Living in Thames

In Thames, unemployment is 4.3% (2023).

Thames covers 16.99 km², with a population density of 491 people per km² in March 2023. Thames had a population of 7,212 in March 2023.

Last checked 2026-10-0711 sources

Population7,212people7 Mar 2023Official source · Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population

Median gross salary (region)3,063EUR/month30 Jun 2025Official source · Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter

Median rent1,271EUR/month31 Jul 2026District figureOfficial source · Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority

Unemployment rate4.3%country median 3.3% — 30% aboveOfficial source · Stats NZ

Recorded crime4,913incidents per 100,00030 Jun 2026District figureOfficial source · Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026

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

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 Thames.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 broadband³Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	37.06 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	One NZ Endless Plus³Official · national market
Median monthly rent	1,271 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority⁵Official · county

Is Thames 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 worker38%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 27–49%

Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on education · range 53–73%

Student37%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 25–49%

Family56%strong on family, weak on education · range 44–68%

Retirement32%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 18–46%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Thames?

The unemployment rate is 4.3 % (2023). Source: Stats NZ⁷

Unemployment across cities in New ZealandUnemployment in Thames is 4.3%. Of 91 cities with data, 42 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

0–22–44–66–88–1014–16

Thames 4.3%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary (regional)	3,063 EUR/month	30 Jun 2025	Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter¹⁰Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	4.3 %country median 3.3%	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ⁷Official

What does a salary buy in Thames?

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

Left over each month€1,128of €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	− €1,271
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	€1,128

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

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Thames?

Police recorded about 4,913 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 2026¹¹

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	4,913 incidents per 100,000	30 Jun 2026	Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026¹¹Official · county

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Nearest airport	TMZ	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁴Official
Distance to nearest airport	2 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁴Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Thames. 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 Thames.

Find courses near Thames

Climate and air quality

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 28.06 · Feb 27.87 · Mar 26.65 · Apr 24.51 · May 21.54 · Jun 19.19 · Jul 17.28 · Aug 17.99 · Sep 19.66 · Oct 21.02 · Nov 25.44 · Dec 25.9 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹Official
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan 11.35 · Feb 11.81 · Mar 10.19 · Apr 7.05 · May 5.15 · Jun 3.73 · Jul 2.62 · Aug 3 · Sep 4.6 · Oct 5.61 · Nov 7.61 · Dec 8.36 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 19.41 · Feb 19.91 · Mar 18.64 · Apr 16.69 · May 14.57 · Jun 12.51 · Jul 11.41 · Aug 11.71 · Sep 12.8 · Oct 14.05 · Nov 15.79 · Dec 17.86 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Thames?

The published population was 7,212 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population⁹

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 5,391 is not 16.8% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport25.2%
Foreign residents74.8%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	16.99 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.²Official
Foreign-resident share	16.8 %	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ⁷Official
Foreign residents	5,391 people	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ⁷Official
Population density	491 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.⁶Official
Population	7,212 people	7 Mar 2023	Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population⁹Official

International community in Thames

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	411	5.7%
Asia	333	4.7%
Middle East and Africa	144	2.0%
Australia	135	1.9%
Europe (excl United Kingdom and Ireland)	99	1.4%
Pacific Islands	51	0.7%
North America	48	0.7%
Other	12	0.2%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁸

Ancestry or ethnicity

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

Published group	People	Share
New Zealand European	5,634	78.1%
Māori	1,665	23.1%
Other European	432	6.0%
Indian	225	3.1%
Southeast Asian	153	2.1%
Samoan	93	1.3%
Other Ethnicity	81	1.1%
Chinese	69	1.0%
Cook Islands Maori	63	0.9%
Tongan	51	0.7%

Show 11 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Other Asian	45	0.6%
European nfd	24	0.3%
Fijian	21	0.3%
Middle Eastern	21	0.3%
Latin American	18	0.2%
Niuean	12	0.2%
Asian nfd	12	0.2%
African	9	0.1%
Other Pacific Peoples	6	0.1%
Pacific Peoples nfd	3	0.0%
Tokelauan	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁸

Ancestry or ethnicity

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

Published group	People	Share
European	5,973	82.8%
Māori	1,665	23.1%
Asian	495	6.9%
Pacific Peoples	234	3.2%
Other Ethnicity	81	1.1%
Middle Eastern/Latin American/African	51	0.7%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁸

Alternatives for people set on Thames

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.

Nelson as a Thames alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 501 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 16.8% Thames+57%
Unemployment: 3.4% Nelson vs 4.3% Thames−21%
Median gross pay, region: €3,247 (2024) Nelson vs €3,063 (2025) Thamesno percentage

Full comparison More about Nelson

Alternative cities in New Zealand

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

All New Zealand cities

Kumeū-Huapai6,948 residents Waitara7,509 residents Kawerau7,539 residents Cromwell6,783 residents Warkworth6,675 residents Ngāruawāhia7,992 residents

How does Thames compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Thames 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 Thames?

The published population was 7,212 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population.

How safe is Thames?

What is the unemployment rate in Thames?

The unemployment rate is 4.3 % (2023). Source: Stats NZ.

What is the typical salary around Thames?

The median gross salary is 3,063 EUR/month. Source: Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter.

How many foreign residents live in Thames?

5,391 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Stats NZ.

Is Thames a good place to live?

Thames 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.

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

The official country of birth distribution records 411 people (5.7%) 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). Thames, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs, safety [ImmigrationDB compilation; version d1dbb2f6524c17359818bdf2656a2368]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/thames/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_thames-new-zealand-population-rent-salary-jobs-safety_aa425beaf5a9,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Thames, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs, safety},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {d1dbb2f6524c17359818bdf2656a2368},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/thames/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Thames, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs, safety](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/thames/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version d1dbb2f6524c17359818bdf2656a2368; 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

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
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

Show 1 more source

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.