Where is Newtown in Wellington?

Newtown is in southern Wellington, about 2 km from the CBD, on the route from the city to Island Bay. Adelaide Road runs through it from the north, becoming Riddiford Street as the main spine.

When is the Newtown Festival?

The Newtown Festival runs annually in early March, taking over the streets of central Newtown for a single day. Around 60,000 people typically attend the music, food, market and community events. Entry is free.

Is Wellington Zoo in Newtown?

Yes. Wellington Zoo is on the southern edge of Newtown, off Manchester Street. Founded in 1906, it's New Zealand's oldest zoo and operates as a conservation organisation, with native species programmes alongside international animals.

How do I get from Wellington CBD to Newtown?

The Number 1 bus runs frequently from Wellington Railway Station through Newtown to Island Bay, with stops along Riddiford Street. By car it's about 5 to 10 minutes via Adelaide Road.

Is Wellington Hospital in Newtown?

Yes. Wellington Regional Hospital is in central Newtown on Riddiford Street, the main hospital for the lower North Island. It includes the emergency department, regional surgical services and Wellington's main maternity unit.

Which schools are in zone for Newtown?

Children living in Newtown are in zone for St Oran's College, Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre, Wellington East Girls' College, Newtown School, Hutt International Boys' School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Newtown?

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.

Newtown, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Newtown

Newtown is in southern Wellington, about 2 km from the CBD, where Adelaide Road becomes Riddiford Street. It's where Wellington keeps three of its biggest institutions: the hospital (the largest in the lower North Island), the zoo (the country's first), and most of its character.

Riddiford Street is the spine, lined with what's probably the most genuinely diverse food strip in New Zealand. Eritrean, Ethiopian, Sri Lankan, Vietnamese, Korean, Lebanese, Italian, the lot. The Mediterranean Foods Trattoria & Deli is a Wellington institution. The Newtown Festival each March takes over the entire suburb for a day, with around 60,000 people through the streets. Given Newtown's actual population, that's most of Wellington showing up.

Wellington Hospital sits on Riddiford Street with everything that comes with that: doctors, nurses, students, flat shares, 3am taxis. Wellington Zoo is just south, established in 1906, and operates as a working conservation organisation rather than just a visitor attraction.

Newtown Park hosts athletics, the Newtown School and a long-running community park. The suburb has one of the highest concentrations of pre-1930s buildings of any Wellington suburb, which gives it a faded-but-genuine character.

Is Newtown a good place to live?

Newtown is home to roughly 9,126 people across 8.2 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Newtown scores 64 out of 100, with a safety score of 47/100 and 35% green space.

Schools: Newtown has 51 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 $1.00M, and weekly rent typically sits around $556.

Lifestyle: Newtown has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 9.4°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Newtown 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

Safety47
Amenities100
Schools85
Housing Affordability37
Green space100
Community33
Transport20

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $1.00M
Median Weekly Rent: $556/wk
Median HH Income: $111K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): -1.2%
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

Browse all suburbs in Wellington City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Newtown in Wellington?: Newtown is in southern Wellington, about 2 km from the CBD, on the route from the city to Island Bay. Adelaide Road runs through it from the north, becoming Riddiford Street as the main spine.
When is the Newtown Festival?: The Newtown Festival runs annually in early March, taking over the streets of central Newtown for a single day. Around 60,000 people typically attend the music, food, market and community events. Entry is free.
Is Wellington Zoo in Newtown?: Yes. Wellington Zoo is on the southern edge of Newtown, off Manchester Street. Founded in 1906, it's New Zealand's oldest zoo and operates as a conservation organisation, with native species programmes alongside international animals.
How do I get from Wellington CBD to Newtown?: The Number 1 bus runs frequently from Wellington Railway Station through Newtown to Island Bay, with stops along Riddiford Street. By car it's about 5 to 10 minutes via Adelaide Road.
Is Wellington Hospital in Newtown?: Yes. Wellington Regional Hospital is in central Newtown on Riddiford Street, the main hospital for the lower North Island. It includes the emergency department, regional surgical services and Wellington's main maternity unit.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Newtown

Schools in zone for Newtown

Children living in Newtown have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.

