Te Aro is the southern half of Wellington's CBD, running from Willis Street south to Mount Cook. It includes Cuba Street, Courtenay Place, the Embassy Theatre area and most of Wellington's central hospitality district.

Cuba Street is a partly pedestrianised street in Te Aro, considered Wellington's bohemian heart. It's lined with independent cafés, bars, vintage stores, the Bucket Fountain, the New Zealand Portrait Gallery and a wide range of music venues.

Is Massey University in Te Aro?

Yes. Massey University's Wellington campus, on Wallace Street and Tasman Street, is in Te Aro and houses the College of Creative Arts (Toi Rauwhārangi) and other creative and humanities programmes.

What does Te Aro mean?

Te Aro takes its name from Te Aro pā, an important Māori settlement that occupied much of the area now covered by central Wellington before the New Zealand Company arrived in 1840. The name roughly translates as "the front" or "the foreground".

Where is Te Aro Park?

Te Aro Park is a small triangular park at the intersection of Dixon Street, Manners Street and Taranaki Street, marked by a large tile mosaic pattern in the shape of a waka (canoe) by artist Shona Rapira Davies.

Which schools are in zone for Te Aro?

Children living in Te Aro are in zone for St Oran's College, Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre, Wellington East Girls' College, Wellington College, Mt Cook School (Wellington), 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 Te Aro?

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.

Te Aro, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Est. Median Value: $1.23M
Median Weekly Rent: $550/wk
Safety Score: 53/100
Green Space: 8%
Current Weather: 9.7°C
Median Age: 28 yrs

Living in Te Aro

Te Aro is the southern half of Wellington's CBD, running roughly from Willis Street south to Mount Cook and east to Oriental Bay. It's the part of Wellington that does the heavy lifting on hospitality, nightlife and creative work: Cuba Street and Courtenay Place are both in Te Aro, as is Wellington's main music venue strip.

Cuba Street is the standout: a pedestrianised section between Manners and Ghuznee Streets, lined with cafés, bars, vintage shops, the Bucket Fountain (a 1969 kinetic sculpture that famously sprays passers-by), and the New Zealand Portrait Gallery. Courtenay Place is the bar and restaurant strip, with the Embassy Theatre (1924 art deco) at one end. The Wellington Tramways Museum is gone but the trolleybus wires lasted until 2017, which is how locals date photographs.

Massey University's Wellington campus and Te Aro School are in the suburb. Te Aro Park, on Manners Street, is a small triangular park with a tile mosaic pattern shaped like a waka (and a regular spot for the city's homeless community).

The name comes from Te Aro pā, an important Māori settlement that occupied much of the modern central city before European settlement.

Is Te Aro a good place to live?

Te Aro is home to roughly 12,372 people across 13.2 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Te Aro scores 59 out of 100, with a safety score of 53/100 and 8% green space.

Schools: Te Aro 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 $1.23M, and weekly rent typically sits around $550.

Lifestyle: Te Aro has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 9.7°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Te Aro 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

Safety53
Amenities100
Schools90
Housing Affordability31
Green space27
Community56
Transport40

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $1.23M
Median Weekly Rent: $550/wk
Median HH Income: $102K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +23.5%
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 Te Aro?: Te Aro is the southern half of Wellington's CBD, running from Willis Street south to Mount Cook. It includes Cuba Street, Courtenay Place, the Embassy Theatre area and most of Wellington's central hospitality district.
What is Cuba Street?: Cuba Street is a partly pedestrianised street in Te Aro, considered Wellington's bohemian heart. It's lined with independent cafés, bars, vintage stores, the Bucket Fountain, the New Zealand Portrait Gallery and a wide range of music venues.
Is Massey University in Te Aro?: Yes. Massey University's Wellington campus, on Wallace Street and Tasman Street, is in Te Aro and houses the College of Creative Arts (Toi Rauwhārangi) and other creative and humanities programmes.
What does Te Aro mean?: Te Aro takes its name from Te Aro pā, an important Māori settlement that occupied much of the area now covered by central Wellington before the New Zealand Company arrived in 1840. The name roughly translates as "the front" or "the foreground".
Where is Te Aro Park?: Te Aro Park is a small triangular park at the intersection of Dixon Street, Manners Street and Taranaki Street, marked by a large tile mosaic pattern in the shape of a waka (canoe) by artist Shona Rapira Davies.

Te Aro Weather

Current conditions: 9.7°C, overcast clouds

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	20.28	15.29	42.07	11.97
☀️ Feb	19.59	15.32	128.47	9.93
🍂 Mar	18.02	13.66	70.07	9.72
🍂 Apr	16.96	12.59	88.2	8.34
🍂 May	15.17	11.19	95.63	6.93
❄️ Jun	13.49	9.68	96.4	6.33
❄️ Jul	12.43	8.5	125.3	5.76
❄️ Aug	12.28	8.71	124.47	7.27
🌸 Sep	13.66	9.76	82.37	8.3
🌸 Oct	14.61	10.3	73.07	9.69
🌸 Nov	16.74	12.28	69.9	11.08
☀️ Dec	18.39	13.95	78.47	10.88

Living in Te Aro

Is Te Aro a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Te Aro

Schools in zone for Te Aro

St Oran's College

Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre

Wellington East Girls' College

Wellington College

Mt Cook School (Wellington)

Hutt International Boys' School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Central Regional Health School

Te Aro School

Clyde Quay School

Clifton Terrace Model School

St Mark's Church School (Mt Victoria)

Kelburn Normal School

St Mary's College (Wellington)

Brooklyn School (Wellington)

Northland School

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

Wellington Girls' College

Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu

Thorndon School

Newtown School

Queen Margaret College

Hataitai School

Roseneath School

St Annes School (Newtown)

Kilbirnie School

Altum Academy

Samuel Marsden Collegiate School

Te Kura o Tawatawa - Ridgway School

St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie)

South Wellington Intermediate

Karori Normal School

Evans Bay Intermediate

Ōtari School

St Catherines College (Kilbirnie)

Berhampore School

St Patrick's School (Kilbirnie)

Wadestown School

St Teresa's School (Karori)

Crofton Downs Primary School

Rongotai College

Lyall Bay School

Te Ara

Miramar North School

Miramar Central School

Karori West Normal School

Holy Cross School (Miramar)

Ngaio School

Houghton Valley School

Worser Bay School

Island Bay School

St Benedict's School (Khandallah)

Explore Te Aro

🎯Things to do(76)

The Bucket Fountain

Holocaust Centre of New Zealand

Flex Fitness Te Aro

BFT Wellington Central

Kaizen Fitness

Elevate+

PRJCT CrossFit

Coach Carl Personal Training

The Beachfront Playground at Kaiteriteri

Two Right Feet Dance Studio

Salsa Therapy Dance School

Tango Lessons Wellington

St Peter's Park

Starz on Stage

Things to do(76)

Parks & green spaces(9)