District · Bay of Plenty
Tauranga city in numbers
Tauranga city had an estimated 162,100 people at 30 June 2026, up 2% (3,200 people) since the 2023 Census, 3rd of 6 in Bay of Plenty for growth. 31% of its 55,356 households rent, 56% own and 13% hold the home in a family trust (2023 Census). MBIE puts the median rent at $690 a week (July 2026).
People, June 2026
162,100
+2% (+3,200) since the 2023 Census
Latest year
+0.6%
+900 people, June 2025 to June 2026
Since 1996
+102.4%
Thirty years of Stats NZ estimates
Median weekly rent
$690
Lower quartile $620, upper $775. 12,336 active bonds. MBIE, July 2026
Median full-time earnings, Bay of Plenty
$1,537 a week
June 2026. Regional, not district level
Employment rate, Bay of Plenty
65.6%
Unemployment 7.1%, 2026 Q1. Regional survey estimate
Population, 1996 to 2026
Stats NZ estimated resident population at 30 June. Estimates after 2023 are provisional and built on the 2023 Census. Dark bars: first year, 2023 Census base, latest.
Population by year, 2019 to 2026
| 30 June | People | Change on the year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 146,400 | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 152,100 | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 154,400 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 155,400 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 158,900 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 160,800 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 161,200 | +0.2% |
| 2026 | 162,100 | +0.6% |
How Tauranga city households hold their homes
- 56% own their home
- 31% rent
- 13% held in a family trust
55,356 households, 2023 Census.