Nukuhau

Nukuhau is a suburb of Taupō in the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island.^[3]

Nukuhau
Suburb
Coordinates: 38.681665°S 176.060733°E / -38.681665; 176.060733
Country	New Zealand
City	Taupō
Local authority	Taupō District Council
Electoral ward	Taupō General Ward
Area [1]
• Land	640 ha (1,580 acres)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	5,120

Oruanui		Rangatira Park
Kinloch	Nukuhau	Tauhara
Acacia Bay	(Lake Taupō)	Taupō Central

Demographics

Nukuhau-Rangatira Park covers 6.40 km² (2.47 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 5,120 as of June 2024,^[2] with a population density of 800 people per km².

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	3,456	—
2013	3,705	+1.00%
2018	4,332	+3.18%
2023	4,860	+2.33%
Source: [4][5]

Nukuhau-Rangatira Park had a population of 4,860 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 528 people (12.2%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 1,155 people (31.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 2,364 males, 2,487 females, and 9 people of other genders in 1,992 dwellings.^[6] 2.3% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 47.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 801 people (16.5%) aged under 15 years, 675 (13.9%) aged 15 to 29, 2,115 (43.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,269 (26.1%) aged 65 or older.^[4]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 79.8% European (Pākehā); 20.2% Māori; 2.5% Pasifika; 9.8% Asian; 1.0% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.3%, Māori by 4.9%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 10.2%. No language could be spoken by 1.4% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 21.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.^[4]

Religious affiliations were 32.3% Christian, 2.3% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 2.3% Māori religious beliefs, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 51.9%, and 8.7% of people did not answer the census question.^[4]

Of those at least 15 years old, 780 (19.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,304 (56.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 972 (23.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $39,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 420 people (10.3%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,941 (47.8%) full-time, 561 (13.8%) part-time, and 81 (2.0%) unemployed.^[4]

Individual statistical areas

Name	Area (km2)	Population	Density (per km2)	Dwellings	Median age	Median income
Brentwood	3.56	2,178	612	885	50.1 years	$38,700[7]
Nukuhau	0.81	1,560	1,926	606	39.1 years	$42,100[8]
Rangatira Park	2.04	1,122	550	501	53.3 years	$38,800[9]
New Zealand					38.1 years	$41,500

Marae

The suburb has two marae.

• Nukuhau Marae and Rauhoto meeting house is a meeting place of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa hapū of Ngāti Rauhoto and Ngāti Te Urunga.^[10][11] In October 2020, the Government committed $1,338,668 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae and 4 other Ngāti Tūwharetoa marae, creating 19 jobs.^[12]
• Te Rangiita Marae and meeting house for the Ngāti Tūwharetoa hapū of Ngāti Ruingarangi.^[10][11]

Education

St Patrick's Catholic School is a state-integrated Catholic primary school,^[13][14] with a roll of 246 as of July 2025.^[15][16] The school opened in 1997.^[17]