Levin, New Zealand

Levin
Taitoko (Māori)
Secondary urban area
Intersection of Queen and Oxford Streets
Intersection of Queen and Oxford Streets
Map
Interactive map of Levin
Coordinates: 40°37′19″S 175°17′12″E / 40.62194°S 175.28667°E / -40.62194; 175.28667
CountryNew Zealand
RegionManawatū-Whanganui
Territorial authorityHorowhenua District
Wards
  • Levin General Ward
  • Waiopehu General Ward
  • Horowhenua Māori Ward
Named afterWilliam Hort Levin
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityHorowhenua District Council
 • Regional councilHorizons Regional Council
 • Horowhenua MayorBernie Wanden[1]
 • Ōtaki MPTim Costley[2]
 • Te Tai Hauāuru MPDebbie Ngarewa-Packer[3]
Area
[4]
 • Urban
22.91 km2 (8.85 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2025)[5]
 • Urban
20,500
 • Urban density895/km2 (2,320/sq mi)
Postcode
5510
Area code06
Queen Street, with the clock tower visible on the left

Levin (/ləˈvɪn/; Māori: Taitoko) is the largest town and seat of the Horowhenua District, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located east of Lake Horowhenua, around 95 km (59 mi) north of Wellington and 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Palmerston North.

The town has a population of 20,500 (June 2025),[5] making it the 30th largest urban area in New Zealand, and third largest in Manawatū-Whanganui behind Palmerston North and Whanganui.

Levin is a service centre for the surrounding rural area, and a centre for light manufacturing.

To the west of the main town lies Lake Horowhenua, which covers some 3.9 km2 (1.5 sq mi). It is currently undergoing regeneration.

History

19th century

The area now occupied by Levin was connected to both Wellington and Palmerston North by railway in 1886. The area was surveyed in 1888, and European settlement began following the sale of suburban and rural sections, which commenced on 19 March 1889.

The town was named after William Hort Levin, a director of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company.[6]

The name is a variation of the Jewish clan name Levi. Unlike the usual pronunciation of the surname, stress is placed on the second syllable of the word. William Hort Levin's great-grandson, Peter Levin, claims his forebear would have pronounced his surname as Levene, and that this pronunciation was in common use for many years and is always used by the family.[7]

20th century—present

Levin was made a borough in 1906.

The Levin clock tower was built in 1999 as a donation by the Levin Rotary Club after some fundraising.[8][9] It was described as "iconic" to the town by the Manawatū Standard. It has four clocks, one for every side, each with an independent motor, and has a temperature gauge.[9]

2024 car rally

On Saturday, 1 June 2024 a car rally locally known as "the Levin car invasion" took place.[10] With 200 cars and 500 people[11] in attendance, they started at the intersection of Queen Street and State Highway 57 before the police removed them. The convoy then moved to Miro Street in Ōtaki before returning to Levin, now at the intersection of State Highway 1 and Queen Street. Once they arrived back in Levin, the Police tried to stop the group however the police were attacked. In an interview the "organizer" said "What we're doing is illegal, but until we get a proper skid pad or somewhere safe to do it we're going to keep doing it on the streets."[12]

Marae

Kawiu Marae and Te Huia o Raukura meeting house, located just north of the town, are a meeting place for Muaūpoko.[13][14]

In October 2020, the Government committed $945,445 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade Kawiu Marae and nearby Kohuturoa Marae, creating 50 jobs.[15]

Demographics

Levin is described by Stats NZ as a medium urban area, which covers 22.91 km2 (8.85 sq mi).[4] It had an estimated population of 20,500 as of June 2025, with a population density of 895 people per km2.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
200615,972—    
201316,254+0.25%
201817,775+1.81%
202319,533+1.90%
The 2006 population is for a smaller area of 22.43 km2.
Source: [16][17]

Levin had a population of 19,533 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,758 people (9.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 3,279 people (20.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 9,303 males, 10,158 females, and 72 people of other genders in 7,578 dwellings.[18] 2.9% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 43.7 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 3,633 people (18.6%) aged under 15 years, 3,345 (17.1%) aged 15 to 29, 7,359 (37.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 5,196 (26.6%) aged 65 or older.[16]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 74.8% European (Pākehā); 29.2% Māori; 10.2% Pasifika; 6.1% Asian; 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.2%, Māori by 6.0%, Samoan by 3.1%, and other languages by 7.4%. No language could be spoken by 2.0% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 16.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.[16]

Religious affiliations were 34.1% Christian, 1.0% Hindu, 0.3% Islam, 1.4% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.6% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.0% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 52.7%, and 8.7% of people did not answer the census question.[16]

