| Whangārei Central | |||||
| Caption1: | Marina at Whangārei Town Basin | ||||
| City1: | Whangārei | ||||
| Council: | Whangarei District Council | ||||
| Ward: | Whangārei Urban Ward | ||||
| Coordinates: | -35.7255°N 174.3233°W | ||||
| Area: | 281 | ||||
| Map: |
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Whangārei Central is the central business district of Whangārei, in the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It includes the Whangārei Town Basin.[1] It has traditionally been the main commercial centre of Northland. As of 2017, approximately 39% of the 1404 businesses were commercial and professional services; 19% were retail and food businesses.[2]
In March 2019, Whangarei District Council decided to build a new precinct on the north-western side of the CBD.[3]
Whangārei Central covers 2.81km2[4] and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Whangārei Central had a population of 858 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 96 people (−10.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 99 people (13.0%) since the 2013 census. There were 423 males and 432 females in 369 dwellings.[5] 4.9% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 49.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 114 people (13.3%) aged under 15 years, 138 (16.1%) aged 15 to 29, 378 (44.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 225 (26.2%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 67.1% European (Pākehā); 32.5% Māori; 5.9% Pasifika; 11.2% Asian; 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.9%, Māori language by 10.8%, Samoan by 0.7%, and other languages by 11.2%. No language could be spoken by 1.0% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 1.0%. The percentage of people born overseas was 24.5, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 31.5% Christian, 1.4% Hindu, 1.7% Islam, 3.5% Māori religious beliefs, 1.4% Buddhist, 0.3% New Age, and 2.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 52.4%, and 6.6% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 123 (16.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 363 (48.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 228 (30.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $30,400, compared with $41,500 nationally. 39 people (5.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 291 (39.1%) people were employed full-time, 87 (11.7%) were part-time, and 33 (4.4%) were unemployed.[6]
Whangārei Central has several art galleries: