Highlands Park, New Plymouth
Suburb of New Plymouth, New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Highlands Park is a suburb of the New Zealand city of New Plymouth. Tūpare, Mangorei School and Ngahere Reserve are notable features within the suburb which borders the Waiwhakaiho River.
Highlands Park | |
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 Interactive map of Highlands Park | |
| Coordinates: 39.0831782°S 174.0975057°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| City | New Plymouth |
| Local authority | New Plymouth District Council |
| Electoral ward |
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| Area | |
| • Land | 292 ha (720 acres) |
| Population (June 2025)[2] | |
• Total | 3,370 |
| • Density | 1,150/km2 (2,990/sq mi) |
| Welbourn | Merrilands | Glen Avon |
| Vogeltown |
  Highlands Park  |
|
| Ridgewood | Burgess Park |
History
In 2011, a local chapter of the Exclusive Brethren proposed building a church in Highlands Park, near most of their 40 members lived nearby. Three nearby residents supported the proposal, but three others opposed it.[3] The New Plymouth District Council declined the proposal due to noise concerns, but the Brethren appealed to the Environment Court.[4]
As of February 2019, an audit by Taranaki Regional Council found Highlands Park had low levels of recycling contamination, compared to most other New Plymouth suburbs.[5]
In June 2019, a man was arrested on arson charges, after a fire broke out in his Highlands Park home.[6]
In September 2019, a worker at a Highlands Park rest home began taking her newborn black lamb to entertain residents.[7]
Demographics
Highlands Park covers 2.92 km2 (1.13 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 3,370 as of June 2025,[2] with a population density of 1,154 people per km2.
Highlands Park (New Plymouth District) had a population of 3,387 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 69 people (2.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 378 people (12.6%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,620 males, 1,758 females, and 9 people of other genders in 1,278 dwellings.[10] 2.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 50.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 567 people (16.7%) aged under 15 years, 408 (12.0%) aged 15 to 29, 1,425 (42.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 987 (29.1%) aged 65 or older.[8]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 87.2% European (Pākehā); 8.5% Māori; 0.9% Pasifika; 9.4% Asian; 1.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.0%, Māori by 1.7%, and other languages by 10.6%. No language could be spoken by 1.0% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 22.2, compared with 28.8% nationally.[8]
Religious affiliations were 38.3% Christian, 1.4% Hindu, 1.4% Islam, 0.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.8% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 0.8% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 48.3%, and 8.8% of people did not answer the census question.[8]
Of those at least 15 years old, 726 (25.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,479 (52.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 612 (21.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $41,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 462 people (16.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,209 (42.9%) full-time, 417 (14.8%) part-time, and 45 (1.6%) unemployed.[8]