Home Ownership Rises in Wairarapa
After three decades of steady decline, New Zealand’s home ownership rate lifted from 64.5 percent in 2018 to 66.0 percent in 2023. It is the first increase since the early 1990s and marks a subtle shift in where and how people are putting down roots.
The rebound has been most visible in peri urban districts, the towns within reach of major cities that keep a strong local identity. In Canterbury, Selwyn and Waimakariri have continued to grow as Christchurch families look for space and value. In the lower North Island, Carterton and South Wairarapa show a similar pattern, with a steadily increasing share of residents achieving home ownership.
Regional rebalancing
Note: Census data has had fixed random rounding applied to protect confidentiality. Individual figures may not sum to totals. Source: Stats NZ census, Housing in Aotearoa 2025
The recent Housing in Aotearoa 2025 national report shows that Carterton now has the third highest home ownership rate in the country, at 80.1 percent in 2023, up from 77.0 percent in 2018. South Wairarapa ranks fifth highest at 77.6 percent. Both sit above the national rate of 66 percent and well ahead of the main urban centres, including Wellington City at 58.6 percent and Auckland at 59.5 percent.
This suggests that housing policy is not only about supply, it is about spatial opportunity. When big-city costs move beyond reach, households look to places where quality of life remains affordable. Districts that plan ahead with serviced land, reliable transport, connections to nature, social infrastructure, proximity to employment, and coherent spatial frameworks are the ones that absorb demand most effectively.
calibrating growth and infrastructure investment
Carterton and South Wairarapa have generally taken a measured approach to growth, allowing modest subdivision and infill near town centres while maintaining the rural landscape and strong sense of community that defines the region’s character. This balance helps towns grow without losing their identity or sense of place.
The three Wairarapa district councils (Masterton, Carterton, and South Wairarapa) work together under the Wairarapa Combined District Plan, providing a consistent policy framework for land use. The Combined District Plan manages growth by encouraging development within and around existing settlements, while protecting the productive rural land and natural environments that make the region distinctive. This joint approach helps align planning rules and signal required infrastructure investment across district boundaries, supporting more coherent and efficient growth management.
Current development moratoria in South Wairarapa, however, are a cautionary note. In Martinborough and Greytown, growth is now constrained by limited capacity in the wastewater system. In 2025, Wellington Water advised South Wairarapa District Council to pause new wastewater connections at both plants while upgrades and capacity studies proceed. Martinborough’s wastewater treatment plant has been under an abatement notice from Greater Wellington Regional Council since 2022, and Greytown’s plant has reached its design limit. The pauses highlight what happens when growth outpaces network capacity or investment lags - councils halt development until systems catch up. The effects of these moratoria on Martinborough and Greytown remain to be seen, with no clear dates provided by South Wairarapa District Council for when new connections to wastewater systems in Martinborough and Greytown will be possible.
What it means for planners and policy makers
It is worth noting that home ownership is not the only successful housing pathway, and many people prefer the flexibility of renting. Even so, in provincial New Zealand ownership often provides intergenerational stability that can strengthen communities and local economies over time.
If the recovery in home ownership is to continue, it will depend on how well provincial growth areas such as Wairarapa plan and invest for the future. Investment in transport, services, and social infrastructure must anticipate rather than follow population change. Affordability matters, but belonging and access are what turn new residents into long-term locals.
Wairarapa shows that housing stability can be rebuilt from the edges inward. When affordability, character, and community connection align, people are willing to cross the Remutakas not just for the weekend, but for good.