List of New Zealand urban areas by population explained

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).

rank	Name	Region	estimate	Census population^[1]		Growth
				2023	2018	2023 to	2018 to 2023
1	Auckland	Auckland		1,402,275	1,345,833
2	Christchurch	Canterbury		380,079	358,068
3	Wellington	Wellington		201,708	201,792
4	Hamilton	Waikato		174,741	160,911
5	Tauranga	Bay of Plenty		152,790	137,130
6	Lower Hutt	Wellington		106,530	103,545
7	Dunedin	Otago		100,908	99,885
8	Palmerston North	Manawatū-Whanganui		78,021	76,281
9	Hibiscus Coast	Auckland		63,351	53,730
10	Napier	Hawke's Bay		64,695	62,241
11	Porirua	Wellington		58,080	55,218
12	New Plymouth	Taranaki		58,047	54,279
13	Rotorua	Bay of Plenty		55,326	54,186
14	Whangārei	Northland		53,841	51,894
15	Hastings	Hawke's Bay		47,682	45,075
16	Invercargill	Southland		48,987	47,844
17	Nelson	Nelson		49,224	48,129
18	Upper Hutt	Wellington		42,903	41,301
19	Whanganui	Manawatū-Whanganui		41,481	39,777
20	Gisborne	Gisborne		36,912	34,644
21	Rolleston	Canterbury		28,449	17,541
22	Blenheim	Marlborough		28,788	27,648
23	Paraparaumu	Wellington		28,938	28,701
24	Timaru	Canterbury		28,095	27,501
25	Pukekohe	Auckland		27,042	23,841
26	Queenstown	Otago		25,050	20,346
27	Taupō	Waikato		25,374	23,622
28	Masterton	Wellington		21,606	19,917
29	Cambridge	Waikato		21,366	18,681
30	Ashburton	Canterbury		20,346	19,356
31	Levin	Manawatū-Whanganui		19,533	17,775
32	Richmond	Tasman		18,447	15,378
33	Rangiora	Canterbury		18,855	17,898
34	Feilding	Manawatū-Whanganui		16,929	15,990
35	Whakatāne	Bay of Plenty		16,419	15,795
36	Mosgiel	Otago		14,589	13,656
37	Havelock North	Hawke's Bay		15,003	14,391
38	Tokoroa	Waikato		14,001	13,572
39	Oamaru	Otago		13,680	13,065
40	Te Awamutu	Waikato		13,380	12,543
41	Kaiapoi	Canterbury		13,017	11,853
42	Wānaka	Otago		11,922	9,555
43	Waikanae	Wellington		12,966	12,099
44	Lincoln	Canterbury		10,611	6,522
45	Hāwera	Taranaki		10,365	9,792
46	Te Puke	Bay of Plenty		9,114	8,631
47	Waiuku	Auckland		9,531	9,273
48	Morrinsville	Waikato		9,003	7,893
49	Matamata	Waikato		9,132	8,043
50	Huntly	Waikato		8,232	7,947
51	Greymouth	West Coast		8,337	7,965
52	Ngāruawāhia	Waikato		7,992	6,987
53	Kerikeri	Northland		8,070	7,185
54	Beachlands-Pine Harbour	Auckland		7,797	6,261
55	Motueka	Tasman		8,190	7,998
56	Gore	Southland		8,181	7,908
57	Waiheke Island	Auckland		7,998	7,959
58	Waitara	Taranaki		7,509	7,005
59	Kawerau	Bay of Plenty		7,539	7,146
60=	Cromwell	Otago		6,783	5,610
60=	Thames	Waikato		7,212	7,344
62	Kumeū-Huapai	Auckland		6,948	3,480
63	Pōkeno	Waikato		6,081	2,619
64	Warkworth	Auckland		6,675	5,586
65	Whitianga	Waikato		6,054	5,493
66	Stratford	Taranaki		6,330	5,886
67	Kaitaia	Northland		5,955	5,868
68	Tuakau	Waikato		5,736	5,103
69	Alexandra	Otago		5,589	5,475
70	Waihi	Waikato		5,682	5,409
71	Carterton	Wellington		5,859	5,343
72	Katikati	Bay of Plenty		5,580	5,136
73	Marton	Manawatū-Whanganui		5,598	5,229
74	Prebbleton	Canterbury		5,382	4,518
75	Dannevirke	Manawatū-Whanganui		5,580	5,505
76	Ōmokoroa	Bay of Plenty		5,451	3,288
77	Ōtaki	Wellington		5,025	4,608
78	Dargaville	Northland		5,016	4,827
79=	Ngongotahā	Bay of Plenty		5,124	4,869
