Living in Rolleston

In Rolleston, unemployment is 2% (2023).

Rolleston's population was 28,449 in March 2023. The city covers 23.71 km², with a population density of 1,299.3 people per km² in March 2023.

Last checked 2026-10-0721 sources

Population28,449people7 Mar 2023Official source · Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population

Median gross salary (region)3,060EUR/month30 Jun 2025Official source · Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter

Median rent1,370EUR/month31 Jul 2026District figureOfficial source · Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority

Unemployment rate2%country median 3.3% — 39% belowOfficial source · tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz

Recorded crime1,978incidents per 100,00030 Jun 2026District figureOfficial source · Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026

PM2.5, annual mean8.54µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · LAWA Air Quality Dataset (2016–2025), daily PM2.5 observations

Lower unemployment than 81% of New Zealand cities that publish it and cleaner air than 67% of New Zealand cities that publish it.

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

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 Rolleston.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 broadband⁴Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	37.06 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	One NZ Endless Plus⁴Official · national market
Median monthly rent	1,370 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority⁷Official · county

Is Rolleston 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 worker42%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 31–53%

Skilled employee70%strong on work, weak on education · range 60–80%

Student33%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 21–45%

Family62%strong on family, weak on education · range 50–74%

Retirement29%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 15–43%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Rolleston?

The unemployment rate is 2 % (2023 Census). Source: tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz¹²

Unemployment across cities in New ZealandUnemployment in Rolleston is 2.0%. Of 91 cities with data, 42 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

0–22–44–66–88–1014–16

Rolleston 2.0%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary (regional)	3,060 EUR/month	30 Jun 2025	Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter¹¹Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	2 %country median 3.3%	31 Dec 2023	tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz¹²Official

What does a salary buy in Rolleston?

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

Left over each month€1,030of €2,472 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.	€2,472
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Rental bond data · 2026-07-31	− €1,370
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	€1,030

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

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Rolleston?

Police recorded about 1,978 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	1,978 incidents per 100,000	30 Jun 2026	Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026¹³Official · county

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	20 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁵Official
Nearest airport	CHC	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁶Official
Distance to nearest airport	16 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁶Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Rolleston. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

English Language Teaching — Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund — State Language Course

Tertiary Education Commission

For adult migrants, refugees, adult speakers of other languages.

EnglishIn Person, Online, HybridSubsidised

Open official information

New Zealand settlement services — Newcomer Adaptation

Immigration New Zealand

For migrants, refugees, newcomers.

In Person, Online, HybridFree

Open official information

Open the full New Zealand section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Rolleston.

Find courses near Rolleston

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Rolleston?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.5 µg/m³ (2024) — 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: 8.54 µg/m³ · LAWA Air Quality Dataset (2016–2025), daily PM2.5 observations²

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

22°12°

20°10°

17°7°

15°5°

12°2°

11°2°

12°3°

15°5°

17°6°

18°8°

21°10°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

228

195

191

158

141

115

128

157

169

205

227

215

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

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

PM2.58.5WHO 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 Rolleston is 8.5 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

Rolleston 8.5

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	8.54 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	LAWA Air Quality Dataset (2016–2025), daily PM2.5 observations²Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by month	Jan 22 · Feb 21.9 · Mar 20.1 · Apr 17.2 · May 14.7 · Jun 11.7 · Jul 11.2 · Aug 12.5 · Sep 14.8 · Oct 16.7 · Nov 18.5 · Dec 20.5 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁴Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 11.7 · Feb 11.7 · Mar 9.9 · Apr 7.3 · May 4.8 · Jun 2.1 · Jul 1.6 · Aug 2.9 · Sep 4.7 · Oct 6.5 · Nov 8.1 · Dec 10.5 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁵Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 16.8 · Feb 16.8 · Mar 15 · Apr 12.3 · May 9.8 · Jun 6.9 · Jul 6.4 · Aug 7.7 · Sep 9.7 · Oct 11.6 · Nov 13.3 · Dec 15.5 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁶Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 42.9 · Feb 37.1 · Mar 44.2 · Apr 54 · May 57.2 · Jun 63.9 · Jul 52.8 · Aug 54.7 · Sep 39.3 · Oct 46.8 · Nov 46.2 · Dec 48.8 mm	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁷Official
Average sunshine by month	Jan 227.5 · Feb 195.2 · Mar 190.6 · Apr 158.1 · May 141.2 · Jun 115.3 · Jul 127.8 · Aug 156.5 · Sep 169.1 · Oct 205.4 · Nov 226.7 · Dec 215 hours	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁸Official

Similar climate. In New Zealand: Christchurch ±0.4 °C. Elsewhere: Ventura (United States) ±5.8 °C, Cork (Ireland) ±6.6 °C, Saanich (Canada) ±7.3 °C, Downey (United States) ±7.7 °C, Reims (France) ±8.1 °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

How many people live in Rolleston?

