- Est. Median Value
- $701K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $500/wk
- Safety Score
- 48/100
- Green Space
- 36%
- Current Weather
- 14.4°C
- Median Age
- 35 yrs
~77 crimes/1k/yr
few clouds
Living in Forest Lake
Forest Lake sits in northwest Hamilton, around 3 km from the central city, and it is named for the thing at its heart that most Hamiltonians forget exists: Lake Rotokaeo, the small bush-fringed lake whose reserve gives the suburb its green centre and its name, a pocket wetland doing quiet ecological work behind the houses while the city rushes past on Te Rapa's arteries.
Around 5,000 people live here, in the established mid-century housing of the city's early northwestern push, with the railway line and Forest Lake Road framing the grid. The suburb's location bets have aged superbly: the CBD sits five minutes one way, The Base five the other, and the sports infrastructure next door is genuinely first-rate, with Minogue Park's fields and the Waterworld aquatic centre handling half the city's swimming lessons and winter codes at the suburb's edge.
The lake reserve itself rewards the locals who use it: a loop walk, birdlife, and the restoration plantings steadily thickening the namesake forest back into existence.
Forest Lake School anchors the local years, with Fraser High the main secondary destination. Forest Lake is inner Hamilton with a wetland in its pocket: five minutes from everything, including, pleasingly, the ducks.
Is Forest Lake a good place to live?
Forest Lake is home to roughly 2,622 people across 1.2 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Forest Lake scores 42 out of 100, with a safety score of 48/100 and 36% green space.
Schools: Forest Lake has 43 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.
Housing: The estimated median value is around $701K, and weekly rent typically sits around $500.
Lifestyle: Forest Lake has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 14.4°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.
Whether Forest Lake is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.
Map
Livability Breakdown
- Safety48
- Amenities20
- Schools40
- Housing Affordability54
- Green space100
- Community22
- Transport20
Property & Economics
- Est. Median Value
- $701K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $500/wk
- Median HH Income
- $72K/yr
- Pop. Growth (5yr)
- +5.4%
- Data Year
- 2023
Key Financial Indicators (NZD)
† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.
Nearby Suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Forest Lake?
- Forest Lake is in northwest Hamilton, around 3 km from the CBD, between Te Rapa (north), Beerescourt (east) and Maeroa (south), around the Lake Rotokaeo reserve.
- What is Lake Rotokaeo?
- Lake Rotokaeo is the small bush-fringed lake at the suburb's heart, with a walking loop, birdlife and ongoing restoration planting in its reserve.
- What is Waterworld?
- Waterworld, at the suburb's edge by Minogue Park, is Hamilton's main aquatic centre, with indoor and outdoor pools, hydroslides and learn-to-swim programmes.
- What schools are in Forest Lake?
- Forest Lake School is the local state primary, with Fraser High School the main secondary destination nearby.
- How do I get from Hamilton CBD to Forest Lake?
- By car, around 6 to 8 minutes via Ulster Street and Forest Lake Road. City buses run the Te Rapa corridor beside the suburb.
- Which schools are in zone for Forest Lake?
- Children living in Forest Lake are in zone for Fraser High School, Forest Lake School, Maeroa Intermediate. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.
- How do I check my school zone in Forest Lake?
- Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.
Schools & Enrolment Zones in Forest Lake
Schools in zone for Forest Lake
Children living in Forest Lake have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.
Fraser High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1472 · decile 1
Forest Lake School
Contributing · roll 354 · decile 4
Maeroa Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 707 · decile 3
Check your school zone
School Zone Checker
Enter your address to check your school zone in Forest Lake. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.
Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.
Other nearby schools
Schools close to Forest Lake that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).
