Where is Bethlehem in Tauranga?

Bethlehem is a western Tauranga suburb, around 7 km west of the city centre on State Highway 2. It sits between the Wairoa River and the Tauranga Harbour, bordering Brookfield and Otumoetai.

Where is Kmart Bethlehem?

Kmart Bethlehem is at the Bethlehem Town Centre on State Highway 2, the main retail anchor of the suburb. Free parking on site and frequent bus services from central Tauranga.

What is Bethlehem College?

Bethlehem College on Bethlehem Road is a state-integrated Christian co-educational school for years 1 to 13, established in 1988. It's one of the largest integrated schools in the country, with around 1,800 students.

What is the Bethlehem Town Centre?

The Bethlehem Town Centre is a major shopping complex on SH2, with around 70 retailers including Kmart, Pak'nSave, Chemist Warehouse, fashion and food. Free parking, frequent bus services.

How was Bethlehem named?

Bethlehem was named by Anglican missionary Alfred Brown, who established a mission station in the area in 1838. The biblical reference reflected the Christian mission's vision for the site, though the suburb has since outgrown the connection.

Which schools are in zone for Bethlehem?

Children living in Bethlehem are in zone for Ōtūmoetai College, Tauranga Boys' College, Tauranga Girls' College, Bethlehem School, Ōtūmoetai Intermediate. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Bethlehem?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page — enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Bethlehem, Bay of Plenty | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Bethlehem

Bethlehem is on the western edge of Tauranga, around 7 km west of the city centre, on the rising land between the Wairoa River and the Tauranga Harbour. The name was given by Anglican missionaries in the 1830s (specifically the Brown family, who established a mission station here in 1838 and presumably thought "yes, this is the right vibe for a Bethlehem"). The biblical reference is now slightly out of place in a suburb dominated by a Kmart.

Bethlehem Town Centre on State Highway 2 is one of Tauranga's largest shopping destinations: a Kmart, Chemist Warehouse, Pak'nSave and around 70 retailers, with a constant flow of vehicles through the SH2 corridor. The growth has been spectacular: Bethlehem went from orchards to fully built-out residential suburb in roughly 30 years.

Bethlehem College is the major local school: a state-integrated Christian co-ed school with primary and secondary classes, established in 1988 and now one of the largest integrated schools in the country.

Most homes are 2000s and 2010s subdivisions, with the original orchards visible only as the occasional surviving kiwifruit vine. Quieter at night than the daytime retail traffic suggests, and one of Tauranga's faster-growing residential areas right through the 2020s.

Is Bethlehem a good place to live?

Bethlehem is home to roughly 9,981 people across 10.4 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Bethlehem scores 63 out of 100, with a safety score of 56/100 and 22% green space.

Schools: Bethlehem has 21 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $1.14M, and weekly rent typically sits around $450.

Lifestyle: Bethlehem has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 9.9°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Bethlehem is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety56
Amenities100
Schools75
Housing Affordability33
Green space74
Community67
Transport30

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $1.14M
Median Weekly Rent: $450/wk
Median HH Income: $67K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +6.3%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Tauranga City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Bethlehem in Tauranga?: Bethlehem is a western Tauranga suburb, around 7 km west of the city centre on State Highway 2. It sits between the Wairoa River and the Tauranga Harbour, bordering Brookfield and Otumoetai.
Where is Kmart Bethlehem?: Kmart Bethlehem is at the Bethlehem Town Centre on State Highway 2, the main retail anchor of the suburb. Free parking on site and frequent bus services from central Tauranga.
What is Bethlehem College?: Bethlehem College on Bethlehem Road is a state-integrated Christian co-educational school for years 1 to 13, established in 1988. It's one of the largest integrated schools in the country, with around 1,800 students.
What is the Bethlehem Town Centre?: The Bethlehem Town Centre is a major shopping complex on SH2, with around 70 retailers including Kmart, Pak'nSave, Chemist Warehouse, fashion and food. Free parking, frequent bus services.
How was Bethlehem named?: Bethlehem was named by Anglican missionary Alfred Brown, who established a mission station in the area in 1838. The biblical reference reflected the Christian mission's vision for the site, though the suburb has since outgrown the connection.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Bethlehem

Schools in zone for Bethlehem

Children living in Bethlehem have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.

Ōtūmoetai College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 2031 · decile 7
Tauranga Boys' College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 2327 · decile 6
Tauranga Girls' College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1474 · decile 6
Bethlehem School
Contributing · roll 413 · decile 8
Ōtūmoetai Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 949 · decile 7

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Bethlehem. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.

