By HELEN TUNNAH and NZPA
Wellington seat Ohariu-Belmont might still be the wealthiest of the 69 electorates, but Epsom in Auckland can boast more people earning high incomes.
The median income in United MP Peter Dunne's Ohariu-Belmont is $29,200, edging out Epsom at $28,800, says Statistics New Zealand.
But the true-blue Auckland
seat easily had the most people earning more than $100,000 a year at the last census, when 4446 people were on six figures plus.
The traditionally wealthy Wellington Central had 3321 big earners and was third on the median income table, at $28,600.
Auckland Central had the fourth-highest income, $24,000, and the third-highest number of people in the top income bracket, 2397.
Ohariu-Belmont and Wellington Central had higher median incomes because they had more people earning wages and salaries than other electorates.
The figures show that in every electorate the median income for men was a lot more than for women. Men aged 15 and over had a median income of $24,900 and women $14,500.
The electorates with the lowest median incomes were student-dominated Dunedin North at $12,900, Northland $14,500 and West-Coast Tasman $14,800.
The Auckland region's poorest electorate was Mangere, with a median income of $15,700.
Auckland electorates have more ethnic diversity than in other parts of the country. Pacific Islanders made up 52 per cent and Europeans just 29 per cent of Mangere. In Mt Roskill, one in four people was Asian.
East Coast had the greatest rate of Maori, 46 per cent. The South Island remained European dominated, with 96 per cent in Aoraki, Otago and Rakaia of Pakeha descent.
Employment rates were highest in Ohariu-Belmont and Wellington Central at 72 per cent, two points higher than Clutha-Southland.
South Auckland seats had the highest unemployment: Mangere 14 per cent, Manurewa 12 per cent and Manukau East 11 per cent.
