West Auckland

Kelston, Auckland: Affordable West Auckland Suburb With Rail Access

Last updated October 2026

Kelston is a residential West Auckland suburb — established affordable family housing, Kelston train station on the Western Line, and easy access to the Lincoln Road / Henderson commercial precinct.

Official Suburb Facts

The official Kelston boundary. Boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.
Population (2023 Census)
About 5,210, up 5% since 2018
Land area
1.66 km²
Location
10.4 km south-west of central Auckland
Council
Auckland Council
Neighbouring suburbs
Glen Eden, New Lynn, Glendene
Local details
Ward or local board
Whau Local Board
Main shopping
Lynn Mall, in nearby New Lynn

Who Lives in Kelston

About 5,210 residents in 1,440 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.

Homes
Owned or in a family trust
51%NZ 66%
Rented
49%NZ 34%
Standalone houses
87%NZ 79%
Townhouses, units and flats
13%NZ 21%
Damp (always or sometimes)
27%NZ 18%
Mould larger than A4
27%NZ 14%

Schools in Kelston

Five schools sit inside the Kelston boundary. All have an enrolment zone, so check an address is in zone before you buy or rent.

P
Kelston SchoolYears 1 to 6 · State · co-ed
Roll 310Zone covers part of this suburb
P
St Leonards Road SchoolYears 1 to 6 · State · co-ed
Roll 443Zone covers part of this suburb
I
Kelston IntermediateYears 7 to 8 · State · co-ed
Roll 405Zone covers this suburb
Show all 5 schools
S
Kelston Boys' High SchoolYears 9 to 13 · State · boys
Roll 801Zone covers this suburb
S
Kelston Girls' CollegeYears 9 to 13 · State · girls
Roll 584Zone covers this suburb
See school zones on the Auckland Schools map

Zones change, so confirm with the school before relying on one.

Bin Day in Kelston

Auckland Council sets collection days street by street. Look up your address to get your day and which bins go out.

Find your bin day and what goes in each bin

Streets in Kelston

34 streets are in Kelston. Search any street in Auckland to see which suburb it is in.

Show all 34 streets in Kelston
  • A
  • Accessway
  • Accessway
  • Albert Road
  • Alston Avenue
  • Archibald Road
  • Archlynn Road
  • Aronui Terrace
  • B
  • Bamboo Grove
  • Barbary Avenue
  • Beaubank Road
  • Brains Road
  • C
  • Cartwright Road
  • Cobham Crescent
  • D
  • Daphne Street
  • H
  • Hurley Place
  • I
  • Ingleby Place
  • K
  • Kelkirk Street
  • Kelman Road
  • Kelwyn Road
  • Kiernan Place
  • L
  • Laura Street
  • M
  • Manatu Lane
  • Martin Place
  • Maybelle Place
  • N
  • Netherlands Avenue
  • Nile Road
  • R
  • Rerewai Place
  • S
  • Sabulite Road
  • Scanlen Terrace
  • St Leonards Road
  • Standage Lane
  • T
  • Tamariki Avenue
  • Tamatimu Lane
  • V
  • Vanguard Road

A long road is listed in each suburb it runs through.

Safety and Hazards

Crime at homes, streets and public places
LowerAuckland averageHigher

About the Auckland average for the number of people who live here. Another 24 reports were at shops and businesses.

Theft 47%Burglary 37%Assault 12%
💧
FloodingAbout 6% of the land in Kelston is in the council's mapped flood areas (a 1-in-100-year rainstorm, allowing for climate change and future development). Check a street on the council map before you buy.Open the council flood map

Buses from Kelston

161
161About every 30 min
162
162About every 30 min

19 bus stops inside the suburb.

Typical weekday daytime frequency.

Handy Facilities

2
Public toiletsBrains Park, Archibald Park

Weather and Rent at a Glance

Sunshine2,122 hrsa year
Summer high24°Caverage, February
Winter high15°Caverage, July
Typical rent$485 a weekmedian, all homes, last 12 months

Weather is city-wide; rent is for this suburb.

About Kelston

Kelston is an affordable West Auckland residential suburb — established family housing on residential streets.

Kelston is an affordable West Auckland residential suburb — established family housing on residential streets. The suburb is well-served by Kelston train station on the Western Line plus the proximity to New Lynn’s Lynn Mall and the Henderson commercial precinct. Family demographic anchored by the local Kelston Boys and Kelston Girls High Schools.

Kelston Schools and Train Access

Kelston has two well-established state secondary schools serving the area: Kelston Boys High School and Kelston Girls College.

Kelston has two well-established state secondary schools serving the area: Kelston Boys High School and Kelston Girls College. The schools have a long heritage in West Auckland education. Kelston train station on the Western Line gives direct rail access to Britomart (~22 min) and the wider Auckland rail network.

Near Kelston

Just outside Kelston, within 5 km of its centre, nearest first.

Places

Show 2 more places

Businesses

Explore all Auckland businesses

Where to Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people live in Kelston?

About 5,210 people lived in Kelston at the 2023 Census, up 5% since 2018. See Who Lives in Kelston

What school zones cover Kelston?

The zones of Kelston Intermediate, Kelston Boys' High School and Kelston Girls' College cover all of Kelston. Kelston School and St Leonards Road School have zones covering part of it. Zones change, so check an address with the school. See Schools in Kelston

Which buses serve Kelston?

Routes 161 and 162, about every 30 min. There are 19 stops in the suburb. See Buses from Kelston

Is Kelston in a flood zone?

About 6% of the land in Kelston is in the council's mapped flood areas. Check a street on the council map before you buy. See Safety and Hazards

What suburbs border Kelston?
How far is Kelston from central Auckland?

About 10 km south-west of central Auckland, measured in a straight line.

What's the train like?

Kelston Station on the Western Line — ~22 min to Britomart.

Where do I shop near Kelston?

Lynn Mall in nearby New Lynn is the main shopping centre.

Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.

Explore Auckland only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Kelston is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.

Sources and data notes 8
  • Official Suburb Facts: Boundary, area and neighbours: LINZ, CC BY 4.0. Population: Stats NZ 2023 Census usually resident population, CC BY 4.0, summed from the statistical areas inside the boundary.
  • Who Lives in Kelston: Stats NZ 2023 Census, CC BY 4.0. Figures are summed from the census areas inside the official Kelston boundary. Percentages are of the people or homes that answered each question; a figure is left out when fewer than 100 answered.
  • Schools in Kelston: Ministry of Education school directory and enrolment zones (CC BY 4.0 and CC BY 3.0 NZ), October 2026.
  • Streets in Kelston: LINZ NZ Addresses road data, CC BY 4.0.
  • Safety and Hazards: NZ Police victimisation data, CC BY 4.0, September 2025 to August 2026 (crimes inside homes are only published for burglary); Auckland Council tsunami evacuation zones (2024) and flood plains.
  • Buses from Kelston: Auckland Transport timetable data.
  • Handy Facilities: Auckland Council park assets (public toilets); NZTA EVRoam charging sites.
  • Weather and Rent at a Glance: NIWA climate averages 1991-2020 (via Figure.NZ); Tenancy Services rental bond data (new bonds in the suburb’s Stats NZ areas), July 2025 to June 2026, CC BY 3.0 NZ.