Tauranga Population & Facts
Population, key facts and figures about Tauranga.
Stats NZ estimate at 30 June 2026, released 29 October 2026. Up 890 people (0.6%) on a year earlier. Tauranga is New Zealand's fifth-largest council area, with 3% of the country's 5,357,300 people.
- 152,844counted at the 2023 Census
- 39.5median age (NZ 38.5)
- 55,359households
- 61,587homes (private dwellings)
- 20,364businesses (February 2025)
- 1,140people per km²
How Tauranga has grown
Tauranga grew from 115,161 people at the 2013 Census to 152,844 in 2023, up 33% in ten years. In the year to June 2026 the population grew by 890 (0.6%). Stats NZ's medium projection has Tauranga at about 216,000 people by 2043.
Year to 30 June 2026. Figures are rounded, so they may not add up exactly.
Age
The median Tauranga resident is 39.5 years old, older than New Zealand as a whole (38.5). 19.9% of residents are 65 or over (NZ 17.4%).
Estimates at 30 June 2026.
Who lives in Tauranga
25% of Tauranga residents were born overseas (NZ 29%), most often in Asia or the UK or Ireland. 54% have no religion.
People can choose more than one ethnicity, so these add up to more than 100%.
Languages other than English. Many people speak more than one language.
2023 Census.
Homes and rent
69% of Tauranga households own their home or hold it in a family trust (NZ 66%). The median weekly rent at the 2023 Census was $550, against $450 across New Zealand. Three bedrooms is the most common size of home (48%).
- 69%own their home or hold it in a trust (NZ 66%)
- 2.6people per household on average (NZ 2.7)
- 13%of homes are damp at least sometimes (NZ 18%)
- $550median weekly rent, 2023 (NZ $450)
Renting households, 2023 Census. Rents have changed since; see the Tenancy Services market rent tool for current rents.
Work and income
Construction and health care are the biggest industries Tauranga residents work in. Unemployment was 4.0% at the 2023 Census (NZ 4.4%).
- $42,100median personal income, 2023 (NZ $41,500)
- $95,400median household income, 2023 (NZ $97,000)
- 4.0%unemployment rate (NZ 4.4%)
- 25%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher (NZ 27%)
2023 Census, employed people aged 15 and over. Getting to work leaves out people who did not work on census day.
Tauranga suburbs by population
The biggest suburbs at the 2023 Census. Each guide has the suburb's own population, schools, bin day and buses.
Guides to 36 suburbs and settlements in and around Tauranga.
Tauranga electorates and MPs
Tauranga's addresses fall across 2 general electorates. People on the Māori roll vote in the Waiariki Māori electorate. These are the MPs elected for them at the 2026 election, on the preliminary count.
Preliminary count: special votes and the official result can still change close seats. From NZ Politics, an Explore New Zealand project, using Electoral Commission results and LINZ addresses.
Tauranga population questions
What is the population of Tauranga?
Tauranga City had an estimated 162,100 residents at 30 June 2026, according to Stats NZ. The 2023 Census counted 152,844 people who usually live there.
Is Tauranga growing?
Yes. The population grew by 890 people (0.6%) in the year to June 2026. Between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses it grew by 11.5%.
What will the population of Tauranga be in 2033?
Stats NZ's medium projection puts Tauranga at about 185,600 people in 2033 and 248,200 in 2053. Projections are a guide, not a forecast, and depend a lot on migration.
How many houses are in Tauranga?
The 2023 Census counted 61,587 private dwellings in Tauranga City. 69% of households own their home or hold it in a family trust.
What is the median age in Tauranga?
39.5 years in 2026, against 38.5 for New Zealand as a whole. 19.9% of residents are 65 or over.
What is the biggest suburb in Tauranga?
Pāpāmoa Beach, with about 31,390 residents at the 2023 Census, followed by Mount Maunganui (about 21,020) and Pyes Pa (about 14,620).
Sources and data notes 4
- Population estimates: Stats NZ, Subnational population estimates: At 30 June 2026 (provisional), released 29 October 2026. Estimates include residents the census missed and people overseas on census night, so they are higher than census counts. CC BY 4.0.
- Projections: Stats NZ, Subnational population projections: 2023(base) to 2053, medium projection, released 25 September 2025. CC BY 4.0.
- 2023 Census: Stats NZ place summary for Tauranga City and for New Zealand (2023 Census, and the number of businesses from Business Demography). Percentages are of people or homes who answered each question. CC BY 4.0.
- Suburbs: Suburb areas: LINZ NZ Suburbs and Localities (CC BY 4.0). Suburb populations are the 2023 Census SA1 areas inside each boundary, so a suburb can reach past the council boundary.