How do you pronounce Paraparaumu?

Paraparaumu is pronounced 'parra-parra-OW-moo' (four syllables, equal stress on each). Locals often shorten it to 'Paraparam' or 'Pram' in casual conversation. The name is te reo Maori for 'scraps from an earth oven'.

What is Coastlands Mall?

Coastlands Mall on the inland side of Paraparaumu is the Kapiti Coast's main shopping centre, with 100+ retailers including a Pak'nSave, a cinema, banks and a food court. Free parking on site.

How do I get to Kapiti Island?

Kapiti Island guided tours depart by ferry from Paraparaumu Beach. Tours require a Department of Conservation permit (book in advance). The island is a predator-free bird sanctuary 5 km offshore.

How do I get from Wellington to Paraparaumu?

The Kapiti Line train from Wellington Railway Station takes around 50 minutes to Paraparaumu Station. By car, around 50 to 60 minutes via SH1 off-peak, longer at rush hour.

Which schools are in zone for Paraparaumu?

Children living in Paraparaumu are in zone for Kāpiti College, Paraparaumu School, Our Lady of Kapiti School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Paraparaumu?

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.

Paraparaumu, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Paraparaumu

Paraparaumu is the largest town on the Kapiti Coast, around 50 km north of central Wellington on the Kapiti Line. The name (sometimes shortened to "Paraparam" or "Pram" by locals) is one of those te reo Maori names that catches non-locals out: pronounce all four syllables, then drop them. Population around 32,000.

The town splits roughly into two: Paraparaumu (inland, around the train station and the highway) and Paraparaumu Beach (the coastal village, 2 km to the west). Coastlands on the inland side is the Kapiti Coast's main shopping centre with 100+ retailers, a cinema and a Pak'nSave.

Paraparaumu Beach has the long sandy main beach, the Marine Parade restaurant strip, and the Kapiti Island ferry departure point for guided tours of the predator-free bird sanctuary 5 km offshore. The Kapiti Coast Airport on the southern edge runs commuter flights to Auckland.

Paraparaumu College handles the secondary kids. The Capital Connection train (from Palmerston North) and the standard Kapiti Line both stop at Paraparaumu Station, putting central Wellington around 50 minutes away. Family-friendly, sunny, and getting busier each year as Wellington commuters discover what the Kapiti Coast retirees have known for decades. The summer rhythm is genuinely good.

Is Paraparaumu a good place to live?

Paraparaumu is home to roughly 9,837 people. On Suburb's overall livability scale, Paraparaumu scores 71 out of 100, with a safety score of 56/100 and 44% green space.

Schools: Paraparaumu has 9 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 $780K, and weekly rent typically sits around $450.

Lifestyle: Paraparaumu has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 9.4°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Paraparaumu 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
Schools69
Housing Affordability48
Green space100
Community89
Transport40

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $780K
Median Weekly Rent: $450/wk
Median HH Income: $89K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +1.3%
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 Kapiti Coast District →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Paraparaumu?: Paraparaumu is the largest town on the Kapiti Coast, around 50 km north of central Wellington on the Kapiti Line. Paraparaumu Beach is 2 km west of the inland town centre.
How do you pronounce Paraparaumu?: Paraparaumu is pronounced 'parra-parra-OW-moo' (four syllables, equal stress on each). Locals often shorten it to 'Paraparam' or 'Pram' in casual conversation. The name is te reo Maori for 'scraps from an earth oven'.
What is Coastlands Mall?: Coastlands Mall on the inland side of Paraparaumu is the Kapiti Coast's main shopping centre, with 100+ retailers including a Pak'nSave, a cinema, banks and a food court. Free parking on site.
How do I get to Kapiti Island?: Kapiti Island guided tours depart by ferry from Paraparaumu Beach. Tours require a Department of Conservation permit (book in advance). The island is a predator-free bird sanctuary 5 km offshore.
How do I get from Wellington to Paraparaumu?: The Kapiti Line train from Wellington Railway Station takes around 50 minutes to Paraparaumu Station. By car, around 50 to 60 minutes via SH1 off-peak, longer at rush hour.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Paraparaumu

Schools in zone for Paraparaumu

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

Kāpiti College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1403 · decile 8
Paraparaumu School
Full Primary · roll 304 · decile 5
Our Lady of Kapiti School
Full Primary · roll 297 · decile 7

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

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

Kapiti School
Full Primary · roll 104 · decile 4 · 1.6 km away
Raumati South School
Full Primary · roll 356 · decile 9 · 1.8 km away
Te Rā School
Full Primary · roll 135 · decile 8 · 2.0 km away
Raumati Beach School
Full Primary · roll 512 · decile 9 · 2.1 km away
Paraparaumu Beach School
Full Primary · roll 463 · decile 7 · 4.3 km away
Paraparaumu College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1515 · decile 5 · 4.5 km away

