List of New Zealand urban areas by population

This article lists urban areas of New Zealand—as defined by Statistics New Zealand—ranked by population. Only the 150 largest urban areas are listed.

Urban areas are defined by the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18).

June 2023 rank Name Region June 2023 estimate[1] 2018 census[2] Growth
1 Auckland Auckland 1,478,800 1,346,091 +9.86%
2 Christchurch Canterbury 384,800 358,062 +7.47%
3 Wellington Wellington 215,200 201,786 +6.65%
4 Hamilton Waikato 185,300 160,911 +15.16%
5 Tauranga Bay of Plenty 161,800 136,713 +18.35%
6 Lower Hutt Wellington 113,000 103,545 +9.13%
7 Dunedin Otago 106,200 99,885 +6.32%
8 Palmerston North Manawatū-Whanganui 82,500 76,236 +8.22%
9 Napier Hawke's Bay 67,500 62,241 +8.45%
10 Hibiscus Coast Auckland 64,660 54,924 +17.73%
11 Porirua Wellington 60,900 55,218 +10.29%
12 New Plymouth Taranaki 59,600 53,988 +10.39%
13 Rotorua Bay of Plenty 58,900 54,204 +8.66%
14 Whangārei Northland 56,900 50,784 +12.04%
15 Nelson Nelson 51,900 48,072 +7.96%
16 Hastings Hawke's Bay 51,500 44,940 +14.60%
17 Invercargill Southland 51,000 47,625 +7.09%
18 Upper Hutt Wellington 45,400 41,301 +9.92%
19 Whanganui Manawatū-Whanganui 42,800 39,720 +7.75%
20 Gisborne Gisborne 38,200 34,527 +10.64%
21 Paraparaumu Wellington 30,800 28,701 +7.31%
22 Blenheim Marlborough 30,500 26,832 +13.67%
23 Rolleston Canterbury 29,600 17,532 +68.83%
24 Queenstown Otago 29,000 13,533 +59.25%
25 Timaru Canterbury 28,900 27,501 +5.09%
26 Pukekohe Auckland 27,400 23,901 +14.64%
27 Taupō Waikato 26,500 23,622 +12.18%
28 Masterton Wellington 22,600 19,818 +14.04%
29 Cambridge Waikato 21,800 18,651 +16.88%
30 Ashburton Canterbury 20,800 19,284 +7.86%
31 Levin Manawatū-Whanganui 19,800 17,670 +12.05%
32 Rangiora Canterbury 19,600 17,844 +9.84%
33 Richmond Tasman 19,200 15,282 +25.64%
34 Feilding Manawatū-Whanganui 17,750 15,990 +11.01%
35 Whakatāne Bay of Plenty 16,850 15,795 +6.68%
36 Havelock North Hawke's Bay 15,200 14,334 +6.04%
37 Mosgiel Otago 14,800 13,632 +8.57%
38 Tokoroa Waikato 14,500 13,572 +6.84%
39= Oamaru Otago 14,000 13,107 +6.81%
39= Te Awamutu Waikato 14,000 12,195 +14.80%
41 Kaiapoi Canterbury 13,600 11,847 +14.80%
42 Waikanae Wellington 13,150 12,708 +3.48%
43 Wānaka Otago 12,400 9,555 +29.77%
44 Hāwera Taranaki 10,350 9,792 +5.70%
45= Lincoln Canterbury 10,250 6,510 +57.45%
45= Te Puke Bay of Plenty 10,250 8,688 +17.98%
47 Waiuku Auckland 9,800 9,171 +6.86%
48 Matamata Waikato 9,130 7,806 +16.96%
49 Morrinsville Waikato 8,960 7,758 +15.49%
50 Huntly Waikato 8,880 7,905 +12.33%
51 Greymouth West Coast 8,340 7,965 +4.71%
52 Motueka Tasman 8,320 8,007 +3.91%
53= Kerikeri Northland 8,270 7,164 +15.44%
53= Waiheke Island Auckland 8,270 7,959 +3.91%
55 Gore Southland 8,240 7,908 +4.20%
56 Ngāruawāhia Waikato 8,170 6,261 +30.49%
57 Kawerau Bay of Plenty 7,820 7,146 +9.43%
58 Beachlands-Pine Harbour Auckland 7,770 6,261 +24.10%
59 Thames Waikato 7,630 7,293 +4.62%
60 Waitara Taranaki 7,550 6,915 +9.18%
61 Cromwell Otago 7,160 5,610 +27.63%
62 Kumeū-Huapai Auckland 6,930 3,432 +101.92%
63 Warkworth Auckland 6,730 5,586 +20.48%
64 Whitianga Waikato 6,440 5,493 +17.24%
65 Kaitaia Northland 6,390 5,868 +8.90%
66 Stratford Taranaki 6,320 5,784 +9.27%
67 Pōkeno Waikato 6,370 2,517 +153.08%
68 Alexandra Otago 6,120 5,475 +11.78%
69 Tuakau Waikato 6,030 5,016 +20.22%
70 Carterton Wellington 5,960 5,343 +11.55%
71 Waihi Waikato 5,870 5,403 +8.64%
72 Katikati Bay of Plenty 5,800 5,010 +15.77%
73 Dannevirke Manawatū-Whanganui 5,640 5,505 +2.45%
74 Marton Manawatū-Whanganui 5,590 5,268 +6.11%
75 Ōpōtiki Bay of Plenty 5,350 4,806 +11.32%
76 Ōtaki Wellington 5,300 4,500 +17.78%
77 Prebbleton Canterbury 5,280 4,515 +16.94%
