Himatangi Beach is a small coastal community in the Manawatà «-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located 32 kilometres west of Palmerston North in the centre of the largest sand dune geographical feature in New Zealand.
Himatangi Beach is described by Stats NZ as a rural settlement. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km<sup>2</sup>. It is part of the larger Oroua Downs statistical area.
Himatangi Beach had a population of 540 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 30 people (5.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 111 people (25.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 285 males, 252 females, and 6 people of other genders in 261 dwellings. 3.3% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 56.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 51 people (9.4%) aged under 15 years, 57 (10.6%) aged 15 to 29, 303 (56.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 129 (23.9%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 90.0% European (PÃÂkehÃÂ), 20.6% MÃÂori, 1.7% Pasifika, 1.1% Asian, and 4.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.9%, MÃÂori by 3.9%, Samoan by 0.6%, and other languages by 3.3%. No language could be spoken by 0.6% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 10.0, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 25.0% Christian, 0.6% Hindu, 1.7% MÃÂori religious beliefs, 0.6% Buddhist, 1.1% New Age, and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 60.6%, and 10.0% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 60 (12.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 282 (57.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 150 (30.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $39,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 45 people (9.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 243 (49.7%) full-time, 60 (12.3%) part-time, and 9 (1.8%) unemployed.
The population increases to several thousand in the summer.