- Est. Median Value
- $977K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $630/wk
- Safety Score
- 22/100
- Green Space
- 27%
- Current Weather
- 4.5°C
- Median Age
- 35 yrs
~103 crimes/1k/yr
clear sky
Living in Totara Heights
Tōtara Heights takes its name honestly: the suburb rides the high ground of southeast Manukau, around 25 km from the Auckland CBD, with Tōtara Park's 216 hectares of genuine native forest, the largest in urban South Auckland, running along its boundary and supplying both the name and the resident birdlife. Around 5,000 people live on these ridges, in the 1980s and 90s family housing that claimed the views early.
The park is the suburb's inheritance: walking tracks under mature tōtara and kahikatea, mountain bike trails threading the gullies, horse paddocks, and the summer swimming pool, all starting where the streets stop, with the Auckland Botanic Gardens' 64 hectares of curated calm immediately south for the gentler constitutionals.
The practical world sits efficiently below: the Southern Motorway interchange at Manukau is minutes away, Westfield Manukau and the city centre's full services five minutes west, and the airport 15 minutes for the frequent flyers.
The local primaries serve the heights, with Alfriston College and Manurewa High School splitting most of the secondary catchment. Tōtara Heights is the south's elevated bargain: a native forest for a neighbour, a motorway for a commute, and the name still growing on the boundary.
Is Totara Heights a good place to live?
Totara Heights is home to roughly 2,934 people across 0.9 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Totara Heights scores 36 out of 100, with a safety score of 22/100 and 27% green space.
Schools: Totara Heights has 57 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 $977K, and weekly rent typically sits around $630.
Lifestyle: Totara Heights has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 4.5°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.
Whether Totara Heights 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
- Safety22
- Amenities22
- Schools38
- Housing Affordability38
- Green space90
- Community44
- Transport31
Property & Economics
- Est. Median Value
- $977K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $630/wk
- Median HH Income
- $137K/yr
- Pop. Growth (5yr)
- +8.2%
- 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
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Totara Heights?
- Tōtara Heights is in southeast Manukau, South Auckland, around 25 km from the CBD, on the ridges between Tōtara Park, Manukau Heights and the Southern Motorway.
- What is Totara Park?
- Tōtara Park is 216 hectares of native bush bordering the suburb, with walking and mountain bike tracks, horse trails and a summer outdoor pool, the largest native forest in urban South Auckland.
- What is near Totara Heights?
- The Auckland Botanic Gardens sit just south, Manukau's city centre and Westfield five minutes west, and the Southern Motorway interchange minutes from the suburb.
- What schools serve Totara Heights?
- Local primaries serve the ridges, with most secondary students attending Alfriston College or Manurewa High School depending on zone.
- How do I get from Auckland CBD to Totara Heights?
- By car, around 30 to 40 minutes via the Southern Motorway, exiting at Manukau or Redoubt Road. Buses connect through Manukau station's rail and bus interchange.
- Which schools are in zone for Totara Heights?
- Children living in Totara Heights are in zone for Everglade School, Greenmeadows Intermediate, Manurewa High School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.
- How do I check my school zone in Totara Heights?
- 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 Totara Heights
Schools in zone for Totara Heights
Children living in Totara Heights have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.
Everglade School
Contributing · roll 469 · decile 4
Greenmeadows Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 347 · decile 2
Manurewa High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 2414 · decile 1
Check your school zone
School Zone Checker
Enter your address to check your school zone in Totara Heights. 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 Totara Heights that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).
Hillpark School
Contributing · roll 480 · decile 5 · 1.0 km away
The Gardens School
Full Primary · roll 518 · decile 3 · 1.4 km away
Wiri Central School
Full Primary · roll 350 · decile 1 · 1.5 km away
Manurewa Central School
Contributing · roll 487 · decile 2 · 1.9 km away
Homai School
Contributing · roll 394 · decile 1 · 2.1 km away
Manurewa East School
Contributing · roll 375 · decile 1 · 2.1 km away
Destiny School
Composite · roll 13 · decile 3 · 2.1 km away
Redoubt North School
Full Primary · roll 464 · decile 2 · 2.3 km away
Alfriston College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1296 · decile 2 · 2.3 km away
Manurewa Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 927 · decile 1 · 2.4 km away
St Anne's Catholic School (Manurewa)
Full Primary · roll 487 · decile 2 · 2.5 km away
Manukau Christian School
Composite · roll 316 · 2.6 km away
Manurewa West School
Contributing · roll 432 · decile 1 · 2.6 km away
