Compared with New Zealand overall, people in Arrowtown earn more and pay more rent. At the 2023 Census the median personal income of adults in Arrowtown was $54,800 (New Zealand $41,500) and the median weekly rent was $600 (New Zealand $450). Ray White Arrowtown settled 9 Arrowtown houses in the 24 months to 10 November 2026, at a median of $2,275,000.
Stats NZ’s 2023 Census figures for Arrowtown show higher incomes and higher rents than New Zealand as a whole. A median is the middle value, so half of the people or households are above it.
| 2023 Census | Arrowtown | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median personal income of adults | $54,800 | $41,500 |
| Median weekly rent paid by households | $600 | $450 |
| Households who own their home or hold it in a family trust | 69.4% | 66% |
| Adults with a post-school qualification | 63.4% | 54% |
Stats NZ estimates that 2,860 people lived in Arrowtown at 30 June 2025. The 2023 Census counted 1,620 private dwellings and 792 families in Arrowtown, and the median age was 42.3 years (New Zealand 38.1 years).
Between 10 November 2024 and 10 November 2026, Ray White Arrowtown settled 9 houses in Arrowtown at a median of $2,275,000, ranging from $1,550,000 to $6,500,000. Three of the nine sales were shared with another office. Nine sales is a small sample, so treat it as a guide to what this office has sold, not as the whole Arrowtown market.
| Price band (Arrowtown houses) | Houses settled |
|---|---|
| Under $2,000,000 | 3 |
| $2,000,000 to $2,999,999 | 5 |
| $3,000,000 and over | 1 |
For market-wide REINZ figures see our Arrowtown property market page. A local salesperson can explain how these figures relate to a particular home.
| Measure | Arrowtown 2018 | Arrowtown 2023 | New Zealand 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent paid by households | $525 | $600 | $450 |
| Median household income | $104,200 | $120,700 | $97,000 |
| Median age (years) | 38.3 | 42.3 | 38.1 |
Source: Stats NZ, Arrowtown (SA2) place summary, 2018 and 2023 Censuses. Median rent in Arrowtown rose by $75 a week between the two Censuses and median household income rose by $16,500, so both measures sit above the national figures.
Yes. At the 2023 Census, 48.0% of Arrowtown households owned their home outright or with a mortgage and a further 21.3% held it in a family trust, together 69.4% (New Zealand 66%). The remaining 30.6%, or 327 households, did not own their home. Stats NZ’s “not owned” group is wider than renting, so it is not a rental count.
Stats NZ counted 1,620 private dwellings in Arrowtown in 2023, of which 1,125 were occupied, 465 were unoccupied and 27 were under construction. By our calculation from those counts, 28.7% of Arrowtown’s private dwellings were unoccupied on Census night, against 10.8% for New Zealand and 26.5% in Arrowtown in 2018. Unoccupied on Census night is not the same as a holiday home, because homes can also be empty between tenants or owners, but a high share is common where many owners live elsewhere for part of the year.
Queenstown Lakes District Council sets rates for the year from 1 July to 30 June. For 2026/27 the instalments fall due on 20 August 2026, 20 November 2026, 22 February 2027 and 20 May 2027, and a 5% penalty applies to amounts not paid by 5.00pm on the due date. Paying rates by credit card attracts a 1.5% surcharge. Your lawyer will check the rates owing on a property as part of the purchase.
Stats NZ counted 2,838 usual residents in 2023, a little below 2,853 in 2018 and above 2,469 in 2013, with an estimated 2,860 at 30 June 2025. Households averaged 2.5 people (New Zealand 2.7). Among adults, 63.4% held a post-school qualification (New Zealand 54%), and Stats NZ recorded 654 businesses in Arrowtown in February 2025. Median personal income for adults aged 30 to 64 was $67,900, compared with $34,300 for ages 15 to 29 and $36,200 for those 65 and over.
Read our guide to buying property in Arrowtown, meet the team on our local agent page, or request a property appraisal. Use the form below to ask us a question.
Sources: Stats NZ, Place and ethnic group summaries, Arrowtown (SA2), Quick stats, https://tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz/places/SA2/arrowtown, accessed 10 November 2026 (2023 Census; population estimate at 30 June 2025). Ray White Arrowtown settled sales, 10 November 2024 to 10 November 2026, houses with Arrowtown as the suburb (Ray White data). Queenstown Lakes District Council, Rates dates and payment options, https://www.qldc.govt.nz/services/rates-property/rates-dates-payment-options , accessed 10 November 2026. Stats NZ says the place summaries are next updated around November 2026. Last updated: 10 November 2026.
Written by the Ray White Arrowtown team. Ray White Arrowtown, 25 Buckingham Street, Arrowtown 9302. Phone +64 3 746 7797. Email arrowtown.nz@raywhite.com.