It lies on State Highway 10 north-east of Awanui and Kaitaia, and south-west of Karikari Peninsula.

Kaingaroa is in an SA1 statistical area which covers 35.38 km2 (13.66 sq mi).

The results were 81.9% European (Pākehā), 34.9% Māori, 1.2% Pasifika, 1.2% Asian, and 2.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

The percentage of people born overseas was 10.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Of those at least 15 years old, 27 (13.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 114 (56.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 54 (26.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications.