Living in Palmerston North

In Palmerston North, the median rent tenants pay is €1,127 a month (2026) and unemployment is 4.5% (2023).

Palmerston North is in New Zealand; its population was 78,021 in March 2023. The city covers 77.05 km², with a population density of 1,056.3 people per km² in March 2023.

Last checked 2026-10-0214 sources

Population78,021people7 Mar 2023Official source · Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population

Median gross salary (region)3,276EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter

Median rent1,127EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Tenancy Services (MBIE) — Detailed monthly rental bond data by territorial authority (median weekly rent)

Unemployment rate4.5%country median 3.3% — 36% aboveOfficial source · Stats NZ

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

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 Palmerston North.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	1,127 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Tenancy Services (MBIE) — Detailed monthly rental bond data by territorial authority (median weekly rent)¹³Official

Is Palmerston North 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 48–68%

Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–72%

Student40%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 29–51%

Family58%strong on family, weak on safety · range 47–69%

Retirement34%strong on housing, weak on admin · range 21–47%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

24.4% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 18,999 of 78,021 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in New ZealandUnemployment in Palmerston North is 4.5%. Of 91 cities with data, 42 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

0–22–44–66–88–1014–16

Palmerston North 4.5%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary (regional)	3,276 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter²Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	4.5 %country median 3.3%	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ¹⁰Official

What does a salary buy in Palmerston North?

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

Left over each month€1,427of €2,626 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.	€2,626
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Tenancy Services (MBIE) · 2026-07-31	− €1,127
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	€1,427

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

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Palmerston North. 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 Palmerston North. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	5 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁶Official
Nearest airport	PMR	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁷Official
Distance to nearest airport	4 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁷Official

Language courses and integration in Palmerston North

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

Verified locally

1verified local records

Palmerston North

View official record

Check courses in Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North

Climate and air quality

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 32.77 · Feb 30.48 · Mar 29.45 · Apr 24.29 · May 21.03 · Jun 17.5 · Jul 16.1 · Aug 16.93 · Sep 19.34 · Oct 22.65 · Nov 26.05 · Dec 29.55 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center³Official
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan 5.52 · Feb 5.44 · Mar 4.63 · Apr 2.65 · May 0.88 · Jun -0.48 · Jul -1.21 · Aug -0.96 · Sep -0.33 · Oct -0.35 · Nov 1.39 · Dec 3.28 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center³Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 17.1 · Feb 17.36 · Mar 15.68 · Apr 12.96 · May 10.79 · Jun 8.67 · Jul 7.65 · Aug 8.23 · Sep 9.6 · Oct 11.04 · Nov 12.89 · Dec 15.4 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center³Official

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport75.6%
Foreign residents24.4%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	77.05 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	21.8 %	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ¹⁰Official
Foreign residents	18,999 people	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ¹⁰Official
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.⁹Official
Population	78,021 people	7 Mar 2023	Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population¹²Official

International community in Palmerston North

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
Asia	8,361	10.8%
United Kingdom and Ireland	2,853	3.7%
Middle East and Africa	2,085	2.7%
Pacific Islands	1,575	2.0%
Australia	1,119	1.4%
Europe (excl United Kingdom and Ireland)	804	1.0%
North America	582	0.8%
Other	354	0.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹¹

Ancestry or ethnicity

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

Published group	People	Share
New Zealand European	52,866	67.8%
Māori	16,482	21.1%
Other European	4,356	5.6%
Indian	3,867	5.0%
Chinese	3,117	4.0%
Southeast Asian	2,772	3.6%
Other Asian	2,241	2.9%
Samoan	2,049	2.6%
Cook Islands Maori	1,131	1.4%
Tongan	1,068	1.4%

Show 11 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Other Ethnicity	894	1.1%
Middle Eastern	531	0.7%
Latin American	495	0.6%
Fijian	453	0.6%
African	399	0.5%
Niuean	267	0.3%
European nfd	210	0.3%
Other Pacific Peoples	189	0.2%
Asian nfd	186	0.2%
Tokelauan	177	0.2%
Pacific Peoples nfd	39	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹¹

Ancestry or ethnicity

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

Published group	People	Share
European	56,283	72.1%
Māori	16,482	21.1%
Asian	12,060	15.5%
Pacific Peoples	4,878	6.3%
Middle Eastern/Latin American/African	1,410	1.8%
Other Ethnicity	894	1.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹¹

Alternatives for people set on Palmerston North

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.

Lower Hutt as a Palmerston North alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 112 km, better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Median gross pay, region: €3,848 Lower Hutt vs €3,276 Palmerston North+17%
Foreign residents: 27.6% Lower Hutt vs 21.8% Palmerston North+27%
Unemployment: 4.4% Lower Hutt vs 4.5% Palmerston Northsame level

Full comparison More about Lower Hutt

Cities near Palmerston North

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

Kelvin Grove 3.9 km away

Rent: 1,140 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2026-07-31

Feilding 16.4 km away

Rent: 1,271 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2026-07-31

Alternative cities in New Zealand

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

All New Zealand cities

New Plymouth90,100 residents Napier64,695 residents Porirua58,080 residents Rotorua55,326 residents Nelson54,300 residents Whangārei53,841 residents

How does Palmerston North compare?

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

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Palmerston North in rankings

#4 of 22 in Cheapest cities to rent in New Zealand #9 of 29 in Largest cities in New Zealand #10 of 23 in Most international cities in New Zealand #20 of 27 in Cities with lowest unemployment in New Zealand

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Palmerston North 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.

What is the typical salary around Palmerston North?

The median gross salary is 3,276 EUR/month. Source: Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter.

What is the unemployment rate in Palmerston North?

The unemployment rate is 4.5 %. Source: Stats NZ.

How many people live in Palmerston North?

The published population is 78,021 people. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population.

How many foreign residents live in Palmerston North?

18,999 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Stats NZ.

Is Palmerston North a good place to live?

Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North?

Kelvin Grove, Feilding are near Palmerston North. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Asia live in Palmerston North?

The official country of birth distribution records 8,361 people (10.8%) 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). Palmerston North, New Zealand: population, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 1727a899d01a1844b9f9d5f50f503df6]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/palmerston-north/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_palmerston-north-new-zealand-population-rent-salary_c5fb9c792838,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Palmerston North, New Zealand: population, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {1727a899d01a1844b9f9d5f50f503df6},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/palmerston-north/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Palmerston North, New Zealand: population, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/palmerston-north/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 1727a899d01a1844b9f9d5f50f503df6; 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

Coordinate identity evidence services2.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-06
Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter figure.nz · checked 2026-09-28
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
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
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

Show 4 more sources

Stats NZ / Tatauranga Aotearoa tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-30
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
Tenancy Services (MBIE) — Detailed monthly rental bond data by territorial authority (median weekly rent) Tenancy Services (MBIE) · tenancy.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-18
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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