District · Hawke's Bay
Napier city in numbers
Napier city had an estimated 66,300 people at 30 June 2026, up 0.2% (100 people) since the 2023 Census, 3rd of 4 in Hawke's Bay for growth. 31% of its 24,540 households rent, 58% own and 12% hold the home in a family trust (2023 Census). MBIE puts the median rent at $645 a week (July 2026).
People, June 2026
66,300
+0.2% (+100) since the 2023 Census
Latest year
−0.2%
−100 people, June 2025 to June 2026
Since 1996
+20.8%
Thirty years of Stats NZ estimates
Median weekly rent
$645
Lower quartile $543, upper $700. 4,575 active bonds. MBIE, July 2026
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 | 65,000 | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 65,900 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 66,000 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 65,500 | −0.8% |
| 2023 | 66,200 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 66,400 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 66,400 | 0% |
| 2026 | 66,300 | −0.2% |
How Napier city households hold their homes
- 58% own their home
- 31% rent
- 12% held in a family trust
24,540 households, 2023 Census.