Housing costs across Manawatū-Whanganui
Quick answer
Across the 134 areas published in Manawatū-Whanganui,
the median weekly rent in the 2023 Census was $350,
ranging from $150 to $660 depending on
the area. The median household income was $80,900.
Manawatū-Whanganui takes in Palmerston North, Whanganui, Levin, the Tararua district and the central plateau. Palmerston North carries a large institutional workforce across a university, a polytechnic and the defence force, which gives it steadier incomes than its size suggests. Whanganui and the smaller centres have some of the most affordable housing in the North Island, and have seen the sharpest proportional rent increases in recent years because of it.
Affordability here is real rather than statistical: rents and prices are genuinely lower than in the main centres. The figures worth watching are the changes between Censuses rather than the levels, because several of these areas moved a long way between 2018 and 2023 as buyers priced out of Wellington looked north.
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Every area in
Median weekly rent paid by renting households in the 2023 Census. Areas with fewer than 100 households, or with no figure published, are not listed: a Census figure for a very small area carries more random rounding than meaning.
| Area | District | Median rent | Owned or in trust | Households |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aokautere | Palmerston North City | $400 | 91% | 258 |
| Aokautere Rural | Palmerston North City | $300 | 91% | 351 |
| Ashhurst | Palmerston North City | $424 | 82% | 1,131 |
| Awahuri | Manawatu District | $350 | 81% | 780 |
| Awapuni North | Palmerston North City | $410 | 53% | 1,272 |
| Awapuni South | Palmerston North City | $480 | 75% | 1,215 |
| Bastia-Durie Hill | Whanganui District | $350 | 82% | 909 |
| Brunswick-Papaiti | Whanganui District | $330 | 89% | 549 |
| Bulls | Rangitikei District | $320 | 63% | 768 |
| Castlecliff East | Whanganui District | $395 | 68% | 723 |
| Castlecliff West | Whanganui District | $380 | 70% | 693 |
| Cloverlea (Palmerston North City) | Palmerston North City | $450 | 69% | 744 |
| College Estate | Whanganui District | $360 | 73% | 480 |
| Cornmarket | Whanganui District | $300 | 46% | 723 |
| Dannevirke East | Tararua District | $280 | 67% | 1,356 |
| Dannevirke West | Tararua District | $300 | 75% | 909 |
| Donnelly Park | Horowhenua District | $402 | 70% | 474 |
| Esplanade | Palmerston North City | $400 | 47% | 786 |
| Fairfield (Horowhenua District) | Horowhenua District | $360 | 74% | 585 |
| Feilding Central | Manawatu District | $350 | 57% | 417 |
| Fitzherbert | Palmerston North City | $660 | 88% | 606 |
| Foxton Beach | Horowhenua District | $350 | 79% | 930 |
| Foxton North | Horowhenua District | $350 | 68% | 591 |
| Foxton South | Horowhenua District | $336 | 67% | 723 |
| Gonville North | Whanganui District | $305 | 57% | 1,062 |
| Gonville South | Whanganui District | $350 | 69% | 780 |
| Gonville West | Whanganui District | $192 | 50% | 675 |
| Highbury East | Palmerston North City | $250 | 52% | 927 |
| Hokowhitu Central | Palmerston North City | $450 | 73% | 930 |
| Hokowhitu East | Palmerston North City | $500 | 67% | 1,182 |
| Hokowhitu South | Palmerston North City | $465 | 63% | 693 |
| Kaitawa | Tararua District | $186 | 66% | 237 |
| Kaitoke-Fordell | Whanganui District | $300 | 88% | 606 |
| Kauwhata | Manawatu District | $340 | 77% | 714 |
| Kawiu North | Horowhenua District | $480 | 83% | 723 |
| Kawiu South | Horowhenua District | $420 | 69% | 963 |
| Kelvin Grove North | Palmerston North City | $570 | 85% | 771 |
| Kelvin Grove West | Palmerston North City | $450 | 67% | 879 |
| Kere Kere | Horowhenua District | $200 | 65% | 381 |
| Kimberley | Horowhenua District | $360 | 78% | 180 |
| Kimbolton North | Manawatu District | $350 | 79% | 1,362 |
| Kimbolton South | Manawatu District | $380 | 75% | 795 |
| Kimbolton West | Manawatu District | $346 | 60% | 1,008 |
| Kiwitea | Manawatu District | $210 | 73% | 576 |
| Laird Park | Whanganui District | $350 | 54% | 918 |
| Levin Central | Horowhenua District | $290 | 49% | 516 |
| Linton Camp | Palmerston North City | $272 | 16% | 210 |
| Lower Aramoho | Whanganui District | $280 | 65% | 759 |
| Makahika | Horowhenua District | $420 | 80% | 411 |
| Makino | Manawatu District | $400 | 74% | 1,098 |
| Makomako | Horowhenua District | $400 | 59% | 564 |
| Mangatainoka | Tararua District | $200 | 72% | 711 |
| Maraetarata | Palmerston North City | $490 | 84% | 537 |
| Marton North | Rangitikei District | $300 | 74% | 1,323 |
| Marton Rural | Rangitikei District | $230 | 78% | 402 |
| Marton South | Rangitikei District | $366 | 75% | 864 |
| Milson North | Palmerston North City | $450 | 79% | 1,011 |