St Oran's College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 504 · decile 10
Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1639 · decile 9
Wellington East Girls' College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1014 · decile 8
Newtown School
Contributing · roll 310 · decile 4
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 Newtown. 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 Newtown that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

St Annes School (Newtown)
Full Primary · roll 215 · decile 5 · 0.1 km away
South Wellington Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 335 · decile 5 · 0.7 km away
Wellington College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1941 · decile 10 · 1.0 km away
St Catherines College (Kilbirnie)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 208 · decile 6 · 1.0 km away
Kilbirnie School
Contributing · roll 204 · decile 10 · 1.1 km away
St Patrick's School (Kilbirnie)
Full Primary · roll 128 · decile 5 · 1.1 km away
St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 725 · decile 8 · 1.2 km away
Berhampore School
Contributing · roll 264 · decile 3 · 1.2 km away
Evans Bay Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 337 · decile 7 · 1.3 km away
St Mark's Church School (Mt Victoria)
Full Primary · roll 136 · decile 10 · 1.3 km away
Brooklyn School (Wellington)
Full Primary · roll 368 · decile 8 · 1.5 km away
Te Kura o Tawatawa - Ridgway School
Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 9 · 1.5 km away
Lyall Bay School
Contributing · roll 275 · decile 7 · 1.6 km away
Mt Cook School (Wellington)
Full Primary · roll 287 · decile 6 · 1.7 km away
Clyde Quay School
Full Primary · roll 213 · decile 10 · 1.8 km away
Rongotai College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 719 · decile 4 · 1.9 km away
Central Regional Health School
Specialist School · roll 23 · 2.2 km away
Hataitai School
Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 10 · 2.2 km away
Te Aro School
Full Primary · roll 210 · decile 4 · 2.4 km away
Houghton Valley School
Contributing · roll 201 · decile 7 · 2.5 km away
Island Bay School
Contributing · roll 324 · decile 10 · 2.7 km away
St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)
Full Primary · roll 196 · decile 10 · 2.9 km away
Miramar Central School
Contributing · roll 165 · decile 5 · 3.1 km away
Kelburn Normal School
Full Primary · roll 270 · decile 10 · 3.2 km away
Holy Cross School (Miramar)
Full Primary · roll 175 · decile 5 · 3.2 km away
Roseneath School
Full Primary · roll 73 · decile 9 · 3.2 km away
Clifton Terrace Model School
Full Primary · roll 71 · decile 8 · 3.3 km away
Scots College
Composite · roll 1171 · decile 10 · 3.4 km away
Owhiro Bay School
Contributing · roll 82 · decile 9 · 3.4 km away
Miramar North School
Contributing · roll 227 · decile 7 · 3.6 km away
Kahurangi School
Full Primary · roll 259 · decile 3 · 3.7 km away
Worser Bay School
Contributing · roll 109 · decile 9 · 3.8 km away
Northland School
Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 7 · 4.0 km away
Wellington Girls' College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1427 · decile 8 · 4.1 km away
St Mary's College (Wellington)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 562 · decile 8 · 4.1 km away
Sacred Heart Cathedral School
Full Primary · roll 228 · decile 8 · 4.1 km away
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu
Correspondence School · roll 8517 · 4.2 km away
St Anthony's School (Seatoun)
Full Primary · roll 37 · decile 8 · 4.2 km away
TKKM o Nga Mokopuna
Composite · roll 175 · decile 8 · 4.3 km away
Thorndon School
Full Primary · roll 270 · decile 8 · 4.3 km away
Queen Margaret College
Composite · roll 755 · decile 9 · 4.4 km away
Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
Composite · roll 394 · decile 10 · 4.5 km away
Karori Normal School
Full Primary · roll 590 · decile 9 · 4.6 km away
Altum Academy
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 4.6 km away
Seatoun School
Full Primary · roll 367 · decile 9 · 4.8 km away
St Teresa's School (Karori)
Full Primary · roll 125 · decile 10 · 5.0 km away

