Mangakakahi

Mangakakahi is a suburb of Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island.

Mangakakahi
Suburb
Sunset Fish and Chip Shop
Coordinates: 38.133281°S 176.234188°E / -38.133281; 176.234188
Country	New Zealand
City	Rotorua
Local authority	Rotorua Lakes Council
Electoral ward	Te Ipu Wai Auraki General Ward
Area [1]
• Land	281 ha (694 acres)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	2,450

Western Heights	Fairy Springs	Ohinemutu
Pukehangi	Mangakakahi
Fordlands	Utuhina	Victoria

Demographics

Mangakakahi covers 2.81 km² (1.08 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 2,450 as of June 2024,^[2] with a population density of 872 people per km².

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	2,109	—
2013	2,055	−0.37%
2018	2,244	+1.78%
2023	2,223	−0.19%
Source: [3][4]

Mangakakahi had a population of 2,223 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 21 people (−0.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 168 people (8.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,110 males, 1,101 females, and 12 people of other genders in 681 dwellings.^[5] 3.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 32.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 561 people (25.2%) aged under 15 years, 483 (21.7%) aged 15 to 29, 978 (44.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 201 (9.0%) aged 65 or older.^[3]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 52.0% European (Pākehā); 54.9% Māori; 11.1% Pasifika; 8.4% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 0.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 94.7%, Māori by 18.4%, Samoan by 0.7%, and other languages by 7.2%. No language could be spoken by 3.2% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.0, compared with 28.8% nationally.^[3]

Religious affiliations were 29.4% Christian, 0.7% Hindu, 0.3% Islam, 5.8% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.4%, and 7.7% of people did not answer the census question.^[3]

Of those at least 15 years old, 186 (11.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,008 (60.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 474 (28.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $38,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 57 people (3.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 873 (52.5%) full-time, 222 (13.4%) part-time, and 105 (6.3%) unemployed.^[3]

Individual statistical areas

Name	Area (km2)	Population	Density (per km2)	Dwellings	Median age	Median income
Mangakakahi Central	1.79	60	34	30	51.2 years	$39,300[6]
Mangakakahi West	1.02	2,163	2,121	654	31.6 years	$38,300[7]
New Zealand					38.1 years	$41,500

Education

Sunset Primary School is a co-educational state primary school,^[8] with a roll of 142 as of July 2025.^[9][10]

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hurungaterangi is a co-educational Māori language immersion school for Year 1 to 8 students,^[11] with a roll of 93.^[12] It opened in 1997 at the Hurungaterangi marae, and moved to its current site in 2005.^[13]

Te Āhuru Mōwai, formerly Rotorua School for Young Parents, is also located in Mangakakahi.^[14][15]

Sunset Intermediate School, later called Sunset Junior High School, opened in 1959 and closed in 2007.^[16][17]