- Est. Median Value
- $989K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $525/wk
- Safety Score
- 55/100
- Green Space
- 14%
- Current Weather
- 9.6°C
- Median Age
- 37 yrs
~70 crimes/1k/yr
overcast clouds
Living in Lyall Bay
Lyall Bay is on Wellington's southern coast, around 6 km south of the CBD and immediately west of the airport runway. It's a long surf beach facing directly into Cook Strait, which means it gets the kind of swell that Wellington's harbour beaches never will, and the wind that comes with it.
The beach is the suburb's main feature: a 2.5 km curve of sand, surf breaks of varying quality depending on swell direction, and a permanent line of surfers in wetsuits when conditions are on. The Lyall Bay Surf Club has been operating since 1910. Maranui Café at the eastern end of the beach, on the upper floor of the Maranui Surf Club, is one of Wellington's longest-running waterfront cafés.
The Lyall Bay shops on the corner of Onepu Road and Coutts Street have the local Four Square, the takeaways, a couple of cafés, the pharmacy. Most homes are 1930s and 1940s bungalows on the flat behind the beach, with newer apartments closer to the airport. Streets get the salt-air weathering you'd expect.
Lyall Bay School (state co-ed primary) is the local school. The airport is loud. The beach makes up for it.
Is Lyall Bay a good place to live?
Lyall Bay is home to roughly 2,598 people. On Suburb's overall livability scale, Lyall Bay scores 55 out of 100, with a safety score of 55/100 and 14% green space.
Schools: Lyall Bay has 37 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 $989K, and weekly rent typically sits around $525.
Lifestyle: Lyall Bay has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 9.6°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.
Whether Lyall Bay 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
- Safety55
- Amenities64
- Schools80
- Housing Affordability38
- Green space48
- Community67
- Transport40
Property & Economics
- Est. Median Value
- $989K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $525/wk
- Median HH Income
- $123K/yr
- Pop. Growth (5yr)
- -2.8%
- 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 Lyall Bay?
- Lyall Bay is on Wellington's southern coast, around 6 km south of the CBD. It sits immediately west of Wellington Airport, between Houghton Bay (west) and the airport runway (east).
- Is Lyall Bay good for surfing?
- Yes. Lyall Bay is one of Wellington's main surf beaches, with breaks of varying quality depending on swell direction. Best with southerly swells. The Lyall Bay Surf Club operates a board hire and lessons service through summer.
- What is Maranui Café?
- Maranui Café is on the upper floor of the Maranui Surf Club at the eastern end of Lyall Bay beach. One of Wellington's longest-running waterfront cafés, with views over Cook Strait. Particularly busy on weekends.
- How do I get from Wellington CBD to Lyall Bay?
- By car, around 15 to 20 minutes via the Mount Victoria Tunnel or via the Newtown route. Bus routes 1 and 2 run regularly from the central city through Newtown to Lyall Bay.
- Is Lyall Bay near the airport?
- Yes. Wellington Airport sits immediately east of Lyall Bay, with the runway extending into the bay. Aircraft noise is a constant feature of the suburb, particularly on the eastern streets nearest the runway.
Schools & Enrolment Zones in Lyall Bay
Schools in zone for Lyall Bay
Children living in Lyall Bay have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.
Lyall Bay School
Contributing · roll 275 · decile 7
Hutt International Boys' School
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 653 · decile 10
Check your school zone
School Zone Checker
Enter your address to check your school zone in Lyall Bay. 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 Lyall Bay that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).