Explore Newtown

Things to do(26)

Bowlarama

Milipede

Gumboot

Twentysix Art Gallery

Rugby League Park

Capital Gymnastics

New Zealand School of Dance

Bowlarama

Wellington Tenpin Bowling Club

Wellington Rugby

Hanson Street Play Area

Wellington South

Wellington Indoor Sports

Estudio de Samba Wellington

Moringa Dancers

Wellington Somatic Dance Collective

Newtown Bowling Club

Papakai Marae, Tongariro National Park, Turangi

Wellington United AFC

Southern Walk Way

Kilbirnie Tennis Club

Wellington Hospital Sports Centre

Business Class Table Tennis

Wellington Harrier Athletic Club

Workingmen's Bowling Club

Alexandra Park

Parks & green spaces(4)

Hanson Street Play Area

Papakai Marae, Tongariro National Park, Turangi

Southern Walk Way

Alexandra Park

Healthcare(21)

Castles Pharmacy

Unichem

Snip Vasectomy

Healthcare New Zealand Southern Cross

Wakefield Hospital

Newtown Union Health Service

Wakefield Specialist Centre

Southern Cross Hospital

Riddiford Neurology

CCDHB

Grace Neill Building

Emergency Department, Wellington Hospital

Grace Neill Block

Te Wao Nui - Child Health Service

Wellington Children's Hospital

Outpatient Rooms

A&E Wellington

Blood and Cancer Centre, Wellington Hospital

Wellington Hospital

Wellington Regional Hospital

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	20.22	15.22	1.73	11.39
☀️ Feb	19.76	15.35	2.25	10.85
🍂 Mar	17.93	13.27	1.69	10.1
🍂 Apr	16.74	12.38	4.03	7.91
🍂 May	14.68	10.66	3.52	6.98
❄️ Jun	13.33	9.33	2.74	6.58
❄️ Jul	12.23	8.29	2.69	6.23
❄️ Aug	11.88	8.09	2.63	7.74
🌸 Sep	13.82	9.84	2.88	8.65
🌸 Oct	14.76	10.41	2.72	10.05
🌸 Nov	16.09	11.8	1.67	10.67
☀️ Dec	18.22	13.84	2.47	10.94

Living in Newtown

Is Newtown a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Newtown

Schools in zone for Newtown

St Oran's College

Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre

Wellington East Girls' College

Newtown School

Hutt International Boys' School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

St Annes School (Newtown)

South Wellington Intermediate

Wellington College

St Catherines College (Kilbirnie)

Kilbirnie School

St Patrick's School (Kilbirnie)

St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie)

Berhampore School

Evans Bay Intermediate

St Mark's Church School (Mt Victoria)

Brooklyn School (Wellington)

Te Kura o Tawatawa - Ridgway School

Lyall Bay School

Mt Cook School (Wellington)

Clyde Quay School

Rongotai College

Central Regional Health School

Hataitai School

Te Aro School

Houghton Valley School

Island Bay School

St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)

Miramar Central School

Kelburn Normal School

Holy Cross School (Miramar)

Roseneath School

Clifton Terrace Model School

Scots College

Owhiro Bay School

Miramar North School

Kahurangi School

Worser Bay School

Northland School

Wellington Girls' College

St Mary's College (Wellington)

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu

St Anthony's School (Seatoun)

TKKM o Nga Mokopuna

Thorndon School

Queen Margaret College

Samuel Marsden Collegiate School

Karori Normal School

Altum Academy

Seatoun School

St Teresa's School (Karori)

Explore Newtown

🎯Things to do(26)

Bowlarama

Milipede

Gumboot

Twentysix Art Gallery

Rugby League Park

Capital Gymnastics

New Zealand School of Dance

Bowlarama

Wellington Tenpin Bowling Club

Wellington Rugby

Hanson Street Play Area

Wellington South

Wellington Indoor Sports

Estudio de Samba Wellington

Things to do(26)

Parks & green spaces(4)

Healthcare(21)

Places to eat & drink(80)