Randwick Park School
Full Primary · roll 698 · decile 1 · 2.6 km away
Kia Aroha Campus
Composite · roll 328 · decile 1 · 2.7 km away
Chapel Downs School
Contributing · roll 748 · decile 2 · 2.7 km away
Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ
Specialist School · roll 78 · 2.7 km away
Te Kura Rau Iti
Contributing · roll 56 · 2.8 km away
Clendon Park School
Contributing · roll 721 · decile 1 · 3.1 km away
Manurewa South School
Contributing · roll 363 · decile 1 · 3.2 km away
Rowandale School
Contributing · roll 555 · decile 1 · 3.2 km away
Te Wharekura o Manurewa
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 79 · decile 1 · 3.2 km away
TKKM o Manurewa
Full Primary · roll 139 · decile 1 · 3.2 km away
South Auckland S D A School
Full Primary · roll 350 · decile 2 · 3.3 km away
Dawson School
Contributing · roll 279 · decile 1 · 3.4 km away
Tangaroa College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1085 · decile 1 · 3.5 km away
Tangaroa College Teen Parent Unit
Teen Parent Unit · decile 1 · 3.5 km away
Flat Bush School
Contributing · roll 382 · decile 1 · 3.5 km away
Leabank School
Contributing · roll 382 · decile 1 · 3.6 km away
James Cook High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1897 · decile 1 · 3.7 km away
Alfriston School
Full Primary · roll 372 · decile 5 · 3.7 km away
Puhinui School
Contributing · roll 748 · decile 3 · 3.7 km away
Tyndale Park Christian School
Composite · roll 116 · decile 7 · 3.8 km away
Te Uho O Te Nikau Primary School
Contributing · roll 606 · decile 7 · 3.8 km away
Finlayson Park School
Contributing · roll 915 · decile 3 · 4.0 km away
Papatoetoe High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1808 · decile 3 · 4.1 km away
Papatoetoe East School
Contributing · roll 561 · decile 2 · 4.1 km away
Clayton Park School
Full Primary · roll 328 · decile 2 · 4.1 km away
Rongomai School
Contributing · roll 148 · decile 1 · 4.1 km away
Roscommon School
Contributing · roll 539 · decile 1 · 4.1 km away
Ormiston Senior College
Secondary (Year 11-15) · roll 1544 · decile 7 · 4.3 km away
South Auckland Middle School
Restricted Composite (Year 7-10) · roll 180 · 4.3 km away
Ormiston Primary School
Contributing · roll 969 · decile 7 · 4.4 km away
Ormiston Junior College
Secondary (Year 7-10) · roll 1508 · decile 7 · 4.4 km away
Takanini School
Full Primary · roll 561 · decile 1 · 4.4 km away
Holy Cross School (Papatoetoe)
Full Primary · roll 547 · decile 2 · 4.5 km away
Taonga Education Centre
Teen Parent Unit · decile 1 · 4.5 km away
Papatoetoe South School
Contributing · roll 579 · decile 1 · 4.6 km away
Ferguson Intermediate (Otara)
Intermediate · roll 379 · decile 1 · 4.7 km away
Papatoetoe Central School
Contributing · roll 885 · decile 2 · 4.7 km away
Waimahia Intermediate School
Intermediate · roll 234 · decile 1 · 4.7 km away
Yendarra School
Contributing · roll 211 · decile 1 · 4.7 km away
East Tamaki School
Contributing · roll 165 · decile 1 · 4.8 km away
Sancta Maria Catholic Primary School
Contributing · roll 372 · decile 5 · 4.9 km away
Rubbish & Recycling
- Rubbish collection
- Tuesday (weekly)
- Recycling & organics
- Tuesday (fortnightly, varies by street)
Collection weeks vary by street in Totara Heights — use the Auckland Council tool to confirm your exact schedule.
Check your exact collection days on the Auckland Council tool →
Rubbish bin
Non-recyclable general waste. Put out every Tuesday.
Recycling bin
Paper, cardboard, glass bottles & jars, metal cans, rigid plastic containers. Put out every second Tuesday.
Food scraps bin
All food scraps and garden organics. Collected every second Tuesday alongside recycling.
Bin lid colours may vary in some older North Shore and Waitakere properties. The identifying colour is on the lid: rubbish (red), recycling (yellow), food scraps (green).
Collection data sourced from Auckland Council.
Eat & Drink in Totara Heights
Places to eat & drink(3)
Curry Affair
In the Mix Bakery
Wicked Five Spoon Takeaways
Tradies & Services in Totara Heights
Tradies & services(3)
Comfort Systems
Payless Auto Air Ltd
Yiannis Plastering
Shops in Totara Heights
Shops(1)
Handstitched Woodworks NZ Ltd.
Beauty & Fitness in Totara Heights
Beauty & fitness(3)
K's Beauty Artistry
Queen Bee Nails & Beauty Lounge
Revive Beauty and Hair Salon
Professional Services in Totara Heights
Professional services(1)
Solidity Insurance and Mortgage
Totara Heights Weather
Current conditions: 4.5°C, clear sky
| Month | High (°C) | Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm/day) | Sunshine (hrs/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Jan | 23.19 | 17.05 | 7.02 | 9.85 |
| ☀️ Feb | 23.06 | 15.93 | 5.89 | 10.3 |
| 🍂 Mar | 20.75 | 13.65 | 3.1 | 10.04 |
| 🍂 Apr | 19.82 | 13.65 | 3.66 | 8.6 |
| 🍂 May | 17 | 11.22 | 4.22 | 7.5 |
| ❄️ Jun | 15.64 | 9.61 | 3.27 | 7.34 |
| ❄️ Jul | 14.5 | 8.51 | 3.41 | 7.34 |
| ❄️ Aug | 14.57 | 7.22 | 2.78 | 8.08 |
| 🌸 Sep | 16.23 | 10.31 | 4.29 | 9.38 |
| 🌸 Oct | 17.49 | 11.3 | 3.12 | 10.06 |
| 🌸 Nov | 19.28 | 12.65 | 3.2 | 10.78 |
| ☀️ Dec | 22.18 | 15.5 | 4.13 | 11.22 |
Totara Heights Community
Reviews of Totara Heights
No reviews yet. Be the first to share what living in Totara Heights is really like.
Local tips
No tips yet. Be the first to share what makes Totara Heights special.