Palmerston North Central

Palmerston North CityManawatū-Whanganui Region
Last updated:

Safety Score (12-month average)

5

Crime rate

2,041.9 per 1,000

Population 1,050

Total crimes (past 12 months)

2,144

Trend (last 3 months)

▼ 9.4%

vs previous 3-month period

Regional rank

#1 / 143

Top 1%

Safety Score (NZCHI)

Updated August 2026

Palmerston North Central Overview

Crime Count
No data
0
20
50
100
Assault
Sexual offences
Robbery, blackmail, and extortion
Burglary
Theft

Most common offences by count were theft (80.6%), assault (9.8%), and burglary (8.1%). Percentages show share of offence counts in the selected time frame.

Crime Summary

The annual total crime rate in Palmerston North Central is 2041.9 crimes per thousand residents, placing it at rank 1 within Manawatū-Whanganui Region. The overall crime trend in the area has remained the same in recent months with criminal activity peaking in Dec 2025, Jan 2026, Mar 2026.

Crime activity peaked in December 2025, January 2026, and March 2026.

Palmerston North Central crime statistics: common questions

Is Palmerston North Central safe?

Palmerston North Central recorded 2,144 offences in the last 12 months, a rate of 2,041.9 per 1,000 residents across about 1,050 residents. These are offences recorded by New Zealand Police, which reflect what was reported and recorded rather than all crime that occurred.

What is the crime rate in Palmerston North Central?

The crime rate in Palmerston North Central is 2,041.9 offences per 1,000 residents over the last 12 months, from 2,144 recorded offences across about 1,050 residents. A rate counts offences against a suburb's resident population, so town centres and commercial areas can show high rates because offences there involve people who do not live there.

What is the most common crime in Palmerston North Central?

The most common offence category in Palmerston North Central is theft, with 1,729 recorded offences in the last 12 months — about 81% of all offences recorded there. The next most common is assault (210).

Is crime going up or down in Palmerston North Central?

Recorded offences in Palmerston North Central have fallen 9.4% over the most recent three-month period compared with the previous three months. This is a three-month comparison, not a year-on-year one, and short windows move around a lot in small areas.

How does Palmerston North Central compare with other suburbs in Manawatū-Whanganui Region?

Palmerston North Central ranks 1 of 143 suburbs in Manawatū-Whanganui Region by crime rate, where 1 is the highest rate. This is a ranking of recorded crime, not a safety rating, and it compares Palmerston North Central only with other suburbs in Manawatū-Whanganui Region — not with the rest of New Zealand.

Where does the crime data for Palmerston North Central come from?

Figures for Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North City come from New Zealand Police recorded victimisation data, published through police.govt.nz, and are grouped to Stats NZ Statistical Area 2 (SA2) boundaries. They count offences recorded by Police, so they reflect reporting and recording practice as well as underlying offending.