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Living in Porirua

In Porirua, the median rent tenants pay is €1,344 a month (2026) and unemployment is 5.2% (2023).

The city covers 61.19 km², with a population density of 991.9 people per km² in March 2023. The population of Porirua, in New Zealand, was 58,080 in March 2023.

Last checked 2026-10-0222 sources

Population58,080people7 Mar 2023Official source · Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population
Median gross salary (region)3,848EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter
Median rent1,344EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Tenancy Services (MBIE) — Detailed monthly rental bond data by territorial authority (median weekly rent)
Unemployment rate5.2%country median 3.3% — 58% aboveOfficial source · Stats NZ

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

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 Porirua.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Porirua recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Mobile plan, 10 GB€37
Internet, 60 Mbps€36
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited35.54 EUR/month30 Sept 2026One NZ fixed broadband4Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB37.06 EUR/month30 Sept 2026One NZ Endless Plus4Official · national market
Median monthly rent1,344 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Tenancy Services (MBIE) — Detailed monthly rental bond data by territorial authority (median weekly rent)12Official

Is Porirua 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 worker35%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 25–45%
Skilled employee59%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–68%
Student38%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 27–49%
Family54%strong on family, weak on safety · range 43–65%
Retirement33%strong on cost, weak on admin · range 20–46%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

26.5% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 15,390 of 58,080 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 Porirua is 5.2%. Of 91 cities with data, 42 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)3,848 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter2Official · regional context
Unemployment rate5.2 %country median 3.3%31 Dec 2023Stats NZ9Official

What does a salary buy in Porirua?

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

regional median gross pay: €3,848 (Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter, 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€1,593of €3,009 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.€3,009
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Tenancy Services (MBIE) · 2026-07-31− €1,344
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€1,593
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Porirua Salary needed to live in Porirua

Public employment service

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

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport21 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights5Official
Nearest airportWLG3 Aug 2026OurAirports6Official
Distance to nearest airport22 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports6Official

Language courses and integration in Porirua

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

Verified locally
1verified local records
Check courses in PoriruaHow 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 Porirua

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
MetricValuePeriodSource
Average daytime high by monthJan 21 · Feb 21.2 · Mar 19.7 · Apr 17.3 · May 15.4 · Jun 13.2 · Jul 12.5 · Aug 13 · Sep 14.4 · Oct 15.8 · Nov 17.4 · Dec 19.6 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 14.6 · Feb 14.8 · Mar 13.5 · Apr 11.7 · May 10.1 · Jun 8 · Jul 7.1 · Aug 7.6 · Sep 8.9 · Oct 10.1 · Nov 11.4 · Dec 13.5 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI14Official
Average temperature by monthJan 17.8 · Feb 18 · Mar 16.6 · Apr 14.5 · May 12.7 · Jun 10.6 · Jul 9.8 · Aug 10.3 · Sep 11.6 · Oct 13 · Nov 14.4 · Dec 16.5 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI15Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 60 · Feb 60.4 · Mar 66 · Apr 79.8 · May 88.4 · Jun 102.6 · Jul 109.7 · Aug 94.1 · Sep 79.9 · Oct 90.9 · Nov 74.7 · Dec 67.1 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI16Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 231.8 · Feb 211.4 · Mar 204 · Apr 156.4 · May 133.1 · Jun 101.2 · Jul 121 · Aug 147.8 · Sep 164.4 · Oct 193.3 · Nov 211.7 · Dec 218 hours31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI17Official

Similar climate. In New Zealand: Christchurch ±2.8 °C. Elsewhere: Ventura (United States) ±5.0 °C, Cork (Ireland) ±6.3 °C, Downey (United States) ±6.5 °C, Saanich (Canada) ±7.0 °C, Reims (France) ±7.8 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area61.19 km²1 Jan 2023Official 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.3Official
Foreign-resident share25.9 %31 Dec 2023Stats NZ9Official
Foreign residents15,390 people31 Dec 2023Stats NZ9Official
Population density991.9 people/km²7 Mar 2023Reproducible exact-UR2023 density using the existing official Stats NZ population denominator and the exact official UR2023 area. No observation geography is promoted.8Official
Population58,080 people7 Mar 2023Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population11Official

International community in Porirua

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 groupPeopleShare
Pacific Islands4,5397.9%
Asia3,8556.7%
United Kingdom and Ireland2,8324.9%
Middle East and Africa1,6652.9%
Australia8551.5%
Europe (excl United Kingdom and Ireland)6991.2%
North America4170.7%
Other2460.4%

