Papakura is at the southern edge of Auckland, about 32 km south of the CBD, on the eastern shore of the Manukau Harbour. It sits between Takanini to the north and Drury to the south.

How long is the train from Papakura to Britomart?

Roughly 50 minutes on the Southern Line. Trains run frequently in peak periods, less often after 7pm. Driving via the Southern Motorway is faster off-peak but slower in rush hour.

What does the name Papakura mean?

"Red earth" or "red flats" in te reo Māori, referring to the rich volcanic soil. An alternative reading offered by ethnographer George Graham is "flat of the moa", linked to the giant moa that once grazed the area.

Is Papakura still part of Auckland?

Yes. Papakura was its own city from 1975 to 1989, then Papakura District until 2010, when it was absorbed into the Auckland Council super-city. Locally it still functions and feels like its own town.

What is Papakura Marae?

A major South Auckland marae and community centre, serving Ngāti Tamaoho and Waikato Tainui hapū. It hosts hui, tangihanga, weddings and cultural events, and welcomes visitors of all backgrounds for events.

Which schools are in zone for Papakura?

Children living in Papakura are in zone for Rosehill College, Rosehill Intermediate. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Papakura?

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.

Papakura, Auckland | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Papakura

Papakura sits at the southern end of Auckland's commuter sprawl, about 32 km from the CBD on the shores of the Pahurehure Inlet. The name is te reo Māori for "red earth", after the rich volcanic soil that made this country worth settling in the first place. It used to be its own city, briefly, before getting folded into the Auckland super-city in 2010. Locals still talk about it as a town rather than a suburb.

The train station here is the third busiest on Auckland's whole rail network. Commuters from Papakura, Franklin and the northern Waikato pile onto Southern Line trains heading north before sunrise. The motorway clogs up closer to town, but the train pretty much sails.

Papakura Marae is a major cultural centre, serving Ngāti Tamaoho and the Tainui hapū of Ngāi Tai. Pukekiwiriki Pā at Red Hill was a strategic Māori vantage for centuries. Hawkins Theatre and the Papakura Museum are the small but proud cultural anchors of the town centre.

The NZSAS is based at Papakura Military Camp, established 1939. You wouldn't know unless you noticed the gate. Markets on Broadway every Saturday is the social glue.

Is Papakura a good place to live?

Papakura is home to roughly 33,255 people. On Suburb's overall livability scale, Papakura scores 50 out of 100, with a safety score of 10/100 and 37% green space.

Schools: Papakura has 26 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 $753K, and weekly rent typically sits around $450.

Lifestyle: Papakura has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 11.1°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Papakura 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

Safety10
Amenities100
Schools42
Housing Affordability50
Green space100
Community11
Transport31

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $753K
Median Weekly Rent: $450/wk
Median HH Income: $72K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +14.9%
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 Auckland →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Papakura?: Papakura is at the southern edge of Auckland, about 32 km south of the CBD, on the eastern shore of the Manukau Harbour. It sits between Takanini to the north and Drury to the south.
How long is the train from Papakura to Britomart?: Roughly 50 minutes on the Southern Line. Trains run frequently in peak periods, less often after 7pm. Driving via the Southern Motorway is faster off-peak but slower in rush hour.
What does the name Papakura mean?: "Red earth" or "red flats" in te reo Māori, referring to the rich volcanic soil. An alternative reading offered by ethnographer George Graham is "flat of the moa", linked to the giant moa that once grazed the area.
Is Papakura still part of Auckland?: Yes. Papakura was its own city from 1975 to 1989, then Papakura District until 2010, when it was absorbed into the Auckland Council super-city. Locally it still functions and feels like its own town.
What is Papakura Marae?: A major South Auckland marae and community centre, serving Ngāti Tamaoho and Waikato Tainui hapū. It hosts hui, tangihanga, weddings and cultural events, and welcomes visitors of all backgrounds for events.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Papakura

Schools in zone for Papakura

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

Rosehill College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1785 · decile 2
Rosehill Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 389 · decile 3

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

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

Papakura Activity Centre
Activity Centre · 0.1 km away
Papakura High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1360 · decile 2 · 0.5 km away
Papakura Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 302 · decile 2 · 0.7 km away
Papakura Central School
Contributing · roll 440 · decile 4 · 0.9 km away
Edmund Hillary School
Full Primary · roll 188 · decile 1 · 1.1 km away
St Mary's Catholic School (Papakura)
Contributing · roll 386 · decile 4 · 1.1 km away
Kelvin Road School
Contributing · roll 527 · decile 1 · 1.2 km away
Opaheke School
Full Primary · roll 604 · decile 4 · 1.2 km away
Kereru Park Campus
Full Primary · roll 155 · decile 1 · 1.4 km away
Rosehill School
Specialist School · roll 342 · decile 2 · 1.5 km away
Cosgrove School
Contributing · roll 592 · decile 1 · 1.6 km away
Papakura Normal School
Full Primary · roll 750 · decile 3 · 2.0 km away
Kauri Flats School
Full Primary · roll 686 · decile 3 · 2.3 km away
Redhill School
Full Primary · roll 195 · decile 1 · 2.4 km away
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Papaonekura
Composite · roll 72 · 2.4 km away
Mangapikopiko School
Contributing · roll 262 · 2.9 km away
Hingaia Peninsula School
Full Primary · roll 414 · decile 10 · 3.0 km away
Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School
Contributing · roll 298 · decile 3 · 3.2 km away
Takanini School
Full Primary · roll 561 · decile 1 · 3.4 km away
Drury Christian School
Composite · roll 35 · decile 7 · 3.5 km away
Conifer Grove School
Full Primary · roll 539 · decile 4 · 3.5 km away
Drury School
Full Primary · roll 330 · decile 7 · 3.8 km away
ACG Strathallan
Composite · roll 1270 · 4.2 km away
Ngākōroa School
Full Primary · roll 218 · 4.6 km away

