Where is South Dunedin?

South Dunedin is the flat suburb immediately south of central Dunedin, around 2 km from the Octagon. It borders the central city (north), St Kilda (south), St Clair (southwest) and Forbury (west).

What shops are in South Dunedin?

King Edward Street is the main commercial spine, with The Warehouse, Pak'nSave, KFC, Hell Pizza, banks, pharmacies and a mix of practical retail. The South Dunedin shopping area is one of the city's busiest.

Where is the South Dunedin Medical Centre?

The South Dunedin Medical Centre is on King Edward Street in central South Dunedin, one of the main general practices serving the area. Standard family practice services on site.

How do I get from central Dunedin to South Dunedin?

By car, around 5 to 8 minutes via Princes Street and Andersons Bay Road. Bus services run regularly from the central Bus Hub along King Edward Street. Walking or cycling along the flat is also feasible.

Does South Dunedin flood?

Yes. South Dunedin sits at or barely above sea level on reclaimed mudflats. The 2015 flood caused major damage, and the suburb is identified as one of New Zealand's most climate-vulnerable urban areas.

Which schools are in zone for South Dunedin?

Children living in South Dunedin are in zone for Dunedin Rudolf Steiner School, St Hildas Collegiate, Queen's High School, Columba College, John McGlashan College, Liberton Christian School, Trinity Catholic College. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in South Dunedin?

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.

South Dunedin, Otago | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in South Dunedin

South Dunedin is the flat low-lying suburb immediately south of the central city, around 2 km from the Octagon. It sits on what used to be the inner Otago Harbour mudflats, reclaimed through the late 19th century, and that geology defines pretty much everything about the place. South Dunedin floods. The whole suburb is at or barely above sea level, and the 2015 flood was a serious wake-up call that climate change is going to be a defining issue here over the next few decades.

King Edward Street is the main commercial spine: The Warehouse, the Pak'nSave, Hell Pizza, KFC, and the kind of practical retail mix that has served the suburb's residents for generations. It's not glamorous and has never tried to be. South Dunedin is a workmanlike suburb where you go for things you actually need.

The Hillside Railway Workshops and the Cadbury chocolate factory were the main industrial employers for decades. Both have closed in the past 20 years. The South Dunedin Library and Community Centre is the modern community anchor.

Around 13,000 residents. Mostly single-storey housing, partly because much of the suburb wouldn't get insurance for second storeys. Practical, settled, and quietly grappling with what its long-term future looks like.

Is South Dunedin a good place to live?

South Dunedin is home to roughly 2,595 people across 12.7 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, South Dunedin scores 65 out of 100, with a safety score of 71/100 and 6% green space.

Schools: South Dunedin has 39 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 $459K, and weekly rent typically sits around $265.

Lifestyle: South Dunedin has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 6.1°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether South Dunedin 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

Safety71
Amenities100
Schools82
Housing Affordability82
Green space20
Community10
Transport19

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $459K
Median Weekly Rent: $265/wk
Median HH Income: $40K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +3.2%
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 Dunedin City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is South Dunedin?: South Dunedin is the flat suburb immediately south of central Dunedin, around 2 km from the Octagon. It borders the central city (north), St Kilda (south), St Clair (southwest) and Forbury (west).
What shops are in South Dunedin?: King Edward Street is the main commercial spine, with The Warehouse, Pak'nSave, KFC, Hell Pizza, banks, pharmacies and a mix of practical retail. The South Dunedin shopping area is one of the city's busiest.
Where is the South Dunedin Medical Centre?: The South Dunedin Medical Centre is on King Edward Street in central South Dunedin, one of the main general practices serving the area. Standard family practice services on site.
How do I get from central Dunedin to South Dunedin?: By car, around 5 to 8 minutes via Princes Street and Andersons Bay Road. Bus services run regularly from the central Bus Hub along King Edward Street. Walking or cycling along the flat is also feasible.
Does South Dunedin flood?: Yes. South Dunedin sits at or barely above sea level on reclaimed mudflats. The 2015 flood caused major damage, and the suburb is identified as one of New Zealand's most climate-vulnerable urban areas.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in South Dunedin

Schools in zone for South Dunedin

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

Dunedin Rudolf Steiner School
Full Primary · roll 77 · decile 9
St Hildas Collegiate
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 463 · decile 10
Queen's High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 599 · decile 5
Columba College
Composite · roll 609
John McGlashan College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 527
Liberton Christian School
Full Primary · roll 133 · decile 7
Trinity Catholic College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 872

