- Est. Median Value
- $571K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $280/wk
- Safety Score
- 85/100
- Green Space
- 0%
- Current Weather
- 7.8°C
- Median Age
- 40 yrs
~40 crimes/1k/yr
broken clouds
Living in Underwood
Underwood is a Southland locality in the farming country west of Invercargill, where the name records the native bush that grew under the larger trees before the clearing era converted it to the dairy and sheep farming that the locality now supports. The under-the-wood character of the original vegetation is long gone, but the name remains as the documentary evidence of a landscape that existed before the agriculture, which is the function that Southland's bush-naming tradition has always served.
The farming around Underwood is the western Southland plains model: dairy and sheep on the flat, reliable country that the district's deep soils and consistent rainfall support. The locality sits in the farming hinterland west of Invercargill, where the agricultural plain extends toward the coast and the city's industrial fringe transitions to the open farming country.
Invercargill is close enough to provide the full city services without the locality needing to maintain its own, and the flat Southland roads make the city connection the minor daily operation that the farming families in the Underwood locality treat it as. The farming calendar provides the structure; the city provides the services.
Local Southland schools serve Underwood's primary years. Invercargill's colleges handle the secondary run.
Is Underwood a good place to live?
Underwood is home to roughly 1,182 people across 3.0 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Underwood scores 50 out of 100, with a safety score of 85/100 and 0% green space.
Schools: Underwood has 7 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 $571K, and weekly rent typically sits around $280.
Lifestyle: The current temperature is 7.8°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.
Whether Underwood 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.
Livability Breakdown
- Safety85
- Amenities20
- Schools69
- Housing Affordability66
- Green space10
- Community67
- Transport14
Property & Economics
- Est. Median Value
- $571K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $280/wk
- Median HH Income
- $101K/yr
- Pop. Growth (5yr)
- +0.8%
- 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 Underwood?
- Underwood is in Southland, west of Invercargill in the flat farming country of the western Southland plain.
- Why is it called Underwood?
- The name records the native understorey vegetation - the bush that grew under the larger trees - that early settlers found before clearing the land for farming.
- What is Underwood like?
- Flat western Southland dairy and sheep farming country near Invercargill, with the city's services a short drive east.
- What schools serve Underwood?
- Local Southland primary schools, with Invercargill's secondary colleges for older students.
- How do I get from Invercargill to Underwood?
- By car, a short drive west from Invercargill on the farming roads of the western Southland plain.
- Which schools are in zone for Underwood?
- Children living in Underwood are in zone for Verdon College, Southland Adventist Christian School, St John's Girls' School (Invercargill), James Hargest College. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.
- How do I check my school zone in Underwood?
- 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 Underwood
Schools in zone for Underwood
Children living in Underwood have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.
Verdon College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 716 · decile 6
Southland Adventist Christian School
Full Primary · roll 123 · decile 4
St John's Girls' School (Invercargill)
Full Primary · roll 124 · decile 9
James Hargest College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 1893
Check your school zone
School Zone Checker
Enter your address to check your school zone in Underwood. 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 Underwood that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).
Wallacetown School
Contributing · roll 75 · decile 8 · 1.5 km away
Makarewa School
Contributing · roll 149 · decile 9 · 3.9 km away
Sacred Heart School (Waikiwi)
Contributing · roll 82 · decile 9 · 4.7 km away
Underwood Weather
Current conditions: 7.8°C, broken clouds
| Month | High (°C) | Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm/day) | Sunshine (hrs/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Jan | 19.64 | 10.85 | 4.07 | 10.7 |
| ☀️ Feb | 18.4 | 10.37 | 4.26 | 10.31 |
| 🍂 Mar | 16.18 | 8.77 | 5.11 | 8.36 |
| 🍂 Apr | 15.1 | 8.34 | 3.33 | 6.89 |
| 🍂 May | 12.07 | 6.1 | 3.83 | 4.87 |
| ❄️ Jun | 10.11 | 3 | 3.19 | 5.56 |
| ❄️ Jul | 9.64 | 3.29 | 3.74 | 5.69 |
| ❄️ Aug | 10.61 | 3.63 | 2.96 | 6.8 |
| 🌸 Sep | 12.56 | 5.35 | 4.94 | 7.78 |
| 🌸 Oct | 13.55 | 5.92 | 4.2 | 8.38 |
| 🌸 Nov | 14.91 | 6.97 | 2.89 | 10.35 |
| ☀️ Dec | 17.64 | 9.9 | 5.1 | 9.73 |
Underwood Community
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