Ōmokoroa
Ōmokoroa emerged as a new-build hotspot, with strong consent activity and lower costs.
Eves Bay of Plenty general manager Mark Leach said its quieter lifestyle had driven buyer interest.
Infometrics data showed Ōmokoroa’s population was 5800 in 2025 – which was 84% higher than its 2015 population of 3160.
Leach said buyers who wanted a slower pace of life, did not commute into town daily and could work from home chose Ōmokoroa.
“You’ve got a beautiful, quiet suburb out there.”
He said Ōmokoroa had good house-and-land packages for first-time buyers.
“We’ve sold some first-home buyers [Ōmokoroa] properties to get into the market, and then they were able to sell and relocate closer to where they wanted to be.”
Classic Builders had house-and-land packages available in its Pāpāmoa, Tauriko, and Ōmokoroa subdivisions.
Classic Group director Peter Cooney said its Ōmokoroa subdivision Puna Rua had cheaper packages than Pāpāmoa and Tauriko due to lower consenting costs.
Its average home – three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a single garage – sold for $799,000 to $890,000.
“We see Ōmokoroa as an increasingly attractive area with strong long-term potential.”
Cooney said infrastructure and roading upgrades would increase interest in the area.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council regulatory services general manager Alison Curtis said Ōmokoroa dwelling consents peaked in the 2024-2025 financial year.
There were 122 consents approved, valued at $61.5 million total.
Cotality chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said there were 2363 homes in Ōmokoroa and its median property value was $1m.
This value was calculated using a hedonic index derived from estimated values of property characteristics such as bedrooms and bathrooms.
Earthworks on the Ōmokoroa town centre were underway, but the council had not received any building consent applications.
The town centre was previously reported to be planned as a mixed-use retail and commercial precinct with medium-density residential units and visitor accommodation.
The Government has set aside land to build a primary school and a secondary school on Prole Rd, although start dates have not been confirmed.
Ministry of Education chief executive for school property Jerome Sheppard said there was enough capacity across the schooling network for primary and secondary students from Ōmokoroa.
Prole Rd land designated for schools in Ōmokoroa. Photo / Alex Cairns
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said the Takitimu North Link would triple the lane capacity between Ōmokoroa and Tauranga.
Stage two of the project received fast-track approval in March, while stage one was expected to be finished in 2028.
Travel time on the road network was expected to be 15 minutes – a 25% to 50% improvement from current travel times.
Ōmokoroa amenities
Schools: Ōmokoroa Point School, Ōmokoroa No 1 School. Nearby are Te Puna School, Whakamārama School, Pahoia School. Zoned for Katikati College, Tauranga Boys’ College, Tauranga Girls’ College, Ōtūmoetai College.
Doctors: Ōmokoroa Medical Centre.
Shopping: The Village and Ōmokoroa Town Centre (under construction).
Tauriko
Buyers with larger budgets seeking larger sections were opting for Tauriko homes.
Stats NZ data showed there were 2481 private dwellings in the areas referred to as Tauriko, Pyes Pā West and Pyes Pā North West.
Its population figures showed 7750 people lived across those three areas.
Eves The Lakes branch manager Sarah Dale said her first-home buyers had “healthy budgets” and could spend into the $1m range.
“They’re not always looking at that entry-level price point.”
She said Tauriko homes under $850,000 were rare.
The branch had only seen seven sales under $850,000 for a three-bedroom Tauriko home in the last six months.
She said families moving into the area were choosing larger sections and double garages.
“We often see our single garage listings sit on the market for longer.”
Dale said there were new build opportunities with Classic Builders’ Kennedy Ridge development and Tauriko Riverside.
An aerial shot of land allocated for Classic Developments’ Riverside housing development in Tauriko West.
She said buyers were price-sensitive at the moment.
“People seem to be really concerned about whether they’re overpaying or what’s going to happen in the market.
“Are prices going to drop further with interest rates rising? What’s going to happen with the election? People seem to be putting a lot of thought into it at the moment.”
Average house-and-land packages in Classic Builders’ Kennedy Ridge Tauriko subdivision were a house size of 125sq m to 180sq m and a section size of 270sq m to 330sq m, priced at $850,000 to $950,000.
Tauranga City Council regulatory and community services general manager Sarah Omundsen said Pāpāmoa and Tauriko were “the most prominent areas of growth” in Tauranga based on consent data.
