Whanganui Central

Whanganui DistrictManawatū-Whanganui Region
Last updated:

Safety Score (12-month average)

5

Crime rate

1,400.9 per 1,000

Population 681

Total crimes (past 12 months)

954

Trend (last 3 months)

▼ 3.6%

vs previous 3-month period

Regional rank

#2 / 143

Top 1%

Safety Score (NZCHI)

Updated August 2026

Whanganui Central Overview

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

Most common offences by count were theft (74.1%), assault (13.4%), and burglary (10.4%). Percentages show share of offence counts in the selected time frame.

Crime activity peaked in July 2025, January 2026, and May 2026.

Whanganui Central crime statistics: common questions

Is Whanganui Central safe?

Whanganui Central recorded 954 offences in the last 12 months, a rate of 1,400.9 per 1,000 residents across about 681 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 Whanganui Central?

The crime rate in Whanganui Central is 1,400.9 offences per 1,000 residents over the last 12 months, from 954 recorded offences across about 681 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 Whanganui Central?

The most common offence category in Whanganui Central is theft, with 707 recorded offences in the last 12 months — about 74% of all offences recorded there. The next most common is assault (128).

Is crime going up or down in Whanganui Central?

Recorded offences in Whanganui Central have fallen 3.6% 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 Whanganui Central compare with other suburbs in Manawatū-Whanganui Region?

Whanganui Central ranks 2 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 Whanganui Central only with other suburbs in Manawatū-Whanganui Region — not with the rest of New Zealand.

Where does the crime data for Whanganui Central come from?

Figures for Whanganui Central, Whanganui District 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 Whanganui Central is on SafeSuburbs.co.nz