Explore Papakura

Things to do(59)

Crush Fit

F45 Training

CrossFit

Te Kumete / Rollerson Reserve

Massey Park

Otaawhati / Ray Small Park

Prince Edward Park

Herkts Bush

Te Whakaruruhau / Cross Street Reserve

Southern Park

Central Park Reserve

Wilencote Reserve

Papakura Village Green

Katavic Park

The Spinney Reserve

Mansell Field

Te Koiwi Park

Butterworth Block

Willis Bush

McLennan Park

Pahurehure Esplanade Reserve

Short Street Reserve

Ernie Clark Reserve

Kirk's Bush

Central Park Cenotaph

Smiths Reserve

Maru kauri / Fernaig Reserve

Chisholm Corner

Papakura Leisure Centre

New York Fitness Papakura

Children's Forest

papakura badminton club

Metafit Waiuku

Papakura Community Hall

Rollerson Park Community Garden

Papakura Athletic and Harrier Club

Abernethy Racing Stables

The league of specialists

Central Park

Papakura Rugby Football Club

Papakura Recreation & Fitness (CLM)

Massey Park Papakura

Papakura Tennis and Squash Club

Papakura Bowling Club

Martial Health Fitness and Martial Arts

Jetts Howick

Anytime Fitness Papakura

Lions Football Academy

Jetts Papakura

Papakura Sea Eagles Rugby League Club

Show all 59 businesses

Youngs Park

Great South Dance Academy

Papakura City FC

2NINE8 Performance

Papakura Karate

CFT

Papakura Rod and Custom Club Inc

Cheer Dynamix New Zealand

Jetts 24 Hour Fitness

Parks & green spaces(30)

Te Kumete / Rollerson Reserve

Massey Park

Otaawhati / Ray Small Park

Prince Edward Park

Herkts Bush

Te Whakaruruhau / Cross Street Reserve

Southern Park

Central Park Reserve

Wilencote Reserve

Papakura Village Green

Katavic Park

The Spinney Reserve

Mansell Field

Te Koiwi Park

Butterworth Block

Willis Bush

McLennan Park

Pahurehure Esplanade Reserve

Short Street Reserve

Ernie Clark Reserve

Kirk's Bush

Central Park Cenotaph

Smiths Reserve

Maru kauri / Fernaig Reserve

Chisholm Corner

Children's Forest

Rollerson Park Community Garden

Central Park

Massey Park Papakura

Youngs Park

Healthcare(15)

Papakura Medical Clinic

Surgery

Clevedon Road Medical Centre

Wood Street Doctors and Pharmacy

Papakura East Medical Centre

Unichem

Urban Pharmacy

Pharmacy Plus

Life Pharmacy

Roselands Doctors

Southern Physiotherapy Ltd.

Pahurehure Pharmacy

Clevedon Road Pharmacy

Papakura Maternity Unit

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	23.7	16.8	4.98	10.66
☀️ Feb	23.53	16.57	4.99	10.28
🍂 Mar	21.63	14.25	2.81	10.14
🍂 Apr	20.02	13.63	3.33	8.81
🍂 May	17.28	11.33	3.98	7.67
❄️ Jun	15.49	9.87	4.14	7.04
❄️ Jul	14.61	9.16	5.21	6.86
❄️ Aug	14.79	7.97	4.23	8.02
🌸 Sep	16.09	10.01	4.68	9.17
🌸 Oct	17.35	11.27	3.87	9.87
🌸 Nov	19.23	12.93	4.68	10.59
☀️ Dec	21.93	15.37	4.86	10.98

Living in Papakura

Is Papakura a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Papakura

Schools in zone for Papakura

Rosehill College

Rosehill Intermediate

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Papakura Activity Centre

Papakura High School

Papakura Intermediate

Papakura Central School

Edmund Hillary School

St Mary's Catholic School (Papakura)

Kelvin Road School

Opaheke School

Kereru Park Campus

Rosehill School

Cosgrove School

Papakura Normal School

Kauri Flats School

Redhill School

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Papaonekura

Mangapikopiko School

Hingaia Peninsula School

Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School

Takanini School

Drury Christian School

Conifer Grove School

Drury School

ACG Strathallan

Ngākōroa School

Explore Papakura

🎯Things to do(59)

Crush Fit

F45 Training

CrossFit

Te Kumete / Rollerson Reserve

Massey Park

Otaawhati / Ray Small Park

Prince Edward Park

Herkts Bush

Te Whakaruruhau / Cross Street Reserve

Southern Park

Central Park Reserve

Wilencote Reserve

Papakura Village Green

Katavic Park

The Spinney Reserve

Mansell Field

Te Koiwi Park

Butterworth Block

Willis Bush

McLennan Park

Pahurehure Esplanade Reserve

Short Street Reserve

Ernie Clark Reserve

Kirk's Bush

Central Park Cenotaph

Smiths Reserve

Maru kauri / Fernaig Reserve

Chisholm Corner

Papakura Leisure Centre

New York Fitness Papakura

Children's Forest

papakura badminton club

Metafit Waiuku

Papakura Community Hall

Rollerson Park Community Garden

Papakura Athletic and Harrier Club

Abernethy Racing Stables

The league of specialists

Central Park

Things to do(59)

Parks & green spaces(30)

Healthcare(15)

Places to eat & drink(114)