St Peter Chanel Catholic School (Te Rapa)
Full Primary · roll 280 · decile 7 · 1.0 km away
Vardon School
Contributing · roll 345 · decile 4 · 1.1 km away
Nawton School
Contributing · roll 488 · decile 2 · 1.4 km away
Waikato Diocesan School For Girls
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 682 · decile 10 · 1.5 km away
Whitiora School
Full Primary · roll 212 · decile 3 · 1.5 km away
He Puaawai Teen Parent Unit
Teen Parent Unit · 1.5 km away
St Columba's Catholic School (Frankton)
Full Primary · roll 467 · decile 5 · 1.6 km away
Woodstock School
Contributing · roll 380 · decile 5 · 1.6 km away
St Joseph's Catholic School (Fairfield)
Full Primary · roll 334 · decile 7 · 1.8 km away
Hamilton North School
Specialist School · roll 170 · decile 4 · 2.0 km away
St Andrews Middle School
Restricted Composite (Year 7-10) · roll 142 · decile 3 · 2.0 km away
Crawshaw School
Full Primary · roll 292 · decile 1 · 2.0 km away
Aberdeen School
Contributing · roll 707 · decile 5 · 2.1 km away
Fairfield College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1000 · decile 3 · 2.2 km away
Ngā Taiātea Wharekura
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 293 · decile 2 · 2.2 km away
Frankton School
Contributing · roll 683 · decile 3 · 2.3 km away
Hamilton Girls' High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1828 · decile 6 · 2.6 km away
Te Kōpuku High
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 377 · decile 3 · 2.6 km away
Bankwood School
Contributing · roll 343 · decile 2 · 2.7 km away
Fairfield Primary School
Contributing · roll 334 · decile 1 · 2.7 km away
St Paul's Collegiate (Hamilton)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 975 · decile 9 · 2.8 km away
Fairfield Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 902 · decile 1 · 2.8 km away
Rhode Street School
Full Primary · roll 201 · decile 2 · 2.9 km away
Pukete School
Contributing · roll 410 · decile 5 · 3.4 km away
Hamilton East School
Contributing · roll 502 · decile 4 · 3.5 km away
Hukanui School
Contributing · roll 834 · decile 10 · 3.5 km away
Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa
Composite · roll 313 · decile 2 · 3.6 km away
Southwell School
Full Primary · roll 646 · decile 10 · 3.7 km away
Hamilton Boys' High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 2302 · decile 7 · 3.8 km away
Hamilton West School
Full Primary · roll 686 · decile 5 · 3.8 km away
Insoll Avenue School
Contributing · roll 345 · decile 1 · 3.8 km away
Marian Catholic School (Hamilton)
Full Primary · roll 613 · decile 7 · 4.0 km away
Sacred Heart Girls' College (Ham)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 938 · decile 8 · 4.1 km away
Peachgrove Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 511 · decile 5 · 4.1 km away
Te Rapa School
Full Primary · roll 513 · decile 7 · 4.1 km away
Rotokauri School
Full Primary · roll 232 · decile 8 · 4.3 km away
Patricia Avenue School
Specialist School · roll 211 · decile 4 · 4.4 km away
Tai Wananga
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 175 · decile 4 · 4.5 km away
Endeavour School
Contributing · roll 443 · decile 10 · 4.5 km away
Rototuna Primary School
Contributing · roll 799 · decile 10 · 4.9 km away
Rubbish & Recycling
- Rubbish collection
- Friday (weekly)
- Recycling & glass crate
- Friday (fortnightly, Week 1)
- Next recycling
- 14 August
Find your collection days on the Hamilton City Council website →
Rubbish bin
Non-recyclable general waste. Put out every Friday.
Recycling bin
Paper, cardboard, metal cans, rigid plastic containers. Put out every second Friday.
Glass crate
Glass bottles and jars. Blue crate collected every second Friday alongside recycling.
Food scraps bin
Food and kitchen scraps. Green bin collected every Friday.
Collection data sourced from Hamilton City Council.
Explore Forest Lake
Things to do(3)
Hamilton BMX
Minogue Park
Hamilton City Netball Centre
Parks & green spaces(1)
Minogue Park
Healthcare
Pharmacies and clinics for this area haven’t been catalogued yet.
Tradies & Services in Forest Lake
Tradies & services(2)
D&A Services
GNA Consultants Ltd
Shops in Forest Lake
Shops(2)
GoodBugs
Mitcham Avenue Dairy
Beauty & Fitness in Forest Lake
Beauty & fitness(4)
Hamilton BMX
Hamilton City Netball Centre
Heidi Christian Salon Training Consultant
The Room Hair and Beauty Studio
Professional Services in Forest Lake
Professional services(1)
Local Seo Experts
Stay in Forest Lake
Places to stay(2)
Distinction Hamilton Hotel and Conference Centre
Distinction Hamilton Hotel & Conference Centre
Forest Lake Weather
Current conditions: 14.4°C, few clouds
| Month | High (°C) | Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm/day) | Sunshine (hrs/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Jan | 24.26 | 15.41 | 5.13 | 10.84 |
| ☀️ Feb | 23.9 | 14.95 | 4.81 | 10.25 |
| 🍂 Mar | 21.67 | 12.28 | 2.29 | 9.85 |
| 🍂 Apr | 19.91 | 11.5 | 2.38 | 8.71 |
| 🍂 May | 17.05 | 8.93 | 3.98 | 7.63 |
| ❄️ Jun | 15.09 | 7.72 | 4.16 | 6.89 |
| ❄️ Jul | 14.17 | 6.75 | 4.58 | 6.63 |
| ❄️ Aug | 14.59 | 5.85 | 3.66 | 7.77 |
| 🌸 Sep | 16.17 | 7.88 | 4.51 | 8.88 |
| 🌸 Oct | 17.85 | 9.41 | 4.22 | 9.85 |
| 🌸 Nov | 19.84 | 11.63 | 5.71 | 10.35 |
| ☀️ Dec | 22.56 | 14.05 | 4.75 | 10.52 |
Forest Lake Community
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Local tips
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