The published population was 28,449 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population¹⁰

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport69.4%
Foreign residents30.6%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	23.71 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.³Official
Foreign residents	8,709 people	31 Dec 2023	tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz¹²Official
Population density	1,299 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	28,449 people	7 Mar 2023	Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population¹⁰Official

International community in Rolleston

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	3,618	12.8%
Middle East and Africa	1,668	5.9%
United Kingdom and Ireland	1,461	5.2%
Pacific Islands	513	1.8%
Australia	477	1.7%
Europe (excl United Kingdom and Ireland)	471	1.7%
Other	312	1.1%
North America	189	0.7%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁹

Ancestry or ethnicity

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

Published group	People	Share
New Zealand European	19,260	67.7%
Māori	2,934	10.3%
Other European	2,520	8.9%
Indian	2,235	7.9%
Southeast Asian	1,323	4.7%
Chinese	1,008	3.5%
Other Asian	750	2.6%
Samoan	504	1.8%
Other Ethnicity	417	1.5%
Latin American	396	1.4%

Show 11 more groups

Published group	People	Share
African	177	0.6%
Cook Islands Maori	171	0.6%
Tongan	168	0.6%
Fijian	114	0.4%
Middle Eastern	108	0.4%
European nfd	96	0.3%
Asian nfd	78	0.3%
Niuean	75	0.3%
Other Pacific Peoples	48	0.2%
Pacific Peoples nfd	9	0.0%
Tokelauan	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁹

Ancestry or ethnicity

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

Published group	People	Share
European	21,423	75.3%
Asian	5,346	18.8%
Māori	2,934	10.3%
Pacific Peoples	1,008	3.5%
Middle Eastern/Latin American/African	681	2.4%
Other Ethnicity	417	1.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁹

Alternatives for people set on Rolleston

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.

Prebbleton as a Rolleston alternative in the same region

10 km away, better on 2 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Unemployment: 1.5% Prebbleton vs 2.0% Rolleston−25%
Residents: 5,382 Prebbleton vs 28,449 Rolleston−81%
Nearest airport: 11.0 km Prebbleton vs 16.0 km Rolleston−31%
Median gross pay, region: €3,060 Prebbleton vs €3,060 Rollestonsame level
Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,978 Prebbleton vs 1,978 Rollestonsame level
Annual PM2.5: 8.5 µg/m³ Prebbleton vs 8.5 µg/m³ Rollestonsame level

Full comparison More about Prebbleton

Whangārei as a Rolleston alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 892 km, better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.

Residents: 53,841 Whangārei vs 28,449 Rolleston+89%
Nearest airport: 6.0 km Whangārei vs 16.0 km Rolleston−63%
Median gross pay, region: €3,245 (2024) Whangārei vs €3,060 (2025) Rollestonno percentage

Full comparison More about Whangārei

Cities near Rolleston

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

Christchurch 19.2 km away

Rent: 1,206 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2026-07-31

Alternative cities in New Zealand

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

All New Zealand cities

Blenheim28,788 residents Timaru28,095 residents Paraparaumu28,938 residents Pukekohe27,042 residents Taupō25,374 residents Queenstown25,050 residents

How does Rolleston compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Rolleston in rankings

#4 of 27 in Cities with lowest unemployment in New Zealand #7 of 12 in Cities with cleanest air in New Zealand #22 of 29 in Largest cities in New Zealand

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Rolleston 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 Rolleston?

The published population was 28,449 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population.

Is the air quality good in Rolleston?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.5 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: LAWA Air Quality Dataset (2016–2025), daily PM2.5 observations.

How safe is Rolleston?

What is the unemployment rate in Rolleston?

The unemployment rate is 2 % (2023 Census). Source: tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz.

What is the typical salary around Rolleston?

The median gross salary is 3,060 EUR/month. Source: Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter.

How many foreign residents live in Rolleston?

8,709 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz.

Is Rolleston a good place to live?

Rolleston 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 Rolleston?

Lincoln, Prebbleton, Wigram, Halswell, Spreydon are near Rolleston. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Asia live in Rolleston?

The official country of birth distribution records 3,618 people (12.8%) 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). Rolleston, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 08d1ffe350ebd42d15d63234013bd5f8]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/rolleston/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_rolleston-new-zealand-population-rent-salary-jobs_eed3dd28cdc0,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Rolleston, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {08d1ffe350ebd42d15d63234013bd5f8},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/rolleston/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Rolleston, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/rolleston/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 08d1ffe350ebd42d15d63234013bd5f8; 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
LAWA Air Quality Dataset (2016–2025), daily PM2.5 observations lawa.org.nz · checked 2026-10-06
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 / 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

Show 11 more sources

Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter api.data.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-10-07
tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz · checked 2026-08-27
Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026 Victimisations Time and Place · public.tableau.com · checked 2026-10-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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.