Other nearby schools

Schools close to Bethlehem that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Te Wharekura o Mauao
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 289 · decile 3 · 0.2 km away
Bethlehem College
Composite · roll 2112 · decile 9 · 1.5 km away
Te Kura o Manunui
Contributing · roll 323 · decile 4 · 1.7 km away
Bellevue School (Tauranga)
Contributing · roll 294 · decile 6 · 1.8 km away
Tauranga Adventist School
Full Primary · roll 115 · decile 6 · 2.3 km away
Ōtūmoetai Primary School
Contributing · roll 544 · decile 6 · 2.4 km away
Matua School
Contributing · roll 514 · decile 9 · 3.3 km away
Te Puna School
Full Primary · roll 244 · decile 7 · 3.6 km away
Gate Pa School
Contributing · roll 374 · decile 2 · 3.7 km away
Merivale School
Contributing · roll 156 · decile 1 · 4.3 km away
Tauranga Special School
Specialist School · roll 128 · decile 5 · 4.4 km away
Greerton Village School - Te Kura o Maarawaewae
Contributing · roll 363 · decile 5 · 4.5 km away
Pillans Point School
Contributing · roll 479 · decile 8 · 4.5 km away
Tauranga Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 1229 · decile 5 · 4.5 km away
Tauranga Primary School
Contributing · roll 448 · decile 7 · 4.6 km away
Greenpark School (Tauranga)
Contributing · roll 687 · decile 8 · 4.7 km away

Explore Bethlehem

Things to do(12)

Jetts Fitness

Configure Express

Shannon Lloyd Health For All Women

Configure Express Bethlehem

Bethlehem Dojo - KRMA

Cambridge Park

Bodysense Pilates Studio

Jetts Bethlehem

Tauranga BJJ

Aspire Health and Sports

Kiaido Ryu Martial Arts

Tauranga BMX Club

Parks & green spaces(1)

Cambridge Park

Healthcare(6)

Bethlehem Medical Centre

Bethlehem Pharmacy

Unichem

Bethlehem Family Doctor

Chemist Warehouse

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	22.21	16.12	10.03	9.79
☀️ Feb	22.45	15.24	7.53	10.14
🍂 Mar	20.5	12.2	2.66	10.32
🍂 Apr	18.89	12.15	4.32	8.34
🍂 May	16.2	9.52	6.05	7.73
❄️ Jun	14.7	8.63	7.27	7.12
❄️ Jul	13.82	6.58	3.5	7.45
❄️ Aug	13.92	5.1	2.72	8.54
🌸 Sep	16.04	8.55	3.85	9.56
🌸 Oct	17.32	9.72	3.91	10.43
🌸 Nov	19.09	11.46	3.8	10.97
☀️ Dec	21.97	14.45	5.57	11.04

Living in Bethlehem

Is Bethlehem a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Bethlehem

Schools in zone for Bethlehem

Ōtūmoetai College

Tauranga Boys' College

Tauranga Girls' College

Bethlehem School

Ōtūmoetai Intermediate

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Te Wharekura o Mauao

Bethlehem College

Te Kura o Manunui

Bellevue School (Tauranga)

Tauranga Adventist School

Ōtūmoetai Primary School

Matua School

Te Puna School

Gate Pa School

Merivale School

Tauranga Special School

Greerton Village School - Te Kura o Maarawaewae

Pillans Point School

Tauranga Intermediate

Tauranga Primary School

Greenpark School (Tauranga)

Explore Bethlehem

🎯Things to do(12)

Jetts Fitness

Configure Express

Shannon Lloyd Health For All Women

Configure Express Bethlehem

Bethlehem Dojo - KRMA

Cambridge Park

Bodysense Pilates Studio

Jetts Bethlehem

Tauranga BJJ

Aspire Health and Sports

Kiaido Ryu Martial Arts

Tauranga BMX Club

🌳Parks & green spaces(1)

Cambridge Park

🏥Healthcare(6)

Bethlehem Medical Centre

Bethlehem Pharmacy

Unichem

Bethlehem Family Doctor

Chemist Warehouse

Foundation Clinic

Eat & Drink in Bethlehem

🍽️Places to eat & drink(33)

Columbus Coffee Bethlehem, Tauranga

The Orchard

Kofi Stop

The Coffee Club

McSwiggans Irish Pub

House of Spice

Gold Star Lunch Bar

Pizza Hut

Café Botannix

Turkish To Go

Somerset Cottage

Thai Palace Restaurant

Domino's

BurgerFuel Bethlehem

Hello Sushi

Domino's Pizza Bethlehem

Bloom Cafe Tga

House of Spice Bethlehem

Patrick's Pies Gold Star Bakery

Pizza Hut Bethlehem

Goode Brothers

Things to do(12)

Parks & green spaces(1)

Healthcare(6)

Places to eat & drink(33)

Tradies & services(10)

Shops(21)

Beauty & fitness(23)