Whitianga is a town on the Coromandel Peninsula, in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. The town is located on Mercury Bay, on the northeastern coast of the peninsula. The town has a permanent population of as of making it the second-largest town on the Coromandel Peninsula behind Thames. Demographics Whitianga covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Whitianga North had a population of 5,493 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,086 people (24.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,689 people (44.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,271 households, comprising 2,691 males and 2,805 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.96 males per female, with 882 people (16.1%) aged under 15 years, 729 (13.3%) aged 15 to 29, 2,310 (42.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,575 (28.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 90.3% European/Pākehā, 14.6% Māori, 2.1% Pacific peoples, 3.7% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 18.5, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 57.1% had no religion, 31.1% were Christian, 0.6% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.7% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 567 (12.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,011 (21.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 450 people (9.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,788 (38.8%) people were employed full-time, 879 (19.1%) were part-time, and 93 (2.0%) were unemployed. Geography Whitianga is located on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula, from Auckland (by road; 84 km direct distance), from Thames, from Tairua. It is situated on the coast of Mercury Bay along the long east-facing Buffalo Beach. The town centre is at the southern end of the beach. Buffalo Beach is named after , a Royal Navy ship which was wrecked during a storm while anchored in Mercury Bay. Her anchor can be seen at a monument at Buffalo Beach. A passenger ferry crosses from Whitianga to Ferry Landing, close to Cooks Beach. The alternative to the two-minute ferry crossing is a 45-minute drive around Whitianga Harbour. History Māori history Whitianga has been continuously occupied