Levin, New Zealand

Levin

Taitoko (Māori)
Levin Taitoko (Māori)
Secondary urban area
	Intersection of Queen and Oxford Streets
	Coordinates: 40°37′19″S 175°17′12″E / 40.62194°S 175.28667°E
Country	New Zealand
Region	Manawatū-Whanganui
Territorial authority	Horowhenua District
Wards	Levin General Ward; Waiopehu General Ward; Horowhenua Māori Ward;
Named for	William Hort Levin
Electorates	Ōtaki; Te Tai Hauāuru (Māori);
Government
• Territorial Authority	Horowhenua District Council
• Regional council	Horizons Regional Council
• Horowhenua Mayor	Bernie Wanden
• Ōtaki MP	Tim Costley
• Te Tai Hauāuru MP	Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Area
• Urban	22.91 km2 (8.85 sq mi)
Population (June 2024)
• Urban	20,100
• Urban density	880/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Postcode	5510
Area code	06

Levin (/ləˈvɪn/; Māori: Taitoko) is the largest town and seat of the Horowhenua District, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located east of Lake Horowhenua, around 95 km (59 mi) north of Wellington and 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Palmerston North.

The town has a population of 20,100 (June 2024),^[2] making it the 30th largest urban area in New Zealand, and third largest in Manawatū-Whanganui behind Palmerston North and Whanganui.

Levin is a service centre for the surrounding rural area, and a centre for light manufacturing.

To the west of the main town lies Lake Horowhenua, which covers some 3.9 km² (1.5 sq mi). It is currently undergoing regeneration.

History

19th century

The area now occupied by Levin was connected to both Wellington and Palmerston North by railway in 1886. The area was surveyed in 1888, and European settlement began following the sale of suburban and rural sections, which commenced on 19 March 1889.

The town was named after William Hort Levin, a director of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company.^[3]

The name is a variation of the Jewish clan name Levi. Unlike the usual pronunciation of the surname, stress is placed on the second syllable of the word. However Levin's great-grandson, Peter Levin, claims his forebear would have pronounced his surname as Levene, and that this pronunciation was in common use for many years and is always used by the family.^[4]

20th century—present

Levin was made a borough in 1906.

The Levin clock tower was built in 1999 as a donation by the Levin Rotary Club after some fundraising.^[5]^[6] It was described as "iconic" to the town by the Manawatū Standard. It has four clocks, one for every side, each with an independent motor, and has a temperature gauge.^[6]

2024 car rally

On Saturday, 1 June 2024 a car rally locally known as "the Levin car invasion" took place.^[7] With 200 cars and 500 people^[8] in attendance, they started at the intersection of Queen Street and State Highway 57 before the police removed them. The convoy then moved to Miro Street in Ōtaki before returning to Levin, now at the intersection of State Highway 1 and Queen Street. Once they arrived back in Levin, the Police tried to stop the group however the police were attacked. In an interview the "organizer" said "What we're doing is illegal, but until we get a proper skid pad or somewhere safe to do it we're going to keep doing it on the streets."^[9]

Marae

Kawiu Marae and Te Huia o Raukura meeting house, located just north of the town, are a meeting place for Muaūpoko.^[10]^[11]

In October 2020, the Government committed $945,445 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade Kawiu Marae and nearby Kohuturoa Marae, creating 50 jobs.^[12]

Demographics

Levin is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a medium urban area and covers 22.91 km² (8.85 sq mi).^[1] It had an estimated population of 20,100 as of June 2024, with a population density of 877 people per km².