79=	Ōpōtiki	Bay of Plenty		4,839	4,791
81	Woodend	Canterbury		4,542	2,829
82	Taumarunui	Manawatū-Whanganui		4,821	4,710
83	Wairoa	Hawke's Bay		4,707	4,527
84=	Kaikohe	Northland		4,563	4,455
84=	Picton	Marlborough		4,812	4,587
84=	Te Kūiti	Waikato		4,659	4,572
87	Waipukurau	Hawke's Bay		4,698	4,416
88	Temuka	Canterbury		4,593	4,467
89	Paeroa	Waikato		4,458	4,269
90	Te Aroha	Waikato		4,650	4,551
91	Westport	West Coast		4,527	4,392
92	Putāruru	Waikato		4,455	4,314
93	Balclutha	Otago		4,347	4,110
94	Whangamatā	Waikato		4,269	4,074
95	Pegasus	Canterbury		3,915	2,637
96	Raglan	Waikato		3,717	3,327
97	Inglewood	Taranaki		3,801	3,555
98	Tūrangi	Waikato		3,792	3,444
99	Snells Beach	Auckland		3,678	3,405
100	Waimate	Canterbury		3,591	3,456
101	Riverhead	Auckland		3,558	2,724
102	Kihikihi	Waikato		3,456	2,754
103=	Ashhurst	Manawatū-Whanganui		3,237	2,934
103=	Te Kauwhata	Waikato		3,303	2,118
105	Helensville	Auckland		3,279	2,820
106	Darfield	Canterbury		3,249	2,784
107	One Tree Point	Northland		2,988	2,217
108	Ōtorohanga	Waikato		3,180	3,027
109	Foxton	Manawatū-Whanganui		3,384	3,141
110	Lyttelton	Canterbury		3,123	2,982
111=	Ōhope	Bay of Plenty		3,033	3,177
111=	Hokitika	West Coast		3,267	3,096
113	Te Anau	Southland		2,751	2,574
114	Geraldine	Canterbury		3,018	2,883
115	Ruakākā	Northland		2,817	2,586
116	Greytown	Wellington		2,772	2,466
117	Arrowtown	Otago		2,838	2,853
118=	Pahiatua	Manawatū-Whanganui		2,838	2,682
118=	Waihi Beach-Bowentown	Bay of Plenty		2,550	2,484
120	Mangawhai Heads	Northland		2,685	1,995
121=	Maraetai	Auckland		2,553	2,346
121=	Amberley	Canterbury		2,520	2,070
123	Featherston	Wellington		2,793	2,487
124	West Melton	Canterbury		2,409	1,971
125	Wakefield	Tasman		2,694	2,448
126	Renwick	Marlborough		2,448	2,418
127	Winton	Southland		2,475	2,337
128	Waipawa	Hawke's Bay		2,334	2,085
129	Leeston	Canterbury		2,271	2,208
130	Kaikōura	Canterbury		2,316	2,223
131	Brightwater	Tasman		2,280	2,133
132	Bulls	Manawatū-Whanganui		2,055	1,935
133	Oxford	Canterbury		2,235	2,214
134	Milton	Otago		2,121	2,157
135	Wellsford	Auckland		2,037	1,974
136	Lake Hāwea	Otago		2,001	1,200
137	Foxton Beach	Manawatū-Whanganui		2,130	1,884
138	Eltham	Taranaki		2,097	1,947
139=	Clive	Hawke's Bay		1,992	1,887
139=	Ōtaki Beach	Wellington		2,145	1,818
141	Moerewa	Northland		1,845	1,737
142	Methven	Canterbury		1,977	1,779
143	Martinborough	Wellington		1,875	1,824
144	Murupara	Bay of Plenty		1,884	1,815
145	Twizel	Canterbury		1,674	1,515
146	Coromandel	Waikato		1,782	1,743
147	Bluff	Southland		1,797	1,797
148	Taihape	Manawatū-Whanganui		1,668	1,716
149=	Hikurangi	Northland		1,557	1,617
149=	Paekākāriki	Wellington		1,674	1,746

See also

• List of cities in New Zealand
• List of towns in New Zealand

Notes and References

1. Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=rc.1043%2B1093%2B1108%2B1180%2B1239%2B1246%2B1278%2B1288%2B1296%2B1307%2B1342%2B1364%2B1394%2B1398%2B1399%2B1402%2B2024%2B2106%2B2233%2B2278%2B99999.2013%2B2018%2B2023&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001&ly[rs]=CEN23_TBT_GEO_006&to[TIME]=false Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses Aotearoa Data Explorer ]. 2024-10-03 . explore.data.stats.govt.nz/.