Masterton is a town in the central Wairarapa, around 100 km northeast of Wellington on State Highway 2 over the Remutaka Hill. It's the largest urban centre in the Wairarapa, with a population of around 21,000.

What are the Golden Shears?

The Golden Shears is the world's most prestigious sheep-shearing competition, held annually in early March in Masterton since 1961. It draws shearers and woolhandlers from across New Zealand and internationally.

What is Queen Elizabeth Park?

Queen Elizabeth Park in central Masterton is a 32-hectare park with formal gardens, sports grounds, a deer park, miniature railway, paddling pool and walking paths. Free entry, the most-used public park in the Wairarapa.

How do you get from Wellington to Masterton?

By car, around 100 minutes via the Remutaka Hill Road on SH2. By train, the Wairarapa Connection runs from Wellington Railway Station to Masterton, taking around 110 minutes, with several services per day.

What is Hood Aerodrome?

Hood Aerodrome is a small airfield on the southern edge of Masterton, home to the Vintage Aviator collection of restored WWI and WWII aircraft. The collection runs regular flying days and is one of the country's most significant aviation heritage operations.

Which schools are in zone for Masterton?

Children living in Masterton are in zone for Douglas Park School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Masterton?

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.

Masterton, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Masterton

Masterton is the largest town in the Wairarapa, sitting in the middle of the valley around 100 km northeast of Wellington over the Remutaka Hill. Population is around 21,000, which makes it the largest urban centre between Wellington and Palmerston North on the east coast. It was founded in 1854 alongside Greytown as part of the Small Farms Association settlement.

Queen Elizabeth Park in central Masterton is the standout local feature: 32 hectares of gardens, lawns, a deer park, miniature railway, sports grounds and a paddling pool. Henley Lake just east of town is a 30-hectare wetland reserve with walking paths and abundant birdlife. The Wairarapa River runs along the western edge.

Masterton hosts the Golden Shears, the world's most prestigious sheep-shearing competition, run annually in March since 1961. Hood Aerodrome on the southern side of town is home to the Vintage Aviator collection, one of the country's best WWI and WWII aircraft displays, with regular flying days through the year.

Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History on Bruce Street is the regional museum and gallery. The town centre runs along Queen Street, with practical retail rather than the boutique gloss of Greytown or Martinborough. Pukaha Mt Bruce wildlife centre is 35 minutes north.

Is Masterton a good place to live?

Masterton is home to roughly 8,385 people. On Suburb's overall livability scale, Masterton scores 58 out of 100, with a safety score of 42/100 and 11% green space.

Schools: Masterton has 15 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 $503K, and weekly rent typically sits around $350.

Lifestyle: Masterton has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 8.8°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Masterton 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

Safety42
Amenities100
Schools58
Housing Affordability75
Green space36
Community10
Transport30

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $503K
Median Weekly Rent: $350/wk
Median HH Income: $62K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): -9.7%
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 Masterton District →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Masterton?: Masterton is a town in the central Wairarapa, around 100 km northeast of Wellington on State Highway 2 over the Remutaka Hill. It's the largest urban centre in the Wairarapa, with a population of around 21,000.
What are the Golden Shears?: The Golden Shears is the world's most prestigious sheep-shearing competition, held annually in early March in Masterton since 1961. It draws shearers and woolhandlers from across New Zealand and internationally.
What is Queen Elizabeth Park?: Queen Elizabeth Park in central Masterton is a 32-hectare park with formal gardens, sports grounds, a deer park, miniature railway, paddling pool and walking paths. Free entry, the most-used public park in the Wairarapa.
How do you get from Wellington to Masterton?: By car, around 100 minutes via the Remutaka Hill Road on SH2. By train, the Wairarapa Connection runs from Wellington Railway Station to Masterton, taking around 110 minutes, with several services per day.
What is Hood Aerodrome?: Hood Aerodrome is a small airfield on the southern edge of Masterton, home to the Vintage Aviator collection of restored WWI and WWII aircraft. The collection runs regular flying days and is one of the country's most significant aviation heritage operations.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Masterton

Schools in zone for Masterton

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

Douglas Park School
Contributing · roll 325 · decile 5

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Masterton. 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 Masterton that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

St Patrick's School (Masterton)
Contributing · roll 220 · decile 5 · 0.7 km away
St Matthew's Collegiate (Masterton)
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 277 · decile 9 · 1.0 km away
Wairarapa College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 955 · decile 3 · 1.3 km away
Chanel College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 346 · decile 5 · 1.4 km away
Mākoura College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 357 · 1.5 km away
TKKM o Wairarapa
Composite · roll 160 · decile 2 · 1.5 km away
Lakeview School
Full Primary · roll 575 · decile 2 · 1.5 km away
Puawānanga Wairarapa Young Parents
Teen Parent Unit · decile 1 · 1.5 km away
Masterton Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 335 · decile 4 · 1.9 km away
Masterton Primary School
Contributing · roll 247 · decile 3 · 2.0 km away
Hadlow Preparatory School
Full Primary · roll 190 · decile 9 · 2.1 km away
Solway College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 207 · decile 7 · 2.7 km away
Fernridge School
Contributing · roll 196 · decile 6 · 4.1 km away
Solway School
Contributing · roll 233 · decile 6 · 4.2 km away

