[3] It has traditionally been the main commercial centre of Northland.

[4] In March 2019, Whangarei District Council decided to build a new precinct on the north-western side of the CBD.

The results were 67.1% European (Pākehā); 32.5% Māori; 5.9% Pasifika; 11.2% Asian; 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

The percentage of people born overseas was 24.5, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Of those at least 15 years old, 123 (16.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 363 (48.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 228 (30.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications.