinned snapshot.

This is a trusted coverage layer, but it is still a pinned snapshot rather than a live facility API.

TRANSPORT POSTURE
Transport is feed-based and depends on GTFS bundle coverage.

It is good for stop presence and local network context, but not a guarantee that every operator or schedule is equally current.

Data status
Weekly rent
Stats NZ Census 2023 · No linked local rent source
stable source · manual file · snapshot · census-cycle
Missing
Schools
MoE school directory · 2 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · nightly
Available
Hospitals
Pinned Health NZ public hospital snapshot · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
NZ GTFS bundle · No matched local transport stops
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Building consents
Stats NZ building consents CSV · 2026 · Annual release series
Available
Demographic baseline
Stats NZ Census 2023 · Population, income, and demographic baseline
stable source · manual file · snapshot · census-cycle
Available
Available means a direct local source is linked. Verify means the page is using a weaker fallback or coverage-only snapshot, especially Census rent fallback or pinned hospital coverage.
Sparse locality note

This page stays indexable because Opua (Mackenzie District) still carries enough real local context to help with NZ suburb discovery. It should still be read as a lighter locality brief, not as a fully covered suburb profile.

WHY IT LOOKS LIGHTER
The page is missing a direct local rent signal.

That leaves the page relying more on Census and service context than on a stronger market read.

WHAT IS MISSING
Coverage is lighter across hospital coverage and transport stops.

The main gaps on this page are hospital coverage and transport stops. That means you should avoid treating one sparse reading as the whole suburb story.

BEST NEXT STEP
Use this page to frame the locality, then compare or zoom back out.

Begin with the region hub, compare, or better-covered nearby suburbs before making this a full market decision.

Page status
INDEXED WITH LIGHTER COVERAGE

The page still has enough real suburb context to remain searchable, but some market and service layers are too light for a full-confidence read.

HOW TO READ THIS PAGE

Use this page to frame the locality, then pressure-test the story with compare, the region hub, or a nearby better-covered suburb before treating it as complete.

Stronger nearby reads

If Opua (Mackenzie District) feels too thin on its own, use these nearby suburbs as stronger local reads before treating it as a full shortlist call.

Mackenzie Lakes most similar
similar deprivation profile similar suburb scale similar income profile

pop -300 · income same $ · NZDep same

Similar local read: useful for context, but still compare the actual market signals.

Twizel most similar
similar deprivation profile similar suburb scale similar income profile

pop +300 · income -$3K · NZDep same

Similar local read: useful for context, but still compare the actual market signals.

Fairlie most similar
similar deprivation profile similar suburb scale similar income profile

pop -500 · adds rent coverage · income -$8K

Similar local read: useful for context, but still compare the actual market signals.

Opua (Mackenzie District) FAQ

Common questions
  1. What is the livability profile for Opua (Mackenzie District)?

    QuickProperty's livability signals for Opua (Mackenzie District) show: Average, Moderate, Steady. These are based on rent affordability, school EQI, NZDep deprivation index, and transport access.

  2. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Opua (Mackenzie District)?

    Housing data comes from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ). Demographics are from Stats NZ Census 2023. Schools data uses the Ministry of Education Equity Index (EQI). The deprivation score uses NZDep2018. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  3. How often is the Opua (Mackenzie District) data updated?

    RBNZ macro data updates with each deploy. Demographics are from NZ Census 2023. School EQI scores are from the Ministry of Education latest release.