The previous area was referred to as a small area of greater Papakura, but has now developed into a separate suburban area, stretching from south of Beach Road moving down to Park Estate Road, on the eastern border of the Auckland Southern Motorway and including the area to the west of Liverpool Street as well as conjoining Opaheke Road down to Graham Tagg Park inclusive.

During the major reformation of local government in 1989, the Rosehill area was included into the Papakura District boundaries.

As well as the former Papakura District, all other territorial authorities were merged into a single Auckland Council.

The results were 41.6% European (Pākehā); 29.3% Māori; 21.3% Pasifika; 26.8% Asian; 1.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

[4] Of those at least 15 years old, 519 (16.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,545 (48.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,134 (35.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications.

[4] The Auckland Southern Motorway runs off the western border of Rosehill, with the main Great South Road travelling through the centre of the suburb.

Train and bus services provide the bulk of public transport in the Papakura Town Centre, just to the northwest of Rosehill.

Kererū Park Campus is a full primary school (years 1–8) with a roll of 179.