| Milson South | Palmerston North City | $450 | 69% | 1,161 |
| Milverton | Palmerston North City | $410 | 38% | 690 |
| Miranui | Horowhenua District | $300 | 76% | 669 |
| Mokai Patea | Rangitikei District | $165 | 65% | 702 |
| Mount Taylor | Manawatu District | $555 | 94% | 204 |
| Mowhanau | Whanganui District | $259 | 82% | 516 |
| National Park | Ruapehu District | $320 | 64% | 519 |
| Newbury | Palmerston North City | $330 | 79% | 675 |
| Ngapuke | Ruapehu District | $200 | 75% | 528 |
| Nireaha-Eketāhuna | Tararua District | $246 | 74% | 612 |
| Norsewood | Tararua District | $246 | 77% | 636 |
| Oroua Downs | Manawatu District | $240 | 78% | 570 |
| Otairi | Rangitikei District | $250 | 68% | 510 |
| Otamatea (Whanganui District) | Whanganui District | $363 | 89% | 726 |
| Otangiwai-Ōhura | Ruapehu District | $150 | 64% | 468 |
| Owahanga | Tararua District | $150 | 71% | 294 |
| Pahiatua | Tararua District | $290 | 75% | 1,092 |
| Palmerston North Central | Palmerston North City | $326 | 20% | 384 |
| Palmerston North Hospital | Palmerston North City | $400 | 59% | 948 |
| Papaioea North | Palmerston North City | $360 | 45% | 1,092 |
| Papaioea South | Palmerston North City | $360 | 39% | 870 |
| Papatawa | Tararua District | $238 | 76% | 516 |
| Parewanui | Rangitikei District | $250 | 69% | 342 |
| Park West | Palmerston North City | $320 | 73% | 786 |
| Pihauatua | Palmerston North City | $312 | 84% | 378 |
| Playford Park | Horowhenua District | $390 | 61% | 723 |
| Pohangina-Apiti | Manawatu District | $200 | 81% | 498 |
| Poutoa | Palmerston North City | $570 | 89% | 849 |
| Putiki | Whanganui District | $200 | 84% | 282 |
| Queenwood (Horowhenua District) | Horowhenua District | $385 | 62% | 912 |
| Raetihi | Ruapehu District | $250 | 68% | 363 |
| Roslyn (Palmerston North City) | Palmerston North City | $390 | 50% | 912 |
| Royal Oak (Palmerston North City) | Palmerston North City | $600 | 88% | 966 |
| Ruahine | Palmerston North City | $450 | 80% | 663 |
| Ruamahanga | Palmerston North City | $444 | 64% | 1,005 |
| Sandon | Manawatu District | $380 | 80% | 903 |
| Shannon | Horowhenua District | $280 | 76% | 567 |
| Springvale East | Whanganui District | $400 | 81% | 663 |
| Springvale North | Whanganui District | $480 | 91% | 171 |
| Springvale West | Whanganui District | $420 | 80% | 684 |
| St Johns Hill East | Whanganui District | $450 | 83% | 501 |
| St Johns Hill West | Whanganui District | $400 | 82% | 915 |
| Taihape | Rangitikei District | $250 | 67% | 708 |
| Taikorea | Manawatu District | $300 | 72% | 477 |
| Taitoko | Horowhenua District | $380 | 53% | 669 |
| Takaro North | Palmerston North City | $400 | 53% | 1,260 |
| Takaro South | Palmerston North City | $400 | 57% | 930 |
| Tangiwai | Ruapehu District | $190 | 65% | 585 |
| Taonui | Manawatu District | $294 | 85% | 663 |
| Tararua | Horowhenua District | $358 | 79% | 825 |
| Taumarunui Central | Ruapehu District | $258 | 55% | 675 |
| Taumarunui East | Ruapehu District | $290 | 63% | 615 |
| Taumarunui North | Ruapehu District | $290 | 62% | 633 |
| Terrace End | Palmerston North City | $300 | 49% | 1,332 |
| Titoki | Whanganui District | $350 | 66% | 1,122 |
| Tokorangi | Manawatu District | $300 | 86% | 855 |
| Tremaine | Palmerston North City | $348 | 44% | 129 |
| Turakina | Rangitikei District | $200 | 74% | 492 |
| Upper Aramoho | Whanganui District | $346 | 75% | 870 |
| Upper Whanganui | Whanganui District | $150 | 67% | 441 |
| Waikawa (Horowhenua District) | Horowhenua District | $320 | 82% | 408 |
| Waiopehu | Horowhenua District | $450 | 69% | 555 |
| Waitahora | Tararua District | $150 | 66% | 231 |
| Waitarere | Horowhenua District | $350 | 83% | 1,011 |
| Waiōuru | Ruapehu District | $170 | 18% | 237 |
| Warwick | Manawatu District | $360 | 67% | 702 |
| Wembley Park | Whanganui District | $350 | 67% | 681 |
| West End | Palmerston North City | $370 | 41% | 1,155 |
| Westbrook | Palmerston North City | $320 | 58% | 1,047 |
| Whakarongo | Palmerston North City | $350 | 86% | 603 |
| Whanganui Central | Whanganui District | $360 | 41% | 312 |
| Whanganui East-Riverlands | Whanganui District | $293 | 68% | 942 |
| Whanganui East-Williams Domain | Whanganui District | $320 | 67% | 969 |
| Woodville | Tararua District | $300 | 74% | 690 |
| Ōhakea-Sanson | Manawatu District | $272 | 72% | 477 |
| Ōhakune | Ruapehu District | $260 | 62% | 516 |
| Ōhau-Manakau | Horowhenua District | $400 | 84% | 876 |
Where these numbers come from
Stats NZ 2023 Census household tables by statistical area 2, with 2013 and 2018 for comparison, used with attribution. Counts are randomly rounded to base three, and rent and income are measured over different households and must not be divided into each other: how to read this data covers the five rules in full.