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,680 (10.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 8,724 (54.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 5,499 (34.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $29,600, compared with $41,500 nationally. 663 people (4.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 6,207 (39.0%) full-time, 1,824 (11.5%) part-time, and 612 (3.8%) unemployed.[16]

Individual statistical areas
Name Area
(km2)		 Population Density
(per km2)		 Dwellings Median age Median
income
Donnelly Park 1.90 1,317 693 477 43.4 years $30,400[19]
Kawiu South 1.02 2,553 2,505 969 40.9 years $32,700[20]
Makomako 0.86 1,467 1,706 570 40.9 years $31,700[21]
Kawiu North 1.76 1,962 1,115 726 46.2 years $35,400[22]
Levin Central 1.05 1,161 1,106 525 47.7 years $27,200[23]
Tararua 11.23 1,857 165 831 62.3 years $27,200[24]
Queenwood 0.83 2,208 2,660 918 44.9 years $27,900[25]
Playford Park 0.85 1,845 2,171 729 37.6 years $31,300[26]
Fairfield 1.74 1,590 914 594 45.0 years $29,900[27]
Taitoko 0.92 2,025 2,201 675 34.3 years $28,100[28]
Waiopehu 0.76 1,554 2,045 561 39.0 years $29,500[29]
New Zealand 38.1 years $41,500

Economy

Retail

Levin Mall

The Levin Mall covers 791 m2, with 14 retailers including a Farmers department store.[30]

Transport

Levin lies on State Highway 1, which forms the town's main street, Oxford Street. State Highway 57 forms the eastern boundary of the town, and meets State Highway 1 between Levin and the Ohau River, Wellington.

Levin is on the North Island Main Trunk with a station used by the Capital Connection long distance commuter train between Wellington and Palmerston North.[31] It is also served by 8 InterCity buses a day each way.[32]

Buses run for shoppers to Waikanae on Tuesdays and Thursdays[33] and on Fridays to Shannon, Foxton Beach, Foxton and Waitarere Beach.[34] A commuter bus runs via Foxton to Palmerston North.[33]

Schools

Further information: List of schools in Manawatū-Whanganui § Horowhenua District

There are nine schools in the Levin urban area:[35]

  • Fairfield School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school[36] with a roll of 384. It opened in 1963.[37]
  • Horowhenua College is a state secondary (Year 9–13) school[38] with a roll of 923. It opened in 1940,[39] replacing the secondary department of Levin District High School, which opened in 1905.[40]: The Second Decade 
  • 'Levin East School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school[41] with a roll of 441. It opened in 1953.[42]
  • Levin Intermediate is a state intermediate (Year 7–8) school[43] with a roll of 302. It opened in 1971.[44]
  • Levin North School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school[45] with a roll of 238. It opened in 1954.[40]: The Seventh Decade 
  • Levin School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school[46] with a roll of 256. It opened in 1890. In 1903 it merged with Horowhenua School (which began in 1894 as State Farm School)[40]: The First Decade  on a new site. Secondary education was added in 1905, and it became Levin District High School. When Horowhenua College opened in 1940, it went back to being a primary school.[40]
  • St Joseph's School is a state-integrated Catholic full primary (Year 1–8) school[47] with a roll of 197. It opened in 1920.[48]
  • Taitoko School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school[49] with a roll of 236. It opened in 1969.[50]
  • Waiopehu College is a state secondary (Year 9–13) school.[51]It opened in 1973 and has a roll of 523. It opened in 1973.[52]

All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of October 2025,[35]

