The 7 best suburbs in Tauranga: Ranked by locals

• Tauranga may be a small city, but it’s got big city traffic. The Welcome Bay Rd / Maungatapu roundabout, Totara Road near the port, and the Hairini Bridge, are possibly the worst areas, but there are several other choke points. Before you buy make sure you simulate your commute during the school term so you understand what you’re in for.
• Schools should be considered: if you’ve got kids, or you want them, it’s worth looking closely at the schools in the immediate area - as in Tauranga there are lots of boys or girls only, and Christian schools. If your child is going to a state school you’ll need to live in-zone in most cases, so check zoning areas here before choosing a location. 
• Spend time at night before you buy or rent: some suburbs, like parts of Welcome Bay, have problems with noise and boy racers at night, particularly on the weekend - easy to miss if you only view properties by day. Drive through any street you're considering on a weekend evening and spend a little time there if you can.
• Watch out for the smell: some areas close to the port and industrial area in Mt Maunganui have a noticeable smell, so visit during the day at different times if you’re considering buying or renting there.
• Look out for leaky homes: Tauranga has the second highest proportion of leaky homes in the country after Auckland, and these can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix. Here’s a guide to help you identify them.

We considered (almost) everything people care about when buying or renting a home. That includes, the commute into town, safety, community, the types of houses available, local amenities like parks, and the lifestyle on offer for residents. We didn’t control for price, so many of the more expensive suburbs did end up near the top of the rankings (but there are still affordable areas included).

Median HomesEstimate: $1.01m

Matua is one of Tauranga’s most desirable and expensive neighbourhoods, with good reason. It’s slightly out of town, and tucked away on a peninsula so it’s nice and quiet, with a good primary school, and estuary or sea views. Despite that, the commute to central Tauranga is short, missing most of the worst traffic on the Tauranga Harbour Bridge.

Homes here are mostly older, and established, with beautifully landscaped gardens, and there are parks and green spaces everywhere. A great place for young families, retirees, and those who want proximity to town without the hustle and bustle.

Median HomesEstimate: $1.07m

Bethlehem is a large suburb south west of the town centre that’s popular with retirees and young families (a third of the population here is over 65, and nearly 15% are under 15). It’s beautifully established, with a green semi-rural feel despite its central location, and it’s in-zone for one of the best schools in the city - Bethlehem College, which goes from year 1 to 13.

The area has its own town centre with 50+ stores, including a Woolworths, and plenty of eateries, and is packed with great cycling and walking paths, parks, and even a spa with thermal mineral pools. Bethlehem is growing fast and there’s a mix of established homes and newer developments, but houses here don’t come cheap.

Median HomesEstimate: $895k

Otumoetai is one of Tauranga’s oldest suburbs, and a bit of a quiet performer. Sure, it’s not as prestigious as neighbouring Matua, but there’s a lot to recommend here - quiet, leafy streets, lots of families, and a mix of older, stately homes and new developments. It's also close to parks, Tauranga harbour, and great schools.

The area has lots of charm, and safe streets, without the traffic headaches and long commutes you get in the beach suburbs (or the $1m+ average house prices). You can get to town from here in 10-15 minutes at peak times, and it's walkable or cyclable unlike most suburbs.

Median HomesEstimate: $825k

Papamoa is Tauranga’s largest and fastest growing suburb, stretching east along the coast from Mt Maunganui. It’s a great spot for families and young people, with spacious homes, an incredible beach, a regional park chock-full of walks, a super chill beachy atmosphere, and some of Tauranga’s best eateries (shoutout Lantern and Gather Cafe). The Sands Papamoa Beach is a $1 billion development, set to be the largest shopping centre in the Bay of Plenty when it’s completed (stage one is open, stage two and three are opening in 2026, and more development is coming in 2027).

There are plenty of established homes in the area, but there are also new developments, including more affordable options. The commute from here can be brutal, so if you’re going into Tauranga for work consider looking at the older western part of the suburb.

Median HomesEstimate: $1.05m

Mount Maunganui, or the Mount, is Tauranga’s most iconic area. It's home to a stunning white sand beach, and is perfect for those who want to blend an outdoor, coastal lifestyle with cosmopolitan city convenience. Think paddleboarding, surfing, or walking up the mountain after work. Maybe a little retail therapy at the local shops or nearby Bayfair Shopping Centre, a cocktail at a trendy bar, takeaway, or fine dining at the waterfront.

This suburb is dreamy, but there’s a big catch. Despite its proximity, the commute to town can be long, and the homes here are extremely expensive - properties on the beach can fetch north of $5 million.

Median HomesEstimate: $855k 

If you want to skip the traffic, live car-free, and have a walking/biking commute Tauranga Central is the best place to live. It's packed with young professionals and young families, and it's undergoing a genuine resurgence at the moment - lots of investment in public spaces, plus new commercial and residential development.

The area had a tough time over the last several years, but recently it’s been on the up and the future looks very promising.

The catch: There are great shops here, but you’ll need to visit the suburbs for a supermarket or big box stores like Mitre 10. There are also fewer large sections than most other areas, and more townhouses/apartments, so the area may not suit those who want lots of space.

Median HomesEstimate: $770k

Brookfield is the sensible home buyer’s choice - it’s affordable (for Tauranga), has a good location between the Mount and the city, and the traffic is notably better than many other suburbs. The commute to the city takes around 10 minutes. It doesn’t have the prestige of Matua, or the lifestyle of the Mount, or even many cafes or eateries - but it does have a New World, and the average home here is almost a quarter million dollars cheaper than those suburbs. It also has reasonably large sections, and lots of solid brick and tile homes built in the 60s and later.

You will most likely end up leaving the suburb frequently to go to the beach, eat out, or drop the kids at school, but thanks to lower house prices and short commutes you might have more time and money to do so.