Explore Masterton

Things to do(42)

Wairarapa Bush Rugby

The Hubb

City Fitnessstudio

Mandy's Gymnasium

Trust House Recreation Centre

Master Bowl Ltd

Memorial Park, Masterton

Riaka Reformer Studio

Masterton Muay Thai

Wai Weight Gym

SASSFit Masterton

Genesis Energy Recreation Centre

Queen Elizabeth Park Oval

Douglas Villa AFC

Wairarapa Boxing Academy

Hiit Club

Masterton Young citizens boxing club

Shape Shop Masterton

Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Football Union

Masterton Netball Courts

Mcjarrow Park

CLM Health & Fitness

Masterton Squash Club

Flex Fitness Masterton - 24hr / 7day Gym

Undisputed MMA Masterton

Masterton Bowling Club

KTS Dance NZ

Memorial Park Masterton

Body Boost Limited

Nga Totara Dojo

Geraldine Inder School of Dance and Drama

The Fortitude Gym

CityFitness

Masterton Tramping Club

Dance and Zumba Fitness with Keri

Netball Wairarapa

Ghost Submission Grappling

Red Star Squash Club

Queen Elizabeth Park

Colin Pugh Sportsbowl

Masterton Lawn Tennis Club

Masterton Swimming Club Inc.

Parks & green spaces(4)

Memorial Park, Masterton

Mcjarrow Park

Memorial Park Masterton

Queen Elizabeth Park

Healthcare(5)

Life Pharmacy

Unichem

Whaiora

Glenwood Masonic Hospital

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	21.97	13.38	4.23	9.16
☀️ Feb	21.85	12.89	4.44	9.58
🍂 Mar	19.34	10.45	2.16	8.95
🍂 Apr	18.08	9.74	3.57	7.12
🍂 May	15.16	7.36	3	6.74
❄️ Jun	13.34	6.03	2.34	5.61
❄️ Jul	12.57	4.91	3.26	5.97
❄️ Aug	12.59	4.21	3.23	6.43
🌸 Sep	15.11	6.54	3.76	7.53
🌸 Oct	16.65	7.72	3.12	8.42
🌸 Nov	18.06	9.9	2.71	8.97
☀️ Dec	21.21	12.75	3.65	8.44

Living in Masterton

Is Masterton a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Masterton

Schools in zone for Masterton

Douglas Park School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

St Patrick's School (Masterton)

St Matthew's Collegiate (Masterton)

Wairarapa College

Chanel College

Mākoura College

TKKM o Wairarapa

Lakeview School

Puawānanga Wairarapa Young Parents

Masterton Intermediate

Masterton Primary School

Hadlow Preparatory School

Solway College

Fernridge School

Solway School

Explore Masterton

🎯Things to do(42)

Wairarapa Bush Rugby

The Hubb

City Fitnessstudio

Mandy's Gymnasium

Trust House Recreation Centre

Master Bowl Ltd

Memorial Park, Masterton

Riaka Reformer Studio

Masterton Muay Thai

Wai Weight Gym

SASSFit Masterton

Genesis Energy Recreation Centre

Queen Elizabeth Park Oval

Douglas Villa AFC

Wairarapa Boxing Academy

Hiit Club

Masterton Young citizens boxing club

Shape Shop Masterton

Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Football Union

Masterton Netball Courts

Mcjarrow Park

CLM Health & Fitness

Masterton Squash Club

Flex Fitness Masterton - 24hr / 7day Gym

Undisputed MMA Masterton

Masterton Bowling Club

KTS Dance NZ

Memorial Park Masterton

Body Boost Limited

Nga Totara Dojo

Geraldine Inder School of Dance and Drama

The Fortitude Gym

CityFitness

Masterton Tramping Club

Dance and Zumba Fitness with Keri

Netball Wairarapa

Ghost Submission Grappling

Red Star Squash Club

Queen Elizabeth Park

Colin Pugh Sportsbowl

Masterton Lawn Tennis Club

Masterton Swimming Club Inc.

🌳Parks & green spaces(4)

Memorial Park, Masterton

Mcjarrow Park

Memorial Park Masterton

Queen Elizabeth Park

🏥Healthcare(5)

Life Pharmacy

Unichem

Things to do(42)

Parks & green spaces(4)

Healthcare(5)

Places to eat & drink(74)