Taupō Central

Taupō Central is the central suburb and business district of Taupō in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island.

An eight-storey hotel was proposed in the CBD in 2018. It would have been Taupō's tallest building. As the Council had a three-storey limit at that time, consent required a decision by the Environment Court, which allowed a six-storey building in June 2020. The hotel was still unbuilt as of May 2022.

Taupō Museum is located in Taupō Central. It opened in the 1970s.

Demographics
Taupō Central covers 4.76 km2 and had an estimated population of as of  with a population density of  people per km2.

Taupō Central had a population of 7,680 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 450 people (6.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 198 people (2.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,856 households, comprising 3,684 males and 3,990 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.92 males per female, with 1,581 people (20.6%) aged under 15 years, 1,500 (19.5%) aged 15 to 29, 3,294 (42.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,311 (17.1%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 72.6% European/Pākehā, 29.6% Māori, 4.5% Pacific peoples, 8.3% Asian, and 2.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 20.5, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.8% had no religion, 32.3% were Christian, 3.9% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.8% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.7% were Buddhist and 2.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 897 (14.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,143 (18.7%) people had no formal qualifications. 714 people (11.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,144 (51.5%) people were employed full-time, 966 (15.8%) were part-time, and 198 (3.2%) were unemployed.

Education
Taupo School is a state primary school, with a roll of. The school opened in 1894.

Mountview School is a state primary school, with a roll of. The school opened in 1970. A planned 50th jubilee in 2020 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taupo-nui-a-Tia College is a state secondary school, with a roll of. The college opened in 1960, replacing the Taupo District High School which operated from 1951 to 1959.

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Whakarewa I Te Reo Ki Tuwharetoa is a composite (Year 1–13) Māori immersion school, with a roll of.

All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of