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	15,972	—
2013	16,257	+0.25%
2018	17,679	+1.69%
Source: ^[13]

Before the 2023 census, Levin had a smaller boundary, covering 22.43 km² (8.66 sq mi).^[1] Using that boundary, Levin had a population of 17,679 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,422 people (8.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,707 people (10.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 7,062 households, comprising 8,346 males and 9,324 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.9 males per female, with 3,336 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 2,988 (16.9%) aged 15 to 29, 6,651 (37.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 4,698 (26.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 77.0% European/Pākehā, 25.4% Māori, 8.4% Pasifika, 5.2% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 16.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 47.6% had no religion, 39.4% were Christian, 1.2% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.3% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,293 (9.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 4,332 (30.2%) people had no formal qualifications. 897 people (6.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 5,277 (36.8%) people were employed full-time, 1,719 (12.0%) were part-time, and 768 (5.4%) were unemployed.^[13]

Individual statistical areas in 2018
Name	Area (km²)	Population	Density (per km²)	Households	Median age	Median income
Donnelly Park	1.90	1,191	627	453	47.5 years	$22,300^[14]
Kawiu South	1.02	2,409	2,362	960	44.5 years	$24,700^[15]
Makomako	0.86	1,413	1,643	567	42.7 years	$20,600^[16]
Kawiu North	1.76	1,770	1,006	681	47.5 years	$27,900^[17]
Levin Central	1.05	1,047	997	537	53.5 years	$21,500^[18]
Tararua	10.75	1,152	107	447	47.3 years	$24,200^[19]
Queenwood (Horowhenua District)	0.83	2,076	2,501	921	47.9 years	$21,300^[20]
Playford Park	0.85	1,815	2,135	762	44.8 years	$21,800^[21]
Fairfield (Horowhenua District)	1.74	1,473	847	561	50.3 years	$23,800^[22]
Taitoko	0.92	1,911	2,077	651	35.3 years	$20,500^[23]
Waiopehu	0.76	1,422	1,871	522	41.5 years	$22,700^[24]
New Zealand					37.4 years	$31,800

Economy

Retail

The Levin Mall covers 791 m², with 14 retailers including a Farmers department store.^[25]

Transport

Levin lies on State Highway 1, which forms the town's main street, Oxford Street. State Highway 57 forms the eastern boundary of the town, and meets State Highway 1 between Levin and the Ohau River, Wellington.

Levin is on the North Island Main Trunk with a station used by the Capital Connection long distance commuter train between Wellington and Palmerston North.^[26] It is also served by 8 InterCity buses a day each way.^[27]

Buses run for shoppers to Waikanae on Tuesdays and Thursdays^[28] and on Fridays to Shannon, Foxton Beach, Foxton and Waitarere Beach.^[29]^{[dead link‍]} A commuter bus runs via Foxton to Palmerston North.^[28]

Schools

There are nine schools in the Levin urban area:^[30]

Fairfield School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school with a roll of approximately 407.
Horowhenua College is a state secondary (Year 9–13) school. It opened in 1940 and has a roll of approximately 848.
'Levin East School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school with a roll of approximately 413.
Levin Intermediate is a state intermediate (Year 7–8) school with a roll of approximately 312.
Levin North School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school with a roll of approximately 261.
Levin School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school with a roll of approximately 275.
St Joseph's School is a state-integrated Catholic full primary (Year 1–8) school with a roll of approximately 191.
Taitoko School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school with a roll of approximately 223.
Waiopehu College is a state secondary (Year 9–13) school. It opened in 1973 and has a roll of approximately 560.

Notable people

Jack Afamasaga – rugby league player
Sir Paul Beresford – British politician
Suzy Clarkson – newsreader
Kay Cohen – fashion designer
Joy Cowley – novelist
Jaxon Evans – racing driver
Cathryn Finlayson – hockey player
Rebecca Gibney – actress
Nathan Guy – politician
Nicky Hager – author
Darren Hughes – politician
Dean Kent – Olympic and Commonwealth Games swimmer
Doug Kidd – politician
David Lomax – rugby league player
Johnny Lomax – rugby league player
Matthew Saunoa – New Zealand Idol winner 2006
George Silk – photographer, LIFE magazine
Carlos Spencer – rugby union player
Richard Sylvan – philosopher and logician
James Tamou – rugby league player
Codie Taylor – rugby union player
Roger Twose – cricketer
Frank Weitzel – printmaker and sculptor
Sonny Whakarau – rugby league player