Notable people

Main category: People from Levin, New Zealand

Climate

Climate data for Levin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1895–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 32.6
(90.7) 		31.1
(88.0) 		31.0
(87.8) 		28.7
(83.7) 		24.3
(75.7) 		20.6
(69.1) 		21.0
(69.8) 		20.5
(68.9) 		23.0
(73.4) 		26.1
(79.0) 		27.8
(82.0) 		29.7
(85.5) 		32.6
(90.7)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 27.2
(81.0) 		26.8
(80.2) 		25.7
(78.3) 		22.9
(73.2) 		20.1
(68.2) 		17.4
(63.3) 		16.4
(61.5) 		17.1
(62.8) 		18.9
(66.0) 		20.6
(69.1) 		22.7
(72.9) 		25.3
(77.5) 		28.5
(83.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 22.1
(71.8) 		22.6
(72.7) 		21.1
(70.0) 		18.5
(65.3) 		16.0
(60.8) 		13.6
(56.5) 		13.1
(55.6) 		13.8
(56.8) 		15.0
(59.0) 		16.3
(61.3) 		18.0
(64.4) 		20.3
(68.5) 		17.5
(63.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 17.7
(63.9) 		18.0
(64.4) 		16.3
(61.3) 		13.9
(57.0) 		11.8
(53.2) 		9.5
(49.1) 		8.8
(47.8) 		9.6
(49.3) 		11.1
(52.0) 		12.6
(54.7) 		14.0
(57.2) 		16.3
(61.3) 		13.3
(55.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 13.3
(55.9) 		13.4
(56.1) 		11.6
(52.9) 		9.3
(48.7) 		7.5
(45.5) 		5.3
(41.5) 		4.5
(40.1) 		5.4
(41.7) 		7.1
(44.8) 		8.9
(48.0) 		10.0
(50.0) 		12.3
(54.1) 		9.1
(48.3)
Mean minimum °C (°F) 6.0
(42.8) 		6.2
(43.2) 		4.7
(40.5) 		2.2
(36.0) 		0.5
(32.9) 		−1.5
(29.3) 		−1.7
(28.9) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		−0.3
(31.5) 		1.5
(34.7) 		2.6
(36.7) 		5.1
(41.2) 		−2.4
(27.7)
Record low °C (°F) −0.2
(31.6) 		0.0
(32.0) 		−0.6
(30.9) 		−1.1
(30.0) 		−3.9
(25.0) 		−4.4
(24.1) 		−5.4
(22.3) 		−5.3
(22.5) 		−3.3
(26.1) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		0.0
(32.0) 		0.0
(32.0) 		−5.4
(22.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 66.0
(2.60) 		80.5
(3.17) 		65.7
(2.59) 		84.6
(3.33) 		91.3
(3.59) 		102.0
(4.02) 		93.8
(3.69) 		88.6
(3.49) 		95.3
(3.75) 		96.6
(3.80) 		90.3
(3.56) 		99.2
(3.91) 		1,053.9
(41.5)
Source: NIWA[53][54][55]

References

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  2. ^ "Ōtaki – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Te Tai Hauāuru - Official Result". Retrieved 20 April 2025.
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  6. ^ Levin in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
  7. ^ Tuckey, Karoline. "Councillor wants to change the name of Levin, the NZ town that no-one pronounces correctly". stuff.co.nz.
  8. ^ Williams, Paul (15 March 2019). "High time for a change: Levin town clock gets new motors". Horowhenua Chronicle. Retrieved 5 May 2024 – via The New Zealand Herald.
  9. ^ a b Loo, Alex (6 February 2019). "Levin's iconic clock tower four sheets to the wind after motor failures". Manawatū Standard. Retrieved 5 May 2024 – via Stuff.
  10. ^ "Arrests made following antisocial road user activity, Levin".
  11. ^ "Stuff".
  12. ^ "'We're coming back': Levin boy racer organiser says more to come".
  13. ^ "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
  14. ^ "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
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  17. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Donnelly Park (234700), Kawiu South (234900), Makomako (235000), Kawiu North (235100), Levin Central (235200), Tararua (235300), Queenwood (Horowhenua District) (235500), Playford Park (235600), Fairfield (Horowhenua District) (235700), Taitoko (235800) and Waiopehu (235900).
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  20. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Kawiu South. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Makomako. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Kawiu North. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Levin Central. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Tararua. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Queenwood (Horowhenua District). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  26. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Playford Park. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Fairfield (Horowhenua District). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  28. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Taitoko. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Waiopehu. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  30. ^ "Levin Mall (191–197 Oxford Street)". thompsonpropertygroup.co.nz. Thompson Property Group.
  31. ^ "Capital Connection". Great Journeys of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  32. ^ "Search Results". www.intercity.co.nz. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  33. ^ a b "Did you know Horizons Regional Council provides three public bus services in the Horowhenua District?" (PDF). 15 July 2018.
  34. ^ "Day Out in Town Bus timetable change". Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  35. ^ a b "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  36. ^ "Fairfield School - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  37. ^ Williams, Paul (26 May 2023). "Fairfield School rings bell for reunion". Horowhenua Chronicle.
  38. ^ "Horowhenua College - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  39. ^ "School History". Horowhenua College. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  40. ^ a b c d "Levin School Centennial 1890-1990".
  41. ^ "Levin East School - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  42. ^ "Home". Levin East School. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  43. ^ "Levin Intermediate - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  44. ^ "Foundation staff of Levin Intermediate (1971)". The Weekend Chronicle. 11 November 2000 – via Kete Horowhenua.
  45. ^ "Levin North School - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  46. ^ "Levin School - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  47. ^ "St Joseph's School - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  48. ^ "About Us". St Joseph's School. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  49. ^ "Taitoko School - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  50. ^ "Opening of Taitoko School 1969". Digital NZ. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  51. ^ "Waiopehu College - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  52. ^ "Our School". Waiopehu College. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  53. ^ "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Levin Aws". NIWA. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  54. ^ "CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent numbers: 3275, 3277)". NIWA. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  55. ^ "Monthly climate summaries". NIWA. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfield_School_(Levin)