Living in Masterton

In Masterton, the median rent tenants pay is €1,162 a month (2026) and unemployment is 3.8% (2023).

Masterton, a city in New Zealand, had a population of 21,606 in March 2023. Masterton covers 22.45 km², with a population density of 1,056.1 people per km² in March 2023.

Last checked 2026-10-0713 sources

Population21,606people7 Mar 2023Official source · Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population

Median gross salary (region)3,487EUR/month30 Jun 2025Official source · Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter

Median rent1,162EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority

Unemployment rate3.8%country median 3.3% — 15% aboveOfficial source · Stats NZ

Recorded crime4,412incidents per 100,00030 Jun 2026Official source · Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026

PM2.5, annual mean11.85µg/m³country median 9.3 — 28% aboveOfficial source · cdn.who.int

Which New Zealand-wide rules apply when you move to Masterton?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in New ZealandNational rates and thresholds that apply in Masterton.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Mobile plan, 10 GB€37

Internet, 60 Mbps€36

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	35.54 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	One NZ fixed broadband⁵Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	37.06 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	One NZ Endless Plus⁵Official · national market
Median monthly rent	1,162 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority⁷Official

Is Masterton a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker58%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 50–66%

Skilled employee66%strong on work, weak on education · range 57–75%

Student39%strong on cost, weak on education · range 29–49%

Family56%strong on family, weak on education · range 47–65%

Retirement28%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 18–38%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Masterton?

The unemployment rate is 3.8 % (2023). Source: Stats NZ⁹

Unemployment across cities in New ZealandUnemployment in Masterton is 3.8%. Of 91 cities with data, 42 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

0–22–44–66–88–1014–16

Masterton 3.8%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary (regional)	3,487 EUR/month	30 Jun 2025	Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter¹²Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	3.8 %country median 3.3%	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ⁹Official

What does a salary buy in Masterton?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,534of €2,768 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€2,768
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Rental bond data · 2026-07-31	− €1,162
Internet€36 · official · One NZ fixed broadband · 2026-09-30	− €36
Mobile plan€37 · official · One NZ Endless Plus · 2026-09-30	− €37
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€1,534

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Masterton Salary needed to live in Masterton

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Masterton. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Work and Income employment service — Public employment service

Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand

Job Search

Open official service

Open the New Zealand service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Masterton. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Masterton?

Police recorded about 4,412 incidents per 100,000 (2025-07/2026-06). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026¹³

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	4,412 incidents per 100,000	30 Jun 2026	Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026¹³Official

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Nearest airport	MRO	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁶Official
Distance to nearest airport	3 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁶Official

Language courses and integration in Masterton

1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

1verified local records

Masterton

View official record

Check courses in Masterton How the country programme works

Exact city-linked record checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Masterton

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Masterton?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 11.9 µg/m³ (2012) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 11.85 µg/m³ · cdn.who.int¹

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.511.8WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in New ZealandAnnual PM2.5 in Masterton is 11.9 µg/m³. Of 15 cities with data, 3 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

5–67–88–99–1010–1111–1215–16

Masterton 11.9

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	11.85 µg/m³country median 9.3	31 Dec 2012	cdn.who.int¹Official
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 30.91 · Feb 28.6 · Mar 27.26 · Apr 22.92 · May 19.58 · Jun 16.93 · Jul 15.76 · Aug 16.06 · Sep 18.26 · Oct 21.7 · Nov 24.19 · Dec 27.96 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center³Official
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan 5.26 · Feb 5.51 · Mar 4.95 · Apr 2.58 · May 0.73 · Jun -0.1 · Jul -1.31 · Aug -0.82 · Sep 0.14 · Oct -0.48 · Nov 1.15 · Dec 4.48 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center³Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 16.68 · Feb 16.86 · Mar 15.19 · Apr 12.53 · May 10.44 · Jun 8.37 · Jul 7.39 · Aug 7.96 · Sep 9.27 · Oct 10.69 · Nov 12.49 · Dec 14.91 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center³Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Masterton?

The published population was 21,606 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population¹¹

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport81.3%
Foreign residents18.7%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	22.45 km²	1 Jan 2023	Official Stats NZ Urban-rural 2023 area for the exact UR2023 urban-area code. AREA_SQ_KM is the clipped official geography used here; no territorial-authority or SA observation is substituted.⁴Official
Foreign-resident share	14.6 %	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ⁹Official
Foreign residents	4,050 people	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ⁹Official
Population density	1,056 people/km²	7 Mar 2023	Reproducible exact-UR2023 density using the existing official Stats NZ population denominator and the exact official UR2023 area. No observation geography is promoted.⁸Official
Population	21,606 people	7 Mar 2023	Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population¹¹Official

International community in Masterton

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Census usually resident population count for the 2023 Census place-summary geography · 2023 Census

Published group	People	Share
United Kingdom and Ireland	963	4.5%
Asia	909	4.2%
Pacific Islands	366	1.7%
Middle East and Africa	360	1.7%
Australia	288	1.3%
Europe (excl United Kingdom and Ireland)	186	0.9%
North America	111	0.5%
Other	18	0.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁰

