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Suburb profile · Otago · NZ

West Otago NZ

West Otago is in Otago, New Zealand, with population 2,244.

The read

Livability-led

There are enough weaker signals here that you should expect trade-offs, not a clean local story. Compare it directly with stronger nearby suburbs before treating it as a preferred option.

$190/wk
1/01/2020 → 1/04/2025 · 9 periods
Tenancy Services · 1/04/2025
$380
$150
1/01/20201/04/2025
Why it fits

School coverage gives the page a stronger family/livability signal. Lower deprivation supports a livability-led read.

Median rent
$380/wk
Income-stretched rent market
D1 vs NZ
Population
2,244
2K local footprint
D6 vs NZ
Income
$42K/yr
Median personal income
D6 vs NZ
NZDep
Decile 4
Mid-range deprivation
D4 vs NZ
Schools
4
matched school context

Area prices & affordability

Median sale price
$392K
+21.7% over 5yr
0.3%YoY
Lower quartile
$317K
Entry-level price
House Price Index
5,047
QV-based HPI
23.2%5yr
Income to buy
5.3x
Years of median income
Annual sales
276
Transactions, TA
Years of median household income to buy

Figures are for the Clutha 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 West Otago, not a West Otago-specific sale price.

Personal income

$42K personal · yr+1.5% vs Otago 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

Total4
Students373
State4
  • Blue Mountain CollegeSecondary (Year 7-15) · State
  • Tapanui SchoolContributing · State
  • Heriot SchoolContributing · State
  • Waikoikoi SchoolContributing · State

Building activity

Latest consents
0
0 houses · 0 units
100.0%YoY

Employment

Employed residents
1,302
Was 1,326 in 2018
1.8%vs 2018 D7 vs NZ

Full data detail

West Otago Otago — Property Data and Demographics

West Otago is a small suburb in Otago with a population of 2,244 and a median age of 40. Median personal income is $42K per year. The main ethnic groups are European, Māori, Asian. Otago population estimates moved +1.2% in the year ended June 2024, after averaging +1.6% 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 1,326 in 2018 to 1,302 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.

Median weekly rent in West Otago is $380 (380 houses, 0 units). This represents approximately 47% of median weekly personal income.

Livability indicators for West Otago: NZDep decile 4 (moderate deprivation); 4 schools with avg EQI 460.

In 2026, West Otago recorded 0 building approvals (0 houses, 0 units), down 100% year-on-year.

Market & money
Livability signalsHeuristics
Rent Affordability47% Stretched
School QualityEQI 460· Average
DeprivationDecile 4· Moderate
Development-100% Slowing
Rental marketMBIE
Median rent · wk(1/10/2024)$380
House · wk$380
Rent / income47.3%
Lodgements12
DevelopmentStats NZ
Consents (2026)0
YoY change-100%
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 23
Population2,244
Median age40
Household size
HH income · yr
Personal income · yr$41,800
Deprivation (NZDep)NZDep23
Less deprived4/10
NZDep score958

1 = least deprived · 10 = most deprived

EthnicityCensus 23
European2,010
Māori249
Asian102
Pacific Peoples24
MELAA12
Top industriesCensus 23
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing600
Education and Training84
Manufacturing72
Construction69
Health Care and Social Assistance69
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets1
Pharmacies0
GP / clinics1
Fuel stations1
Cafes & dining1
four square1
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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

West Otago carries enough direct local evidence for a first-pass decision.

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
MBIE rental bond data · 1/10/2024 · Bond market dataset
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Schools
MoE school directory · 4 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.

West Otago FAQ

Common questions
  1. What is the typical weekly rent in West Otago?

    The median weekly rent in West Otago is $380/wk, based on the MBIE market rent dataset. The current rent signal is income-stretched rent market.

  2. What does the rent signal say about West Otago?

    Income-stretched rent market: Weekly rent screens at about 47% of annual income. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  3. What is the livability profile for West Otago?

    QuickProperty's livability signals for West Otago show: Stretched, Average, Moderate. These are based on rent affordability, school EQI, NZDep deprivation index, and transport access.

  4. Where does QuickProperty get its data for West Otago?

    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.

  5. How often is the West Otago 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.