District · Hawke's Bay
Central Hawke's Bay district in numbers
Central Hawke's Bay district had an estimated 16,000 people at 30 June 2026, up 1.6% (250 people) since the 2023 Census, 1st of 4 in Hawke's Bay for growth. 24% of its 5,871 households rent, 61% own and 15% hold the home in a family trust (2023 Census).
People, June 2026
16,000
+1.6% (+250) since the 2023 Census
Latest year
−0.3%
−50 people, June 2025 to June 2026
Since 1996
+19.9%
Thirty years of Stats NZ estimates
Median weekly rent, Hawke's Bay
$600
Lower quartile $534, upper $680. 10,587 active bonds. MBIE, July 2026. Regional figure; MBIE does not publish this district on its own
Median full-time earnings, Gisborne/Hawkes Bay Regions
$1,523 a week
June 2026. Regional, not district level
Employment rate, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay
63.5%
Unemployment 4.8%, 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 | 14,800 | +1% |
| 2020 | 15,150 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 15,400 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 15,600 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 15,750 | +1% |
| 2024 | 15,950 | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 16,050 | +0.6% |
| 2026 | 16,000 | −0.3% |
How Central Hawke's Bay district households hold their homes
- 61% own their home
- 24% rent
- 15% held in a family trust
5,871 households, 2023 Census.