Climate

Climate data for Levin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1895–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	32.6 (90.7)	31.1 (88.0)	31.0 (87.8)	27.3 (81.1)	24.3 (75.7)	20.6 (69.1)	21.0 (69.8)	20.5 (68.9)	23.0 (73.4)	26.1 (79.0)	27.8 (82.0)	29.7 (85.5)	32.6 (90.7)
Mean maximum °C (°F)	27.2 (81.0)	26.8 (80.2)	25.7 (78.3)	22.9 (73.2)	20.1 (68.2)	17.4 (63.3)	16.4 (61.5)	17.1 (62.8)	18.9 (66.0)	20.6 (69.1)	22.7 (72.9)	25.3 (77.5)	28.5 (83.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	22.1 (71.8)	22.6 (72.7)	21.1 (70.0)	18.5 (65.3)	16.0 (60.8)	13.6 (56.5)	13.1 (55.6)	13.8 (56.8)	15.0 (59.0)	16.3 (61.3)	18.0 (64.4)	20.3 (68.5)	17.5 (63.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	17.7 (63.9)	18.0 (64.4)	16.3 (61.3)	13.9 (57.0)	11.8 (53.2)	9.5 (49.1)	8.8 (47.8)	9.6 (49.3)	11.1 (52.0)	12.6 (54.7)	14.0 (57.2)	16.3 (61.3)	13.3 (55.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	13.3 (55.9)	13.4 (56.1)	11.6 (52.9)	9.3 (48.7)	7.5 (45.5)	5.3 (41.5)	4.5 (40.1)	5.4 (41.7)	7.1 (44.8)	8.9 (48.0)	10.0 (50.0)	12.3 (54.1)	9.1 (48.3)
Mean minimum °C (°F)	6.0 (42.8)	6.2 (43.2)	4.7 (40.5)	2.2 (36.0)	0.5 (32.9)	−1.5 (29.3)	−1.7 (28.9)	−1.0 (30.2)	−0.3 (31.5)	1.5 (34.7)	2.6 (36.7)	5.1 (41.2)	−2.4 (27.7)
Record low °C (°F)	−0.2 (31.6)	0.0 (32.0)	−0.6 (30.9)	−1.1 (30.0)	−3.9 (25.0)	−4.4 (24.1)	−5.4 (22.3)	−5.3 (22.5)	−3.3 (26.1)	−2.2 (28.0)	0.0 (32.0)	0.0 (32.0)	−5.4 (22.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	66.0 (2.60)	80.5 (3.17)	65.7 (2.59)	84.6 (3.33)	91.3 (3.59)	102.0 (4.02)	93.8 (3.69)	88.6 (3.49)	95.3 (3.75)	96.6 (3.80)	90.3 (3.56)	99.2 (3.91)	1,053.9 (41.5)
Source: NIWA^[31]^[32]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
^ Levin in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
^ Tuckey, Karoline. "Councillor wants to change the name of Levin, the NZ town that no-one pronounces correctly". stuff.co.nz.
^ Williams, Paul (15 March 2019). "High time for a change: Levin town clock gets new motors". Horowhenua Chronicle. Retrieved 5 May 2024 – via The New Zealand Herald.
^ ^a ^b Loo, Alex (6 February 2019). "Levin's iconic clock tower four sheets to the wind after motor failures". Manawatū Standard. Retrieved 5 May 2024 – via Stuff.
^ "Arrests made following antisocial road user activity, Levin".
^ "Stuff".
^ "'We're coming back': Levin boy racer organiser says more to come".
^ "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
^ "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
^ "Marae Announcements" (Excel). growregions.govt.nz. Provincial Growth Fund. 9 October 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Donnelly Park (234700), Kawiu South (234900), Makomako (235000), Kawiu North (235100), Levin Central (235200), Tararua (235300), Queenwood (Horowhenua District) (235500), Playford Park (235600), Fairfield (Horowhenua District) (235700), Taitoko (235800) and Waiopehu (235900).
^ 2018 Census place summary: Donnelly Park
^ 2018 Census place summary: Kawiu South
^ 2018 Census place summary: Makomako
^ 2018 Census place summary: Kawiu North
^ 2018 Census place summary: Levin Central
^ 2018 Census place summary: Tararua
^ 2018 Census place summary: Queenwood (Horowhenua District)
^ 2018 Census place summary: Playford Park
^ 2018 Census place summary: Fairfield (Horowhenua District)
^ 2018 Census place summary: Taitoko
^ 2018 Census place summary: Waiopehu
^ "Levin Mall (191–197 Oxford Street)". thompsonpropertygroup.co.nz. Thompson Property Group.
^ "Capital Connection". Great Journeys of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
^ "Search Results". www.intercity.co.nz. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Did you know Horizons Regional Council provides three public bus services in the Horowhenua District?" (PDF). 15 July 2018.
^ "Day Out in Town Bus timetable change". Retrieved 19 August 2018.
^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
^ "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Levin Aws". NIWA. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
^ "CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent numbers: 3275, 3277)". NIWA. Retrieved 20 July 2024.

