The read
Affordability-first
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.
Murchison-Nelson Lakes NZ
Murchison-Nelson Lakes is in Tasman, New Zealand, with population 1,491.
Median rent
$265/wk
Income-stretched rent market
D1 vs NZ
Population
1,491
1K local footprint
D3 vs NZ
Income
$31K/yr
Median personal income
D2 vs NZ
NZDep
Decile 6
Mid-range deprivation
D6 vs NZ
Schools
2
matched school context
Area prices & affordability
Median sale price
$770K
+13.7% over 5yr
↑1.7%YoY
Lower quartile
$659K
Entry-level price
House Price Index
2,493
QV-based HPI
↑7.8%5yr
Income to buy
9.8x
Years of median income
Annual sales
861
Transactions, TA
Years of median household income to buy
Figures are for the Tasman 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 Murchison-Nelson Lakes, not a Murchison-Nelson Lakes-specific sale price.
Personal income
$31K personal · yr-16.7% vs Tasman 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
Students194
State2
- Murchison Area SchoolComposite · State
- Lake Rotoiti SchoolFull Primary · State
Building activity
Latest consents
2
2 houses · 0 units
↓33.3%YoY D6 vs NZ
Employment
Employed residents
837
Was 789 in 2018
↑6.1%vs 2018 D4 vs NZ
Full data detail
Murchison-Nelson Lakes Tasman — Property Data and Demographics
Murchison-Nelson Lakes is a small community in Tasman with a population of 1,491 and a median age of 48. Median personal income is $31K per year. The main ethnic groups are European, Māori, Asian. Tasman population estimates moved +1.1% 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 789 in 2018 to 837 in 2023 (+6.1%), 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 Murchison-Nelson Lakes is $265 (0 houses, 0 units). This represents approximately 44% of median weekly personal income.
Livability indicators for Murchison-Nelson Lakes: NZDep decile 6 (moderate deprivation); 2 schools with avg EQI 450.
In 2026, Murchison-Nelson Lakes recorded 2 building approvals (2 houses, 0 units), down 33.3% year-on-year.
Market & money
Livability signalsHeuristics
Rent Affordability44%↓ Stretched
School QualityEQI 450· Average
DeprivationDecile 6· Moderate
Development-33%↓ Slowing
Rental marketMBIE
Median rent · wk(1/01/2022)$265
Rent / income43.9%
Lodgements6
DevelopmentStats NZ
Consents (2026)2
Houses2
YoY change-33.3%
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 23
Population1,491
Median age48
Household size—
HH income · yr—
Personal income · yr$31,400
Deprivation (NZDep)NZDep23
Less deprived6/10
NZDep score998
1 = least deprived · 10 = most deprived
EthnicityCensus 23
European
Māori
Asian
Pacific Peoples
MELAA
Top industriesCensus 23
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
Accommodation and Food
Construction
Education and Training
Health Care and Social Assistance
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets1
Pharmacies0
GP / clinics0
Fuel stations3
Cafes & dining10
four square
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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence
There is enough direct local evidence on Murchison-Nelson Lakes 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 · 1/01/2022 · Bond market dataset
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Schools
MoE school directory · 2 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · nightly
Hospitals
Pinned Health NZ public hospital snapshot · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Transport
NZ GTFS bundle · No matched local transport stops
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Building consents
Stats NZ building consents CSV · 2026 · Annual release series
Demographic baseline
Stats NZ Census 2023 · Population, income, and demographic baseline
stable source · manual file · snapshot · census-cycle
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.
Murchison-Nelson Lakes FAQ
Common questions-
What is the typical weekly rent in Murchison-Nelson Lakes?
The median weekly rent in Murchison-Nelson Lakes is $265/wk, based on the MBIE market rent dataset. The current rent signal is income-stretched rent market.
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What does the rent signal say about Murchison-Nelson Lakes?
Income-stretched rent market: Weekly rent screens at about 44% of annual income. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.
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What is the livability profile for Murchison-Nelson Lakes?
QuickProperty's livability signals for Murchison-Nelson Lakes show: Stretched, Average, Moderate. These are based on rent affordability, school EQI, NZDep deprivation index, and transport access.
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Where does QuickProperty get its data for Murchison-Nelson Lakes?
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.
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How often is the Murchison-Nelson Lakes 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.