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in South Dunedin. 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 South Dunedin that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Bathgate Park School
Full Primary · roll 118 · decile 3 · 0.7 km away
Kings High School (Dunedin)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 891 · decile 7 · 0.8 km away
Carisbrook School
Full Primary · roll 324 · decile 3 · 1.2 km away
Te Whirika Sara Cohen Specialist School
Specialist School · roll 76 · decile 5 · 1.3 km away
St Bernadette's School (Forbury)
Contributing · roll 179 · decile 6 · 1.3 km away
Musselburgh School
Contributing · roll 127 · decile 5 · 1.4 km away
St Clair School
Contributing · roll 343 · decile 8 · 1.4 km away
Tahuna Normal Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 496 · decile 8 · 1.6 km away
Bayfield High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 533 · decile 7 · 1.8 km away
St Francis Xavier School (Mornington)
Contributing · roll 95 · decile 9 · 2.0 km away
Tainui School
Contributing · roll 256 · decile 7 · 2.1 km away
St Brigids School (Tainui)
Contributing · roll 71 · decile 10 · 2.2 km away
Otago Girls' High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 725 · decile 8 · 2.3 km away
St Joseph's Cathedral School
Contributing · roll 145 · decile 8 · 2.3 km away
Mornington School
Contributing · roll 234 · decile 7 · 2.4 km away
Andersons Bay School
Contributing · roll 299 · decile 8 · 2.7 km away
Arthur Street School
Full Primary · roll 193 · decile 7 · 2.7 km away
Balaclava School
Contributing · roll 241 · decile 8 · 2.7 km away
Otago Boys' High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 870 · decile 9 · 2.8 km away
London House Learning Centre
Activity Centre · decile 9 · 2.8 km away
Grants Braes School
Contributing · roll 198 · decile 10 · 2.9 km away
Kaikorai Valley College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 434 · 3.0 km away
Bradford School
Contributing · roll 93 · decile 5 · 3.4 km away
Kaikorai School
Contributing · roll 304 · decile 9 · 3.5 km away
Concord School
Contributing · roll 60 · decile 4 · 3.6 km away
Balmacewen Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 473 · decile 8 · 4.2 km away
St Mary's School (Dunedin)
Contributing · roll 59 · decile 6 · 4.2 km away
Māori Hill School
Contributing · roll 227 · decile 10 · 4.3 km away
George Street Normal School
Contributing · roll 375 · 4.3 km away
Logan Park High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 839 · decile 7 · 4.4 km away
Brockville School
Full Primary · roll 133 · decile 2 · 4.5 km away
Wakari School
Contributing · roll 290 · decile 7 · 4.7 km away

Explore South Dunedin

Things to do(25)

Dunedin Gasworks Museum

Budo Culture for Disabled - Dunedin, NZ

Dunedin Warrant of Fitness Centre

Navy Park

Edgar Centre

Bathgate Park

Anytime Fitness

Uncut Fitness

Basketball Otago Inc

Brock Fitness

Dunedin Institute of Traditional Karate

Tonga Park

TennisPlus+ Coaching

Salsa Moves Nz

Strength Metrics Gym

Caversham AFC

Dunedin Trampoline Sports Inc.

Dunedin Netball

Otago Futsal Academy

The Yard Gym Dunedin

M.A.T Tennis Coaching

NRG Gym Dunedin South

Kura Poi

Otago Bridge Club

Caledonian Gymnasium

Parks & green spaces(3)

Navy Park

Bathgate Park

Tonga Park

Healthcare(2)

Dunedin South Medical Centre

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	20.07	12.08	2.03	10.89
☀️ Feb	19.86	11.39	2.41	10.33
🍂 Mar	17.33	9.57	3.45	8.83
🍂 Apr	15.7	8.36	1.97	7.52
🍂 May	12.97	6.31	2.29	6
❄️ Jun	11.18	5.33	2.29	5.71
❄️ Jul	10.42	4.97	3.3	5.92
❄️ Aug	11.82	3.5	1.57	7.48
🌸 Sep	13.88	5.78	2.85	8.25
🌸 Oct	15	6.48	5.01	9.52
🌸 Nov	15.66	7.6	2.77	10.55
☀️ Dec	18.11	10.75	3.85	9.7

Living in South Dunedin

Is South Dunedin a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in South Dunedin

Schools in zone for South Dunedin

Dunedin Rudolf Steiner School

St Hildas Collegiate

Queen's High School

Columba College

John McGlashan College

Liberton Christian School

Trinity Catholic College

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Bathgate Park School

Kings High School (Dunedin)

Carisbrook School

Te Whirika Sara Cohen Specialist School

St Bernadette's School (Forbury)

Musselburgh School

St Clair School

Tahuna Normal Intermediate

Bayfield High School

St Francis Xavier School (Mornington)

Tainui School

St Brigids School (Tainui)

Otago Girls' High School

St Joseph's Cathedral School

Mornington School

Andersons Bay School

Arthur Street School

Balaclava School

Otago Boys' High School

London House Learning Centre

Grants Braes School

Kaikorai Valley College

Bradford School

Kaikorai School

Concord School

Balmacewen Intermediate

St Mary's School (Dunedin)

Māori Hill School

George Street Normal School

Logan Park High School

Brockville School

Wakari School

Explore South Dunedin

🎯Things to do(25)

Dunedin Gasworks Museum

Budo Culture for Disabled - Dunedin, NZ

Dunedin Warrant of Fitness Centre

Navy Park

Edgar Centre

Bathgate Park

Anytime Fitness

Uncut Fitness

Basketball Otago Inc

Brock Fitness

Dunedin Institute of Traditional Karate

Tonga Park

TennisPlus+ Coaching

Salsa Moves Nz

Strength Metrics Gym

Caversham AFC

Dunedin Trampoline Sports Inc.

Dunedin Netball

Otago Futsal Academy

The Yard Gym Dunedin

M.A.T Tennis Coaching

NRG Gym Dunedin South

Kura Poi

Otago Bridge Club

Caledonian Gymnasium

🌳Parks & green spaces(3)

Things to do(25)

Parks & green spaces(3)

Healthcare(2)

Places to eat & drink(42)

Tradies & services(85)