Ancestry or ethnicity

Census usually resident population count for the 2023 Census place-summary geography · 2023 Census

Published group	People	Share
New Zealand European	16,668	77.1%
Māori	5,415	25.1%
Other European	1,086	5.0%
Samoan	627	2.9%
Southeast Asian	477	2.2%
Indian	459	2.1%
Cook Islands Maori	294	1.4%
Other Ethnicity	258	1.2%
Chinese	210	1.0%
Other Asian	144	0.7%

Show 11 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Tongan	81	0.4%
Fijian	75	0.3%
European nfd	57	0.3%
Niuean	51	0.2%
Tokelauan	45	0.2%
African	45	0.2%
Other Pacific Peoples	42	0.2%
Asian nfd	42	0.2%
Middle Eastern	30	0.1%
Latin American	27	0.1%
Pacific Peoples nfd	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁰

Ancestry or ethnicity

Census usually resident population count for the 2023 Census place-summary geography · 2023 Census

Published group	People	Share
European	17,499	81.0%
Māori	5,415	25.1%
Asian	1,320	6.1%
Pacific Peoples	1,137	5.3%
Other Ethnicity	258	1.2%
Middle Eastern/Latin American/African	102	0.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁰

Alternatives for people set on Masterton

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Carterton as a Masterton alternative in the same region

14 km away, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Nearest airport: 10.0 km Carterton vs 3.0 km Masterton+233%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,146 Carterton vs 4,412 Masterton−51%
Unemployment: 2.9% Carterton vs 3.8% Masterton−24%
Residents: 5,859 Carterton vs 21,606 Masterton−73%
Foreign residents: 17.3% Carterton vs 14.6% Masterton+18%
Median gross pay, region: €3,487 Carterton vs €3,487 Mastertonsame level

Full comparison More about Carterton

Nelson as a Masterton alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 206 km, better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

Foreign residents: 26.4% Nelson vs 14.6% Masterton+81%
Median gross pay, region: €3,247 (2024) Nelson vs €3,487 (2025) Mastertonno percentage
Unemployment: 3.4% Nelson vs 3.8% Masterton−11%

Full comparison More about Nelson

Cities near Masterton

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Carterton 13.8 km away

Rent: 1,118 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2026-07-31

Alternative cities in New Zealand

Other cities in New Zealand to compare with Masterton, nearest in population first.

All New Zealand cities

Cambridge21,366 residents Ashburton20,346 residents Levin19,533 residents Rangiora18,855 residents Queenstown25,050 residents Richmond18,447 residents

How does Masterton compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Masterton's.

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Masterton in rankings

#6 of 22 in Cheapest cities to rent in New Zealand #11 of 12 in Cities with cleanest air in New Zealand #14 of 27 in Cities with lowest unemployment in New Zealand #21 of 23 in Most international cities in New Zealand #27 of 29 in Largest cities in New Zealand

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Masterton when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Masterton?

The published population was 21,606 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population.

Is the air quality good in Masterton?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 11.9 µg/m³ (2012) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: cdn.who.int.

How safe is Masterton?

What is the unemployment rate in Masterton?

The unemployment rate is 3.8 % (2023). Source: Stats NZ.

What is the typical salary around Masterton?

The median gross salary is 3,487 EUR/month. Source: Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter.

How many foreign residents live in Masterton?

4,050 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Stats NZ.

Is Masterton a good place to live?

Masterton may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Masterton?

Carterton is near Masterton. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in United Kingdom and Ireland live in Masterton?

The official country of birth distribution records 963 people (4.5%) in the source-defined population for 2023 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Masterton, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 70db0ac8315c88c9bd9e447e6c93ba27]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/masterton/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_masterton-new-zealand-population-rent-salary-jobs_3befa928e8f4,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Masterton, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {70db0ac8315c88c9bd9e447e6c93ba27},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/masterton/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Masterton, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/masterton/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 70db0ac8315c88c9bd9e447e6c93ba27; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

cdn.who.int cdn.who.int · checked 2026-08-26
Coordinate identity evidence services2.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-06
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
Official Stats NZ Urban-rural 2023 area for the exact UR2023 urban-area code. AREA_SQ_KM is the clipped official geography used here; no territorial-authority or SA observation is substituted. services2.arcgis.com · checked 2023-01-01
One NZ fixed broadband one.nz · checked 2026-09-15
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority Rental bond data · tenancy.govt.nz · checked 2026-10-06
Reproducible exact-UR2023 density using the existing official Stats NZ population denominator and the exact official UR2023 area. No observation geography is promoted. services2.arcgis.com · checked 2023-03-07
Stats NZ tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-03
Stats NZ / Tatauranga Aotearoa tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-30

Show 3 more sources

Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries · tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-13
Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter api.data.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-10-07
Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026 Victimisations Time and Place · public.tableau.com · checked 2026-10-05

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.