Papaioea South

Palmerston North CityManawatū-Whanganui Region
Last updated:

Safety Score (12-month average)

5

Crime rate

375.9 per 1,000

Population 1,881

Total crimes (past 12 months)

707

Trend (last 3 months)

▼ 7.5%

vs previous 3-month period

Regional rank

#6 / 143

Top 4%

Safety Score (NZCHI)

Updated August 2026

Papaioea South 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 (73.1%), assault (15.0%), and burglary (10.0%). Percentages show share of offence counts in the selected time frame.

Crime activity peaked in January, March, and April 2026.

Papaioea South crime statistics: common questions

Is Papaioea South safe?

Papaioea South recorded 707 offences in the last 12 months, a rate of 375.9 per 1,000 residents across about 1,881 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 Papaioea South?

The crime rate in Papaioea South is 375.9 offences per 1,000 residents over the last 12 months, from 707 recorded offences across about 1,881 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 Papaioea South?

The most common offence category in Papaioea South is theft, with 517 recorded offences in the last 12 months — about 73% of all offences recorded there. The next most common is assault (106).

Is crime going up or down in Papaioea South?

Recorded offences in Papaioea South have fallen 7.5% 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 Papaioea South compare with other suburbs in Manawatū-Whanganui Region?

Papaioea South ranks 6 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 Papaioea South only with other suburbs in Manawatū-Whanganui Region — not with the rest of New Zealand.

Where does the crime data for Papaioea South come from?

Figures for Papaioea South, 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.

Looking for a plain-English safety summary?

👉 See how safe Papaioea South is on SafeSuburbs.co.nz