District · Bay of Plenty
Whakatane district in numbers
Whakatane district had an estimated 38,200 people at 30 June 2026, up 0.3% (100 people) since the 2023 Census, 5th of 6 in Bay of Plenty for growth. 30% of its 13,002 households rent, 58% own and 12% hold the home in a family trust (2023 Census).
People, June 2026
38,200
+0.3% (+100) since the 2023 Census
Latest year
−0.3%
−100 people, June 2025 to June 2026
Since 1996
+11.7%
Thirty years of Stats NZ estimates
Median weekly rent, Bay of Plenty
$650
Lower quartile $550, upper $730. 24,345 active bonds. MBIE, July 2026. Regional figure; MBIE does not publish this district on its own
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 | 37,400 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 37,700 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 37,900 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 37,900 | 0% |
| 2023 | 38,100 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 38,300 | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 38,300 | 0% |
| 2026 | 38,200 | −0.3% |
How Whakatane district households hold their homes
- 58% own their home
- 30% rent
- 12% held in a family trust
13,002 households, 2023 Census.