Living in Whanganui

In Whanganui, the median rent tenants pay is €1,140 a month (2026) and unemployment is 6.1% (2023).

Whanganui, a city in New Zealand, had a population of 41,481 in March 2023. The city covers 41.05 km², with a population density of 1,051.4 people per km² in March 2023.

Last checked 2026-10-0712 sources

Population41,481people7 Mar 2023Official source · Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population

Median gross salary (region)2,950EUR/month30 Jun 2025Official source · Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter

Median rent1,140EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority

Unemployment rate6.1%country median 3.3% — 85% aboveOfficial source · Stats NZ

Recorded crime5,925incidents per 100,00030 Jun 2026Official source · Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026

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

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 Whanganui.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	1,140 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Rental bond data — monthly by territorial authority⁶Official

Is Whanganui 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 worker52%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 43–61%

Skilled employee57%strong on work, weak on education · range 48–66%

Student38%strong on cost, weak on education · range 28–48%

Family48%strong on family, weak on education · range 39–57%

Retirement32%strong on cost, weak on admin · range 21–43%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Whanganui?

The unemployment rate is 6.1 % (2023). Source: Stats NZ⁸

Unemployment across cities in New ZealandUnemployment in Whanganui is 6.1%. Of 91 cities with data, 42 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

0–22–44–66–88–1014–16

Whanganui 6.1%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary (regional)	2,950 EUR/month	30 Jun 2025	Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter¹¹Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	6.1 %country median 3.3%	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ⁸Official

What does a salary buy in Whanganui?

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

Left over each month€1,186of €2,398 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.	€2,398
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Rental bond data · 2026-07-31	− €1,140
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	€1,186

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

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Whanganui?

Police recorded about 5,925 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	5,925 incidents per 100,000	30 Jun 2026	Victimisations Time and Place — Map export, July 2025 to June 2026¹²Official

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	1 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁴Official
Nearest airport	WAG	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁵Official
Distance to nearest airport	4 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁵Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Whanganui

Climate and air quality

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 30.21 · Feb 28.3 · Mar 27.48 · Apr 22.69 · May 20.88 · Jun 18.66 · Jul 16.78 · Aug 17.12 · Sep 19.04 · Oct 21.18 · Nov 25.01 · Dec 27.4 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹Official
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan 9.15 · Feb 9.58 · Mar 8.47 · Apr 7.02 · May 4.8 · Jun 3.24 · Jul 3 · Aug 2.8 · Sep 3.44 · Oct 4.23 · Nov 5.64 · Dec 7.39 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 17.86 · Feb 18.35 · Mar 17.06 · Apr 14.83 · May 12.89 · Jun 10.91 · Jul 9.77 · Aug 10.19 · Sep 11.29 · Oct 12.48 · Nov 14 · Dec 16.29 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Whanganui?

The published population was 41,481 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population¹⁰

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport84.7%
Foreign residents15.3%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	41.05 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.²Official
Foreign-resident share	13.4 %	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ⁸Official
Foreign residents	6,366 people	31 Dec 2023	Stats NZ⁸Official
Population density	1,051 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	41,481 people	7 Mar 2023	Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population¹⁰Official

International community in Whanganui

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	1,707	4.2%
Asia	1,404	3.4%
Australia	753	1.8%
Pacific Islands	603	1.5%
Middle East and Africa	528	1.3%
Europe (excl United Kingdom and Ireland)	396	1.0%
North America	252	0.6%
Other	96	0.2%

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	31,980	77.1%
Māori	12,204	29.4%
Asian	2,295	5.5%
Pacific Peoples	1,854	4.5%
Other Ethnicity	561	1.4%
Middle Eastern/Latin American/African	246	0.6%

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	30,351	73.2%
Māori	12,204	29.4%
Other European	2,037	4.9%
Indian	960	2.3%
Samoan	747	1.8%
Southeast Asian	606	1.5%
Other Ethnicity	561	1.4%
Cook Islands Maori	528	1.3%
Chinese	498	1.2%
Fijian	345	0.8%

Show 11 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Other Asian	222	0.5%
European nfd	150	0.4%
Tongan	141	0.3%
Latin American	102	0.2%
Other Pacific Peoples	93	0.2%
Niuean	78	0.2%
African	78	0.2%
Middle Eastern	66	0.2%
Asian nfd	42	0.1%
Tokelauan	33	0.1%
Pacific Peoples nfd	12	0.0%

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

Alternatives for people set on Whanganui

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 Whanganui alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 214 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 13.4% Whanganui+97%
Unemployment: 3.4% Nelson vs 6.1% Whanganui−44%
Median gross pay, region: €3,247 (2024) Nelson vs €2,950 (2025) Whanganuino percentage

Full comparison More about Nelson

Alternative cities in New Zealand

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

All New Zealand cities

Upper Hutt42,903 residents Hastings47,682 residents Invercargill48,987 residents Gisborne52,700 residents Whangārei53,841 residents Nelson54,300 residents

How does Whanganui compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Whanganui in rankings

#5 of 22 in Cheapest cities to rent in New Zealand #19 of 29 in Largest cities in New Zealand #22 of 23 in Most international cities in New Zealand #26 of 27 in Cities with lowest unemployment in New Zealand

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Whanganui 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 Whanganui?

The published population was 41,481 people in March 2023. Source: Stats NZ Urban Rural 2023 place summaries — Census population.

How safe is Whanganui?

What is the unemployment rate in Whanganui?

The unemployment rate is 6.1 % (2023). Source: Stats NZ.

What is the typical salary around Whanganui?

The median gross salary is 2,950 EUR/month. Source: Table 18: LEED measures, by industry (based on ANZSIC06) and region, June 2025 quarter.

How many foreign residents live in Whanganui?

6,366 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Stats NZ.

Is Whanganui a good place to live?

Whanganui 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 Whanganui?

The official country of birth distribution records 1,707 people (4.2%) 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). Whanganui, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b7aaa8f57d7c15fc4180db226de33465]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/whanganui/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_whanganui-new-zealand-population-rent-salary-jobs_9d1316574467,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Whanganui, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {b7aaa8f57d7c15fc4180db226de33465},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/whanganui/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Whanganui, New Zealand: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/whanganui/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b7aaa8f57d7c15fc4180db226de33465; 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
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.