Explore Paraparaumu

Things to do(40)

Hookway Grove Reserve

Kaitawa Reserve

Manawa Avenue Reserve

Matai Road Reserve

Kapiti Kickboxing

Patu Paraparaumu

318 Fitness

Mozhdeh Martial Arts NZ

Kapiti Hockey Club

Snap Fitness

Kapiti Gymnastics Club

Little Tigers Karate

JKA KCoast

Kapiti Sports Turf & Pavilion

Paraparaumu Rugby Football Club

Seido Karate Kapiti

Mazengarb Reserve

The Stable - Boxing & Fitness

Mazengarb Park

Oliver MMA Kapiti Coast

Paraparaumu Domain

Cesar Nicoletti Personal Training

Kapiti Water Polo

June Rowland lookout

Kapiti Olympic Lifting

Raptors - Raumati Swimming Club

Kiwi HIIT

Kapiti Boxing Club

Sweet Studios

Wairua BJJ

GKR Karate

Functional HIIT NZ - Kāpiti

Configure express paraparaumu

Jetts Paraparaumu

Kiwi Crossfit

Rebound Playland & Trampoline Park

24/7 Fitness Paraparaumu

Snap Fitness 24/7 Kapiti Coast

F45 Training

CityFitness

Parks & green spaces(6)

Hookway Grove Reserve

Kaitawa Reserve

Manawa Avenue Reserve

Matai Road Reserve

Paraparaumu Domain

June Rowland lookout

Healthcare(5)

Paraparaumu Medical Centre

Ihakara Pharmacy

Paraparaumu Maternity Unit

Paraparaumu Medical Centre

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	20.47	13.63	79.37	11.97
☀️ Feb	19.31	13.8	199.83	10.07
🍂 Mar	17.7	11.59	139.73	9.88
🍂 Apr	16.52	10.4	178.1	8.32
🍂 May	14.4	8.89	206.83	6.91
❄️ Jun	12.71	7.21	232.87	6.36
❄️ Jul	11.63	6.33	212.07	5.77
❄️ Aug	11.5	6.57	258.17	6.97
🌸 Sep	13.01	7.69	170.3	8.36
🌸 Oct	13.96	8.18	169.33	9.72
🌸 Nov	16.3	10.56	171.83	11.1
☀️ Dec	18.48	12.7	127.23	10.76

Living in Paraparaumu

Is Paraparaumu a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Paraparaumu

Schools in zone for Paraparaumu

Kāpiti College

Paraparaumu School

Our Lady of Kapiti School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Kapiti School

Raumati South School

Te Rā School

Raumati Beach School

Paraparaumu Beach School

Paraparaumu College

Explore Paraparaumu

🎯Things to do(40)

Hookway Grove Reserve

Kaitawa Reserve

Manawa Avenue Reserve

Matai Road Reserve

Kapiti Kickboxing

Patu Paraparaumu

318 Fitness

Mozhdeh Martial Arts NZ

Kapiti Hockey Club

Snap Fitness

Kapiti Gymnastics Club

Little Tigers Karate

JKA KCoast

Kapiti Sports Turf & Pavilion

Paraparaumu Rugby Football Club

Seido Karate Kapiti

Mazengarb Reserve

The Stable - Boxing & Fitness

Mazengarb Park

Oliver MMA Kapiti Coast

Paraparaumu Domain

Cesar Nicoletti Personal Training

Kapiti Water Polo

June Rowland lookout

Kapiti Olympic Lifting

Raptors - Raumati Swimming Club

Kiwi HIIT

Kapiti Boxing Club

Sweet Studios

Wairua BJJ

GKR Karate

Functional HIIT NZ - Kāpiti

Configure express paraparaumu

Jetts Paraparaumu

Kiwi Crossfit

Rebound Playland & Trampoline Park

24/7 Fitness Paraparaumu

Snap Fitness 24/7 Kapiti Coast

F45 Training

CityFitness

🌳Parks & green spaces(6)

Hookway Grove Reserve

Kaitawa Reserve

Manawa Avenue Reserve

Matai Road Reserve

Paraparaumu Domain

June Rowland lookout

🏥Healthcare(5)

Paraparaumu Medical Centre

Ihakara Pharmacy

Paraparaumu Maternity Unit

Paraparaumu Medical Centre

Kapiti Day Hospital

Eat & Drink in Paraparaumu

🍽️Places to eat & drink(60)

Mediterranean Foods Trattoria & Deli, Kāpiti

Things to do(40)

Parks & green spaces(6)

Healthcare(5)

Places to eat & drink(60)

Tradies & services(69)