78 Ngongotahā Bay of Plenty 5,230 4,869 +7.41%
79 Dargaville Northland 5,130 4,794 +7.01%
80 Wairoa Hawke's Bay 5,020 4,527 +9.80%
81 Kaikohe Northland 4,980 4,437 +12.24%
82 Picton Marlborough 4,880 4,500 +8.44%
83 Taumarunui Manawatū-Whanganui 4,800 4,710 +1.91%
84 Ōmokoroa Bay of Plenty 4,770 3,210 +48.60%
85 Waipukurau Hawke's Bay 4,750 4,383 +8.37%
86= Te Kūiti Waikato 4,680 4,572 +2.36%
86= Temuka Canterbury 4,680 4,467 +4.77%
88 Te Aroha Waikato 4,670 4,551 +2.61%
89 Paeroa Waikato 4,640 4,269 +8.69%
90 Putāruru Waikato 4,600 4,314 +6.63%
91 Woodend Canterbury 4,550 2,784 +63.43%
92 Whangamatā Waikato 4,500 4,074 +10.46%
93 Balclutha Otago 4,340 4,110 +5.60%
94 Westport West Coast 4,250 4,392 −3.23%
95 Pegasus Canterbury 4,180 2,637 +58.51%
96 Raglan Waikato 3,880 3,279 +18.33%
97 Inglewood Taranaki 3,870 3,543 +9.23%
98 Tūrangi Waikato 3,840 3,444 +11.50%
99 Snells Beach Auckland 3,810 3,405 +11.89%
100 Riverhead Auckland 3,770 2,802 +34.55%
101 Waimate Canterbury 3,590 3,456 +3.88%
102 Kihikihi Waikato 3,390 2,808 +20.73%
103 Foxton Manawatū-Whanganui 3,380 3,147 +7.40%
104 Ashhurst Manawatū-Whanganui 3,350 2,934 +14.18%
105 Helensville Auckland 3,330 2,787 +19.48%
106 Ōtorohanga Waikato 3,320 3,027 +9.68%
107 Ōhope Bay of Plenty 3,270 3,177 +2.93%
108 Lyttelton Canterbury 3,180 2,982 +6.64%
109 Darfield Canterbury 3,150 2,724 +15.64%
110 Hokitika West Coast 3,120 2,892 +7.88%
111 One Tree Point Northland 3,070 2,208 +39.04%
112= Arrowtown Otago 3,060 2,814 +8.74%
112= Te Anau Southland 3,060 2,538 +20.57%
114 Te Kauwhata Waikato 2,980 1,617 +84.29%
115 Geraldine Canterbury 2,970 2,706 +9.76%
116 Ruakākā Northland 2,930 2,586 +13.30%
117 Pahiatua Manawatū-Whanganui 2,840 2,682 +5.89%
118= Greytown Wellington 2,800 2,466 +13.54%
118= Mangawhai Heads Northland 2,800 1,995 +40.35%
120= Featherston Wellington 2,780 2,487 +11.78%
120= Waihi Beach-Bowentown Bay of Plenty 2,780 2,139 +29.97%
122 Wakefield Tasman 2,680 2,448 +9.48%
123 Renwick Marlborough 2,630 2,418 +8.77%
124 Maraetai Auckland 2,580 2,346 +9.97%
125 Winton Southland 2,460 2,337 +5.26%
123 West Melton Canterbury 2,450 2,085 +17.51%
127 Leeston Canterbury 2,430 2,208 +10.05%
128 Waipawa Hawke's Bay 2,400 2,085 +15.11%
129= Amberley Canterbury 2,380 2,067 +15.14%
129= Oxford Canterbury 2,380 2,214 +7.50%
131 Brightwater Tasman 2,370 2,133 +11.11%
132 Kaikōura Canterbury 2,360 2,223 +6.16%
133 Wellsford Auckland 2,280 1,929 +18.20%
134 Milton Otago 2,240 2,157 +3.85%
135 Bulls Manawatū-Whanganui 2,210 1,935 +14.21%
136 Foxton Beach Manawatū-Whanganui 2,170 1,884 +15.18%
137 Ōtaki Beach Wellington 2,150 1,818 +18.26%
138= Clive Hawke's Bay 2,090 2,247 −6.99%
138= Moerewa Northland 2,090 1,632 +28.06%
140 Eltham Taranaki 2,080 1,935 +7.49%
141= Martinborough Wellington 2,060 1,767 +16.58%
141= Murupara Bay of Plenty 2,060 1,815 +13.50%
143 Lake Hāwea Otago 2,020 1,200 +68.33%
144 Methven Canterbury 2,010 1,779 +12.98%
145 Coromandel Waikato 1,930 1,743 +10.73%
146 Twizel Canterbury 1,850
147 Bluff Southland 1,840 1,797 +2.39%
148 Paekākāriki Wellington 1,830 1,746 +4.81%
149 Edgecumbe Bay of Plenty 1,820 1,644 +10.71%
150 Taihape Manawatū-Whanganui 1,800 1,716 +4.90%
  1. ^ "Subnational population estimates (RC, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (regional councils); "Subnational population estimates (TA, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (territorial authorities); "Subnational population estimates (urban rural), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (urban areas)
  2. ^ "Age and sex by ethnic group (grouped total response), for census usually resident population counts, 2006, 2013, and 2018 Censuses (urban rural areas)". nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 29 June 2021.