District · Waikato
Hamilton city in numbers
Hamilton city had an estimated 193,000 people at 30 June 2026, up 4.8% (8,900 people) since the 2023 Census, 1st of 10 in Waikato for growth. 46% of its 60,360 households rent, 46% own and 7% hold the home in a family trust (2023 Census). MBIE puts the median rent at $560 a week (July 2026).
People, June 2026
193,000
+4.8% (+8,900) since the 2023 Census
Latest year
+1%
+1,900 people, June 2025 to June 2026
Since 1996
+70%
Thirty years of Stats NZ estimates
Median weekly rent
$560
Lower quartile $396, upper $640. 22,746 active bonds. MBIE, July 2026
Median full-time earnings, Waikato
$1,518 a week
June 2026. Regional, not district level
Employment rate, Waikato
64.7%
Unemployment 5.2%, 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 | 172,000 | +2% |
| 2020 | 176,200 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 177,000 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 177,300 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 184,100 | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 189,300 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 191,100 | +1% |
| 2026 | 193,000 | +1% |
How Hamilton city households hold their homes
- 46% own their home
- 46% rent
- 7% held in a family trust
60,360 households, 2023 Census.