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 groupPeopleShare
New Zealand European31,17953.7%
Māori13,53323.3%
Samoan9,71716.7%
Other European4,2007.2%
Cook Islands Maori3,9156.7%
Tokelauan2,5264.3%
Indian2,4064.1%
Southeast Asian2,2263.8%
Chinese1,6232.8%
Other Pacific Peoples7831.3%
Show 11 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Tongan6991.2%
Niuean6901.2%
Other Asian5400.9%
Other Ethnicity5040.9%
Middle Eastern4170.7%
Fijian3480.6%
Latin American3360.6%
European nfd1830.3%
African1800.3%
Asian nfd930.2%
Pacific Peoples nfd360.1%

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 groupPeopleShare
European34,46159.3%
Pacific Peoples15,72027.1%
Māori13,53323.3%
Asian6,78911.7%
Middle Eastern/Latin American/African9271.6%
Other Ethnicity5040.9%

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

Alternatives for people set on Porirua

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.

Upper Hutt as a Porirua alternative in the same region

18 km away, better on 1 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

  • Unemployment: 3.7% Upper Hutt vs 5.2% Porirua−29%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,487 (2025) Upper Hutt vs €3,848 (2024) Poriruano percentage
  • Residents: 42,903 Upper Hutt vs 58,080 Porirua−26%
  • Nearest airport: 26.0 km Upper Hutt vs 22.0 km Porirua+18%
  • Foreign residents: 23.3% Upper Hutt vs 25.9% Porirua−10%
Full comparisonMore about Upper Hutt

Napier as a Porirua alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 248 km, better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Nearest airport: 5.0 km Napier vs 22.0 km Porirua−77%
  • Unemployment: 4.3% Napier vs 5.2% Porirua−17%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,347 Napier vs €3,848 Porirua−13%
  • Foreign residents: 17.9% Napier vs 25.9% Porirua−31%
  • Residents: 64,695 Napier vs 58,080 Porirua+11%
Full comparisonMore about Napier

Cities near Porirua

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

Lower Hutt 13.0 km away
Rent
1,246 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2026-07-31
Upper Hutt 18.2 km away
Rent
1,344 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2026-07-31
Wainuiomata 18.7 km away
Rent
1,260 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2026-07-31

Alternative cities in New Zealand

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

All New Zealand cities
Rotorua55,326 residentsNelson54,300 residentsWhangārei53,841 residentsGisborne52,700 residentsNapier64,695 residentsInvercargill48,987 residents

How does Porirua compare?

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

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Porirua in rankings

#7 of 23 in Most international cities in New Zealand #11 of 29 in Largest cities in New Zealand #16 of 22 in Cheapest cities to rent in New Zealand #23 of 27 in Cities with lowest unemployment in New Zealand

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Porirua 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 Porirua?

The median gross salary is 3,848 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 Porirua?

The unemployment rate is 5.2 %. Source: Stats NZ.

How many people live in Porirua?

The published population is 58,080 people. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population.

How many foreign residents live in Porirua?

15,390 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Stats NZ.

Is Porirua a good place to live?

Porirua 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 Porirua?

Lower Hutt, Ngaio, Upper Hutt, Wainuiomata, Karori are near Porirua. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Pacific Islands live in Porirua?

The official country of birth distribution records 4,539 people (7.9%) 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). Porirua, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 88509f94aabd19aec1ea080f14bc4894]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/porirua/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_porirua-new-zealand-population-rent-salary-jobs_9f9eb5f8110f,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Porirua, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {88509f94aabd19aec1ea080f14bc4894},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/porirua/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Porirua, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/porirua/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 88509f94aabd19aec1ea080f14bc4894; 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
  1. Coordinate identity evidence services2.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-06
  2. Linked Employer-Employee Dataset: LEED measures by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, December 2024 quarter figure.nz · checked 2026-09-28
  3. 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
  4. One NZ fixed broadband one.nz · checked 2026-09-15
  5. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  6. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  7. Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority Rental bond data · tenancy.govt.nz · checked 2026-10-06
  8. 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
  9. Stats NZ tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Stats NZ / Tatauranga Aotearoa tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-30
Show 12 more sources
  1. 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
  2. Tenancy Services (MBIE) — Detailed monthly rental bond data by territorial authority (median weekly rent) Tenancy Services (MBIE) · tenancy.govt.nz · checked 2026-09-18
  3. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  4. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  5. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  6. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  7. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  9. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  10. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  11. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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