P REMIUM MARKET ACCELERATING
Five of the top ten growth suburbs now command values above $ 1 million . The recent appreciation in the three most expensive coastal suburbs has been particularly striking :
• Breaker Bay , Wellington : 173 per cent one-year growth
• Whangapoua , Coromandel : 110 per cent one-year growth
• Te Arai , Auckland : 72 per cent one-year growth
At the more accessible end of the spectrum , Tangimoana , with a median sale value of $ 420,000 , and Harrington Point at $ 450,000 , offer lower entry points while still achieving strong capital growth . Meanwhile , Kumara Junction ’ s 333 per cent growth highlights the potential of emerging markets outside traditional premium coastal locations .
PATTERNS ACROSS MAJOR CITIES
Auckland , Wellington , Christchurch , and Dunedin all feature high-growth outliers , but their broader coastal markets show varying trends .
Canterbury emerges as the most consistent growth market . Dunedin follows a similar trend , with Waikouaiti ( 69 per cent ) and Brighton ( 63 per cent growth ) reflecting steady gains . By contrast , Auckland and Wellington show wider variability , with some coastal locations seeing more modest appreciation .
SHIFTING COASTAL DEMAND
Most notably , research findings show that smaller towns and regional coastal areas are outpacing major cities in five-year growth . This suggests a shift in buyer preferences toward lifestyledriven locations and relative affordability , marking a significant evolution in New Zealand ’ s coastal property market .
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