Living in Whakatāne
In Whakatāne, the median rent tenants pay is €1,228 a month (2026) and unemployment is 7.3% (2023).
Whakatane is a city in New Zealand, with a population of 16,419 in March 2023. Whakatane covers 24.41 km², with a population density of 718.9 people per km² in March 2023.
Which New Zealand-wide rules apply when you move to Whakatāne?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
| 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 | 1,228 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority6Official |
Is Whakatāne 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.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Whakatane?
The unemployment rate is 7.3 % (2023). Source: Stats NZ8
Whakatāne 7.3%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary (regional) | 2,971 EUR/month | 30 Jun 2025 | Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter11Official · regional context |
| Unemployment rate | 7.3 %country median 3.3% | 31 Dec 2023 | Stats NZ8Official |
What does a salary buy in Whakatāne?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft 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. | €2,410 |
| Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Rental bond data · 2026-07-31 | − €1,228 |
| 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 | €1,110 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Whakatāne. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Work and Income employment service — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Whakatāne. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is Whakatane?
Police recorded about 5,883 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 202612
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 5,883 incidents per 100,000 | 30 Jun 2026 | Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 202612Official |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Whakatāne. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
English Language Teaching — Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund — State Language Course
Tertiary Education Commission
For adult migrants, refugees, adult speakers of other languages.
New Zealand settlement services — Newcomer Adaptation
Immigration New Zealand
For migrants, refugees, newcomers.
Climate and air quality
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly extreme high temperature | Jan 30.85 · Feb 33.16 · Mar 28.57 · Apr 24.7 · May 21.29 · Jun 17.75 · Jul 16.08 · Aug 17.36 · Sep 19.55 · Oct 21.97 · Nov 27.1 · Dec 29.03 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center1Official |
| Monthly extreme low temperature | Jan 9.42 · Feb 10.05 · Mar 8.32 · Apr 5.45 · May 2.77 · Jun 1.72 · Jul 1.51 · Aug 0.6 · Sep 2.8 · Oct 3.12 · Nov 5.25 · Dec 7.15 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center1Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 19.33 · Feb 19.6 · Mar 17.95 · Apr 15.41 · May 12.86 · Jun 10.66 · Jul 9.57 · Aug 10.17 · Sep 11.54 · Oct 13.11 · Nov 15.25 · Dec 17.64 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center1Official |
Population and city profile
How many people live in Whakatane?
The published population was 16,419 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population10
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 4,740 is not 12.8% of the population. Each row names its source.
By nationality
National passport71.1%Foreign residents28.9%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 24.41 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 | 12.8 % | 31 Dec 2023 | Stats NZ8Official |
| Foreign residents | 4,740 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Stats NZ8Official |
| Population density | 718.9 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.7Official |
| Population | 16,419 people | 7 Mar 2023 | Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population10Official |
International community in Whakatāne
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 | 837 | 5.1% |
| Asia | 705 | 4.3% |
| Middle East and Africa | 360 | 2.2% |
| Australia | 303 | 1.9% |
| Europe (excl United Kingdom and Ireland) | 237 | 1.5% |
| North America | 114 | 0.7% |
| Pacific Islands | 84 | 0.5% |
| Other | 24 | 0.1% |
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 | 9,945 | 60.6% |
| Māori | 7,107 | 43.3% |
| Other European | 1,077 | 6.6% |
| Indian | 480 | 2.9% |
| Cook Islands Maori | 297 | 1.8% |
| Southeast Asian | 276 | 1.7% |
| Samoan | 246 | 1.5% |
| Other Ethnicity | 180 | 1.1% |
| Other Asian | 159 | 1.0% |
| Chinese | 132 | 0.8% |
Show 11 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tongan | 105 | 0.6% |
| European nfd | 63 | 0.4% |
| Niuean | 60 | 0.4% |
| Asian nfd | 48 | 0.3% |
| African | 45 | 0.3% |
| Latin American | 36 | 0.2% |
| Fijian | 24 | 0.1% |
| Middle Eastern | 24 | 0.1% |
| Other Pacific Peoples | 21 | 0.1% |
| Tokelauan | 6 | 0.0% |
| Pacific Peoples nfd | 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 | 10,788 | 65.7% |
| Māori | 7,107 | 43.3% |
| Asian | 1,086 | 6.6% |
| Pacific Peoples | 696 | 4.2% |
| Other Ethnicity | 180 | 1.1% |
| Middle Eastern/Latin American/African | 105 | 0.6% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9
Alternatives for people set on Whakatāne
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.
Palmerston North as a Whakatāne alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 292 km, better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.
- Residents: 78,021 Palmerston North vs 16,419 Whakatāne+375%
- Unemployment: 4.5% Palmerston North vs 7.3% Whakatāne−38%
- Foreign residents: 21.8% Palmerston North vs 12.8% Whakatāne+70%
- Median gross pay, region: €3,276 (2024) Palmerston North vs €2,971 (2025) Whakatāneno percentage
- Nearest airport: 4.0 km Palmerston North vs 7.0 km Whakatāne−43%
Alternative cities in New Zealand
Other cities in New Zealand to compare with Whakatāne, nearest in population first.
How does Whakatāne compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Whakatāne's.
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Whakatāne 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 guideCommon questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Whakatane?
The published population was 16,419 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population.
How safe is Whakatane?
Police recorded about 5,883 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 2026.
What is the unemployment rate in Whakatane?
The unemployment rate is 7.3 % (2023). Source: Stats NZ.
What is the typical salary around Whakatāne?
The median gross salary is 2,971 EUR/month. Source: Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter.
How many foreign residents live in Whakatāne?
4,740 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Stats NZ.
Is Whakatāne a good place to live?
Whakatāne 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 Whakatāne?
The official country of birth distribution records 837 people (5.1%) 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). Whakatāne, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 959c5dd9e9311bfc5005ed63dee173d2]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/whakatane/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_whakatane-new-zealand-population-rent-salary-jobs_250fb3cc4201,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Whakatāne, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {959c5dd9e9311bfc5005ed63dee173d2},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/whakatane/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Whakatāne, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/whakatane/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 959c5dd9e9311bfc5005ed63dee173d2; 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
- 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
- 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 2 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
- 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.