Where you live in New Zealand could significantly shape your risk of being burgled—and how much you pay for insurance.
New data compiled by MoneyHub shows wide gaps in burglary rates across the country, based on an analysis of 120,503 recorded victimisations from NZ Police Crime Snapshot data covering 2024 to 2025.
At the top of the list is Hamilton City, with an annual burglary rate of 212.7 per 10,000 people, far above the national average of 115.9. Rotorua followed at 211.1, while Thames-Coromandel came in at 197.0.
“The gap between the highest and lowest-risk districts is enormous. A Hamilton resident is almost eight times more likely to experience a burglary than someone in Queenstown-Lakes. That is not a minor statistical variation—it is a completely different lived experience, and it explains why insurance premiums vary so significantly by location,” MoneyHub founder Christopher Walsh said.
The data also pointed to a clear pattern in districts with large numbers of holiday homes. Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki, and Kaipara all ranked among the ten highest-risk areas. MoneyHub said seasonal vacancy, rural isolation, and distance from police stations can leave empty properties more exposed.
“If you own a holiday home in the Coromandel or Far North, check your house insurance or holiday house insurance policy for unoccupancy exclusions. Many standard policies reduce or exclude cover for properties left empty beyond 30 or 60 days. The burglary data shows this is not a theoretical risk - these areas have some of the highest rates in the country,” Walsh said.
Nationally, burglary numbers moved down, but the picture was not the same everywhere. Recorded burglaries fell 5.8% from 62,043 in 2024 to 58,460 in 2025. Hastings posted a 35.6% drop, while Auckland was down 9.9%. Some places moved in the other direction, with Palmerston North up 23.7%, Kawerau up 52.9%, and Ruapehu up 55.2%.
Among the main cities, Hamilton again had the highest burglary rate. Christchurch and Palmerston North also ranked above Auckland on a per-person basis. Auckland had the largest number of burglaries overall, with 37,645 across two years, but its rate of 111.0 per 10,000 people placed it 32nd out of 61 districts and below the national average.
“Declining national numbers are encouraging, but 58,460 burglaries is still 160 per day—one every nine minutes. And if you live in Palmerston North or one of the districts where burglaries are rising sharply, the national trend is irrelevant to your personal risk,” Walsh said.
MoneyHub also found a seasonal trend in the data. January 2025 recorded 5,746 burglaries, the highest monthly total in the two-year dataset, during a period when many homes are left empty over the summer holidays.