She said terraced housing currently made up the largest share of new residential consents.
Omundsen said the council had also seen more large subdivision applications for future housing developments.
Cotality property data showed homes in the suburb had a median value of $1.8m.
Tauriko amenities
Schools: Pyes Pā School, Taumata School, Tauriko School, ACG Tauranga, Aquinas College. Zoned for Tauranga Girls’ College, Tauranga Boys’ College.
Doctors: Family Doctors The Lakes, Family Doctors Pyes Pā.
Shopping: Tauranga Crossing, The Lakes Shopping Village, Pyes Pā Shopping Centre.
Pāpāmoa
Affordability, infrastructure and coastal living were attracting buyers to Pāpāmoa.
Pāpāmoa Beach was home to 37,910 people in 2025, making it the largest suburb in Tauranga.
It had climbed by 14,920 since 2015, and its annual population change since then had been between 2% and 5%.
Eves Bay of Plenty general manager Mark Leach said Pāpāmoa’s coastal lifestyle was a “drawcard”.
Leach said buyers got good value for money in Pāpāmoa and Tauriko.
“It’s a smaller market – you are buying newer, but you are also buying smaller.”
Property Brokers regional manager Simon Short said Pāpāmoa’s general entry price point ranged from $800,000 to $950,000 depending on whether the property was in the east or south.
“Affordability drives demand and there’s a lot more affordability in Pāpāmoa East than other locations.”
He said the appetite for Pāpāmoa East would continue with infrastructure investment.
“The expressway adds value for commuters coming and going from Pāpāmoa East. It adds a lot of connectivity to that area.”
He said Property Brokers had received a lot of interest from Aucklanders wanting a “change of pace” and “more bang for buck”.
The average Classic Builders house-and-land package in Pāpāmoa’s East Quarter sold for $840,000. The house size was 120sq m to 135sq m, and the section size was 255sq m to 340sq m.
Loan Market mortgage adviser Karen Raggett said first-home buyers were seeking Pāpāmoa homes more than in Ōmokoroa or Tauriko.
Pāpāmoa’s coastal location and affordability influenced this trend.
Raggett said clients needed a household income of $140,000 to buy in Pāpāmoa.
Some clients were pooling money together to enter the property market.
“You’ve got brothers and sisters, friends, and families buying together now just to get into the market.”
Cotality property data showed there were 11,226 properties in Pāpāmoa Beach and 1553 in Pāpāmoa.
Pāpāmoa amenities
Schools: Tahitai Coast, Pāpāmoa Primary, Te Akau ki Pāpāmoa Primary, Golden Sands Primary, Suzanne Aubert Catholic School, Te Manawa o Pāpāmoa School, and Pāpāmoa College.
Doctors: Pāpāmoa Pines Medical, Pāpāmoa Beach Family Practice, Palm Springs Medical Centre, Tara Road Accident and Medical Centre, Tend Pāpāmoa Medical Centre, and The Doctors Pāpāmoa.
Shopping: Pāpāmoa Plaza, Fashion Island, Excelsa Centre, and The Sands (under construction).
Why one family chose Pāpāmoa
Nurse practitioner intern Jackson Jose and his family chose Pāpāmoa for its lifestyle when they moved from Whanganui last year.
They bought a 2021 build in Pāpāmoa East for $945,000.
Jose moved to the Bay of Plenty a year before his family to search for their dream home.
He and his wife Sonal Jose looked at properties in Welcome Bay and Tauriko.
He said the Welcome Bay price range was better, but they settled on Pāpāmoa for lifestyle benefits.
“It was worth it,” Jackson Jose said.
“It’s closer to the beach and much safer for the kids. It’s well lit at night, and they can go for walks or bike rides.”
Catherine Jose (from left), 7, Sophia Jose, 13, Sonal Jose and Joshua Jose, 11. Photo / Jackson Jose
Jose works at Bayfair Doctors, which is a 10-minute commute from his home using the new Pāpāmoa East interchange.
He said it made sense to buy a home near the under-construction The Sands town centre.
The $1 billion development’s New World supermarket opened in 2024.
His two youngest children – Catherine Jose, 7, and Joshua Jose, 11 – attend Golden Sands School, while his eldest – Sophia Jose, 13 – attended Pāpāmoa College.
He said the family would have moved 10 years ago if they had known about Pāpāmoa East.
Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.