New Zealand is often rated one of the best places in the world to raise a family but where in the country is the ideal place to settle?
Westpac Bank’s REDnews looked at education, crime rates, unemployment rates, and lifestyle factors, to come up with a list of 10 outstanding locations in New Zealand for family living.
Best places to raise a family
(Not in order)
New Plymouth
Low crime rate, low unemployment and affordable homes and close to mountains and beaches.
Wellington
Combines big city living with tight-knit community living with excellent schools and access to culture.
North Shore, Auckland
Lots for families to do with lovely beaches and just over the Harbour Bridge from Auckland, twice rated the world’s best city for livability.
Nelson
Strong educational performances by local schools with the sunniest climate in the country.
Queenstown Lakes
Otago enjoys low crime, low unemployment and high educational achievement, and Queenstown is outstandingly beautiful. Access to some of the world’s best ski fields.
Selwyn, Canterbury
Excellent for education and relatively affordable housing, and close enough to Christchurch to enjoy big city benefits. Close to the snow slopes and lots of outdoor family activities.
Hamilton, Waikato
A fast-growing city with three major tertiary institutes and affordable housing when compared with Auckland up the highway. Thriving area for sport and outdoor activities.
Dunedin, Otago
Relaxed lifestyle with low crime rates and a strong sense of community, and a successful university. Affordable housing.
Porirua, Wellington
This city is overcoming past perception issues by making children a priority for future planning with substantial resources being put into family wellbeing and facilities such as swimming pools, free activities and libraries. Significantly cheaper housing than nearby Wellington City.
Invercargill, Southland
Boasts New Zealand’s most affordable housing for a large city and has extremely low unemployment and crime rates. Educational achievement is high and easy access to outdoor activities.
Sources: HSBC’s 2014 Expat Explorer Survey and Westpac’s REDnews 2015
