Whakarongo is a suburb of Palmerston North, New Zealand, between the city and

Ashhurst Ashhurst ( - Raukawa is an aromatic plant used to make scent) is a town and outlying suburb of Palmerston North, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. Location Ashhurst is sited 14 kilometres northeast of the ...

. It is mainly rural, and features many vegetable gardens. Whakarongo was originally named ''Stoney Creek'' and along with neighbouring Kelvin Grove was part of the Stoney Creek Scandinavian and Roadmen's Block. The area was one of the first Special Settlements established by the Government (along with Karere Scandinavian Block, between Awapuni and Longburn). In 1926 the post office name was changed from Whakaronga to Whakarongo, though the names continued to be used interchangeably. The original Scandinavian settlers were the first to arrive under Vogel's Immigration and Public Works Scheme. The majority arrived on the second ship (''England'') which arrived in April 1871, with a handful from the first ship (''Celaeno'') which arrived in February 1871. The Roadmen were mainly the British 'workmates' of the Scandinavian settlers. Kelvin Grove Cemetery was established in Whakarongo in 1927. There are no parks in the area. State Highway 3 passes through Whakarongo on Napier Road. Stoney Creek Road, named after the original settlement, connects the area with

Bunnythorpe Bunnythorpe is a village in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island, north of the region's major city, Palmerston North. Dairy farms predominate the surrounding area but the community facilities include Bunnythorpe Schoo ...

Demographics

Whakarongo covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Whakarongo had a population of 1,644 at the

2018 New Zealand census The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census. Resu ...

, an increase of 237 people (16.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 474 people (40.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 570 households, comprising 834 males and 813 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.03 males per female. The median age was 43.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 318 people (19.3%) aged under 15 years, 285 (17.3%) aged 15 to 29, 795 (48.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 246 (15.0%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 90.5% European/

Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...

, 9.3%

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, 0.9% Pacific peoples, 4.2% Asian, and 2.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 11.3, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.3% had no religion, 41.2% were

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, 0.4% had

Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, 0.2% were

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, 0.4% were

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and 1.1% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 285 (21.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 237 (17.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $39,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 348 people (26.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 723 (54.5%) people were employed full-time, 234 (17.6%) were part-time, and 24 (1.8%) were unemployed.

Education

Whakarongo School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of .

References

{{Palmerston North City Suburbs of Palmerston North Populated places in Manawatū-Whanganui Populated places on the Manawatū River