Suburb in Tauranga, New Zealand

Matapihi
Suburb
Matapihi railway bridge to Tauranga Central
Coordinates: 37°41′48″S 176°11′28″E / 37.696607°S 176.191083°E / -37.696607; 176.191083
Country	New Zealand
City	Tauranga
Local authority	Tauranga City Council
Electoral ward	Mauao/Mount Maunganui General Ward
Area [1]
• Land	394 ha (974 acres)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	820

	(Waipu Bay)	Arataki
(Tauranga Harbour)	Matapihi
Maungatapu		(Rangataua Bay)

Matapihi is a suburb and peninsula of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island, surrounded on most sides by the Tauranga Harbour.

It is connectected to Mount Maunganui in the northeast by a land bridge, and Maungatapu in the southwest by Maungatapu Bridge. State Highway 29A runs through the suburb along this diagonal.

Matapihi covers 3.94 km² (1.52 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 820 as of June 2024,^[2] with a population density of 208 people per km².

Matapihi had a population of 729 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 54 people (8.0%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 48 people (7.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 189 households, comprising 372 males and 357 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.04 males per female. The median age was 37.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 171 people (23.5%) aged under 15 years, 135 (18.5%) aged 15 to 29, 342 (46.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 81 (11.1%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 36.6% European/Pākehā, 77.4% Māori, 2.1% Pacific peoples, 0.8% Asian, and 1.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 4.5, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 35.4% had no religion, 32.5% were Christian, 26.7% had Māori religious beliefs and 0.4% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 87 (15.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 141 (25.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $25,400, compared with $31,800 nationally. 72 people (12.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 273 (48.9%) people were employed full-time, 84 (15.1%) were part-time, and 42 (7.5%) were unemployed.^[3]

Matapihi has two marae:

• Hungahungatoroa or Whakahinga Marae and Tāpuiti meeting house is a meeting place of the Ngāi Te Rangi hapū of Ngāi Tukairangi.
• Waikari Marae and Tapukino meeting house is a meeting place of the Ngāi Te Rangi hapū of Ngāti Tapu.^[4][5]

Te Kura o Matapihi is a co-educational Māori language immersion state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,^[6] with a roll of 189 as of August 2024.^[7]