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Suburb profile · Southland · NZ

Rockdale NZ

Rockdale is in Southland, New Zealand, with population 981.

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.

What to check

The page is thin enough that nearby alternatives should be checked before shortlisting. Small local population makes the signal set more fragile.

Median rent
Census rent fallback
Population
981
981 local footprint
D2 vs NZ
Income
$49K/yr
Median personal income
D8 vs NZ
NZDep
Decile 6
Mid-range deprivation
D6 vs NZ
Schools
2
matched school context

Area prices & affordability

Median sale price
$474K
+30.9% over 5yr
6.0%YoY
Lower quartile
$396K
Entry-level price
House Price Index
4,331
QV-based HPI
19.6%5yr
Income to buy
5.8x
Years of median income
Annual sales
1,176
Transactions, TA
Years of median household income to buy

Figures are for the Invercargill City 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 Rockdale, not a Rockdale-specific sale price.

Personal income

$49K personal · yr+18.6% vs Southland 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
Students912
State : Integrated1
State1
  • Verdon CollegeSecondary (Year 7-15) · State : Integrated
  • Te Wharekura o ArowhenuaComposite · State

Building activity

Latest consents
1
1 houses · 0 units
91.7%YoY D1 vs NZ

Employment

Employed residents
570
Was 435 in 2018
31.0%vs 2018 D2 vs NZ

Full data detail

Rockdale Southland — Property Data and Demographics

Rockdale is a small community in Southland with a population of 981 and a median age of 34. Median personal income is $49K per year. The main ethnic groups are European, Māori, Asian. Southland population estimates moved +1.2% in the year ended June 2024, after averaging +0.8% 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 435 in 2018 to 570 in 2023 (+31.0%), 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 Rockdale: NZDep decile 6 (moderate deprivation); 2 schools with avg EQI 500.

In 2026, Rockdale recorded 1 building approval (1 house, 0 units), down 91.7% year-on-year.

Market & money
Livability signalsHeuristics
School QualityEQI 500 Below Average
DeprivationDecile 6· Moderate
Development-92% Slowing
DevelopmentStats NZ
Consents (2026)1
Houses1
YoY change-91.7%
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 23
Population981
Median age34
Household size
HH income · yr
Personal income · yr$49,100
Deprivation (NZDep)NZDep23
Less deprived6/10
NZDep score999

1 = least deprived · 10 = most deprived

EthnicityCensus 23
European822
Māori219
Asian72
Pacific Peoples36
MELAA6
Top industriesCensus 23
Manufacturing108
Construction69
Retail Trade57
Health Care and Social Assistance57
Professional, Scientific and Technical39
Shortlist workspace

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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Thin evidence

Rockdale 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 Rockdale 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 Rockdale feels too thin on its own, use these nearby suburbs as stronger local reads before treating it as a full shortlist call.

Avenal most similar
similar deprivation profile similar suburb scale similar income profile

pop +200 · adds rent coverage · income -$8K

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

Turnbull Thompson Park most similar
similar deprivation profile similar suburb scale similar income profile

pop +700 · adds rent coverage · income -$5K

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

Woodend-Greenhills most similar
similar deprivation profile similar suburb scale similar income profile

pop -400 · income -$7K · NZDep +1

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

Rockdale FAQ

Common questions
  1. What is the livability profile for Rockdale?

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

  2. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Rockdale?

    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 Rockdale 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.