Hamilton vs Nelson

The median house price is $440K in Hamilton and $445K in Nelson, so Hamilton is the cheaper entry point, with Nelson houses about 1% dearer.

For units, Hamilton sits at a median of $325K against $165K in Nelson, which makes Nelson the more affordable unit market and Hamilton the pricier one.

Over the past year house prices moved +10.6% in Hamilton (an estimate) and +18.3% in Nelson, so recent momentum favours Nelson, although both suburbs recorded growth.

Rental vacancy is 0.3% in Hamilton and 1.5% in Nelson, so landlords in Hamilton face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.

Hamilton is the bigger suburb, with a population of 10,346 against 191, roughly 54 times the size of Nelson; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.

In short: Hamilton for a lower purchase price, Nelson for recent price momentum, Hamilton for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.