Houghton Valley School
Contributing · roll 201 · decile 7 · 0.5 km away
Rongotai College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 719 · decile 4 · 1.2 km away
St Catherines College (Kilbirnie)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 208 · decile 6 · 1.5 km away
Island Bay School
Contributing · roll 324 · decile 10 · 1.6 km away
St Patrick's School (Kilbirnie)
Full Primary · roll 128 · decile 5 · 1.6 km away
St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)
Full Primary · roll 196 · decile 10 · 1.7 km away
Evans Bay Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 337 · decile 7 · 1.8 km away
South Wellington Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 335 · decile 5 · 1.8 km away
Berhampore School
Contributing · roll 264 · decile 3 · 1.9 km away
St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 725 · decile 8 · 2.0 km away
Scots College
Composite · roll 1171 · decile 10 · 2.1 km away
Kahurangi School
Full Primary · roll 259 · decile 3 · 2.4 km away
St Annes School (Newtown)
Full Primary · roll 215 · decile 5 · 2.4 km away
Kilbirnie School
Contributing · roll 204 · decile 10 · 2.5 km away
Newtown School
Contributing · roll 310 · decile 4 · 2.5 km away
Holy Cross School (Miramar)
Full Primary · roll 175 · decile 5 · 2.7 km away
Owhiro Bay School
Contributing · roll 82 · decile 9 · 2.8 km away
Miramar Central School
Contributing · roll 165 · decile 5 · 2.9 km away
Te Kura o Tawatawa - Ridgway School
Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 9 · 3.0 km away
Wellington College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1941 · decile 10 · 3.2 km away
St Anthony's School (Seatoun)
Full Primary · roll 37 · decile 8 · 3.2 km away
Wellington East Girls' College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1014 · decile 8 · 3.3 km away
TKKM o Nga Mokopuna
Composite · roll 175 · decile 8 · 3.5 km away
Worser Bay School
Contributing · roll 109 · decile 9 · 3.5 km away
St Mark's Church School (Mt Victoria)
Full Primary · roll 136 · decile 10 · 3.5 km away
Brooklyn School (Wellington)
Full Primary · roll 368 · decile 8 · 3.6 km away
Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1639 · decile 9 · 3.7 km away
Hataitai School
Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 10 · 3.7 km away
Seatoun School
Full Primary · roll 367 · decile 9 · 3.7 km away
Mt Cook School (Wellington)
Full Primary · roll 287 · decile 6 · 3.9 km away
Clyde Quay School
Full Primary · roll 213 · decile 10 · 4.0 km away
Miramar North School
Contributing · roll 227 · decile 7 · 4.0 km away
Central Regional Health School
Specialist School · roll 23 · 4.5 km away
Te Aro School
Full Primary · roll 210 · decile 4 · 4.7 km away
Roseneath School
Full Primary · roll 73 · decile 9 · 4.9 km away
Explore Lyall Bay
Things to do(7)
Lyall Bay Surf Life Saving Club
Lyall Bay Taekwon-Do
Lyall Bay Play Area
Lyall bay bowling club
Maranui Surf Life Saving Club
Wellington Surf Lessons
Dorrie Leslie Park Dog Exercise Area
Parks & green spaces(2)
Lyall Bay Play Area
Dorrie Leslie Park Dog Exercise Area
Healthcare
Pharmacies and clinics for this area haven’t been catalogued yet.
Eat & Drink in Lyall Bay
Places to eat & drink(11)
Elements Cafe
Maranui Cafe
Queen Sally's Diamond Deli
Spruce Goose
The Botanist
Lb Rice Bowl
L Bay Cafe & Restaurant
World's Delights for Cakes
Onepū
ONEPU Coffee & Icecream Shack
Seaview Takeaways
Tradies & Services in Lyall Bay
Tradies & services(4)
Capital Retaining Walls
Delehanty Interior Design
Helson Construction
Lyall Bay Kindergarten
Shops in Lyall Bay
Shops(2)
Lyall Bay Minimart Ltd
Tạp hoá Việt
Beauty & Fitness in Lyall Bay
Beauty & fitness(9)
Head Therapy
Lyall bay bowling club
Lyall Bay Surf Life Saving Club
Lyall Bay Taekwon-Do
Maranui Surf Life Saving Club
Sage Lash
Starlight Hair Studio
Wellington Surf Lessons
Zo-Ar Hair
Professional Services in Lyall Bay
Professional services(1)
Tradestaff
Lyall Bay Weather
Current conditions: 9.6°C, overcast clouds
| Month | High (°C) | Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm/day) | Sunshine (hrs/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Jan | 20.32 | 15.35 | 42.07 | 11.97 |
| ☀️ Feb | 19.64 | 15.38 | 128.47 | 9.93 |
| 🍂 Mar | 18.07 | 13.7 | 70.07 | 9.72 |
| 🍂 Apr | 17 | 12.65 | 88.2 | 8.34 |
| 🍂 May | 15.22 | 11.23 | 95.63 | 6.93 |
| ❄️ Jun | 13.54 | 9.72 | 96.4 | 6.33 |
| ❄️ Jul | 12.47 | 8.55 | 125.3 | 5.76 |
| ❄️ Aug | 12.33 | 8.76 | 124.47 | 7.27 |
| 🌸 Sep | 13.73 | 9.81 | 82.37 | 8.3 |
| 🌸 Oct | 14.65 | 10.35 | 73.07 | 9.69 |
| 🌸 Nov | 16.79 | 12.34 | 69.9 | 11.08 |
| ☀️ Dec | 18.45 | 14 | 78.47 | 10.88 |
Lyall Bay Community
Reviews of Lyall Bay
No reviews yet. Be the first to share what living in Lyall Bay is really like.
Local tips
No tips yet. Be the first to share what makes Lyall Bay special.