Skilled professionals, young families still flocking to Christchurch
Sunday, 24 May 2026
Shorter commutes and a more relaxed lifestyle are continuing to attract mid-career professionals and their families to Christchurch.
Craig Fowler is one of them, part of a steady stream of skilled professionals and young families moving — or moving back — to Christchurch, drawn by affordability, lifestyle, and career opportunity.
He studied engineering at the University of Canterbury from 2009 to 2012 and began his career at Beca, one of the Asia-Pacific’s leading consulting firms. When he left New Zealand for Canada in 2017, he thought it would be a temporary overseas adventure.
Instead, he built a career in Vancouver and Nelson in British Columbia, working on large-scale public buildings, mass timber projects, and sustainability-focused developments across Canada and the United States.
“We built a very easy life over there,” Fowler said. “But Christchurch was always in the back of our minds.”
Fowler returned to Christchurch five weeks ago with his wife Genevieve. He now works in a pre-construction role at Naylor Love.
“An exciting part of coming back to the New Zealand design and construction industry is that it is a smaller market, and so has a great opportunity to innovate, be creative and become more agile.”
Christchurch’s post-earthquake rebuild has transformed the city, he said.
“Commuting now only takes about 15 minutes to our home in Cashmere. It’s just so good to live here.”
He said friends and former colleagues overseas are increasingly eyeing Christchurch too.
“There’s a really good vibe around Christchurch now. It’s easy to get around, there’s a lot happening, and you can feel the momentum in the city.”
Former Aucklander Enna Singh said buying a home in Christchurch felt achievable in a way it never did in New Zealand’s largest city.
After a decade in Auckland, Singh and her partner moved south about eight months ago and bought a house in North New Brighton.
“It took us four months… In Auckland, I don’t think we would have been able to buy the house that quickly.”
The real estate agent said Christchurch offered a rare combination of career opportunities and a more relaxed lifestyle.
A couple from the UK who board in her house, both on working holiday visas, quickly found jobs after arriving in Christchurch.
As a former recruiter in Auckland, she said that was almost unheard of.
“That’s almost impossible there,” she said.
“The beauty of this city [Christchurch] is amazing. There’s less competition and people can actually build a life here.”
But the move has also involved compromises. For Singh, Christchurch’s social scene still feels quieter than Auckland’s.
“Auckland’s social life is a bit better,” she said. “Christchurch is growing, but it’s going to take some time.”
Despite that, Singh is encouraging her family to follow her south from Hamilton.
“One of my brothers is already in the process of moving to Christchurch, while the other will remain in Hamilton to manage the business until they have enough trained staff to run it without him.
“I’m not going anywhere. Christchurch will be our home for a long time.”
For Mia, moving from the fast-paced “rat race” of Chengdu in China to the quieter suburbs of Christchurch has been a complete reset.
After 20 years teaching at a leading private high school in Chengdu — a city of more than 21 million people — Mia arrived in Christchurch in late 2024 on what was meant to be a one-year sabbatical, a break from the intensity of China’s education system.
“I fell in love with the simple, tranquil, pastoral lifestyle here,” she said.
“Coming from a massive city, we felt we needed a place that matched our idea of a peaceful life.”
Her son enrolled at Burnside Primary School, while Mia began documenting their new life on Chinese social media platform Little Red Book.
What started as a personal diary quickly went viral, attracting more than a million views and unexpectedly opening a new career path in educational consulting.
“It was completely accidental,” she said. “I started getting job offers asking me to work as an education agent. I didn’t come here with a plan. Life just unfolded this way.”
After securing a work visa, she resigned from her job and made the decision to settle in Christchurch.
“I feel as though I’ve lived two lives,” she said.
“The first half in Chengdu was stable with very clear goals. Coming here brought a total shift — a sense of uncertainty.”
There was an emotional strain of starting over in her mid-40s, in a country where past achievements carry little weight. Her husband, a former senior journalist, also went through a difficult adjustment periodand is now preparing to launch a tourism business in Christchurch.
“There were many difficulties and uncertainties.
“It was like being in a light boat on an unknown river — before you know it, it has already passed through a thousand mountains.”
For Mia and her family, the move is not temporary. “Once we’ve come out, we won’t go back.”
Marc Li, a Beijing-born resident who has lived in Christchurch for less than three years, arrived in New Zealand in 2000 and split his time between New Zealand (mainly Auckland), Europe and China.
He now works in the hospitality sector, and said Christchurch feels like Auckland did about 26 years ago — “less dense, less pressured, and more open in everyday interactions”.
Among New Zealand’s three main cities, Christchurch stands out for its ease and social balance, he said.
“It’s not a small town, but there’s less comparison with peers and more harmony overall.”