[Area-1] "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 11 March 2024.

[NZ_population_data_2018-2] "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.

[encyclopaedia-3] Levin in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand

[tuckey-4] Tuckey, Karoline. "Councillor wants to change the name of Levin, the NZ town that no-one pronounces correctly". stuff.co.nz.

[5] Williams, Paul (15 March 2019). "High time for a change: Levin town clock gets new motors". Horowhenua Chronicle. Retrieved 5 May 2024 – via The New Zealand Herald.

[:1-6] Loo, Alex (6 February 2019). "Levin's iconic clock tower four sheets to the wind after motor failures". Manawatū Standard. Retrieved 5 May 2024 – via Stuff.

[7] "Arrests made following antisocial road user activity, Levin".

[8] "Stuff".

[9] "'We're coming back': Levin boy racer organiser says more to come".

[tkmentry-10] "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.

[maorimaps-11] "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.

[maraepgf-12] "Marae Announcements" (Excel). growregions.govt.nz. Provincial Growth Fund. 9 October 2020.

[Census_2018-13] "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Donnelly Park (234700), Kawiu South (234900), Makomako (235000), Kawiu North (235100), Levin Central (235200), Tararua (235300), Queenwood (Horowhenua District) (235500), Playford Park (235600), Fairfield (Horowhenua District) (235700), Taitoko (235800) and Waiopehu (235900).

[14] 2018 Census place summary: Donnelly Park

[15] 2018 Census place summary: Kawiu South

[16] 2018 Census place summary: Makomako

[17] 2018 Census place summary: Kawiu North

[18] 2018 Census place summary: Levin Central

[19] 2018 Census place summary: Tararua

[20] 2018 Census place summary: Queenwood (Horowhenua District)

[21] 2018 Census place summary: Playford Park

[22] 2018 Census place summary: Fairfield (Horowhenua District)

[23] 2018 Census place summary: Taitoko

[24] 2018 Census place summary: Waiopehu

[LevinMallCorporate-25] "Levin Mall (191–197 Oxford Street)". thompsonpropertygroup.co.nz. Thompson Property Group.

[26] "Capital Connection". Great Journeys of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 August 2018.

[27] "Search Results". www.intercity.co.nz. Retrieved 22 August 2018.

[:0-28] "Did you know Horizons Regional Council provides three public bus services in the Horowhenua District?" (PDF). 15 July 2018.

[29] "Day Out in Town Bus timetable change". Retrieved 19 August 2018.

[NZ_school_roll_data-30] "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 January 2025.

[NIWA-31] "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Levin Aws". NIWA. Retrieved 20 May 2024.

[32] "CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent numbers: 3275, 3277)". NIWA. Retrieved 20 July 2024.

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Levin, New Zealand

History

19th century

20th century—present

2024 car rally

Marae

Demographics

Economy

Retail

Transport

Schools

Notable people

Climate

References

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