How should I use this ranking for property research?

Use the ranking as a screening step for Waikato. Save realistic areas to your shortlist, compare the strongest pair, and open suburb detail pages before relying on one result.

Does the top ranked area mean it is the best choice?

No. Rankings are a shortlist input, not a final recommendation. Check price history, rent, income, population, local services, source freshness, and current listings before making a decision.

How current is the ranking data?

QuickProperty uses processed public-source datasets and refreshes automated sources where available. Use the suburb detail page source panels to see which signals are current, estimated, or missing for a specific area.

← Highest Earthquake Risk

Ranking · Waikato · 50 SA2 areas

Highest Earthquake Risk — Waikato

SA2 areas closest to a mapped active fault, by GNS hazard band (population > 500). Estimated regional exposure from nearest-fault distance, not a property-level seismic assessment.

Leading area

NgakuruWAIKATO

Leading value

Very high

Runner-up

OhakuriWAIKATO

Updated

12 July 2026

Ranking

Highest Earthquake Risk

SA2 areas closest to a mapped active fault, by GNS hazard band (population > 500). Estimated regional exposure from nearest-fault distance, not a property-level seismic assessment — Waikato

50 results

How to read this ranking

Use highest earthquake risk as a shortlist tool, then verify the finalists in detail.

BEST FOR

Finding which areas deserve a closer look first.

This ranking works best as a first-pass screen in Waikato, especially when you need to reduce a wide field quickly.

READ IT AS

One signal in the workflow, not the whole answer.

A rank is useful because it compresses one dimension well, but it never replaces the fuller suburb-level picture.

NEXT STEP

Move into compare or suburb detail once a few names repeat.

Use the ranking to build a shortlist, then confirm whether those finalists still hold up on the rest of the data.

VERIFY evidence

Single-signal shortlist screen

A ranking compresses one signal well, but it should hand you into compare or suburb detail before becoming a decision.

SHORTLIST SCREEN

Top candidates are research leads.

Save a small working set, then use compare and evidence depth before treating any row as a decision.

Shortlist flow

Use #1 Ngakuru and #2 Ohakuri as the first compare pair.

Rankings are strongest when they hand you a shortlist quickly. Compare the top two first, then open suburb detail if the head-to-head result still feels narrow.

Compare top 2Open #1 detail Open #2 detail

# ▲	AREA	REGION	RISK	NEAREST FAULT	POP
1	Ngakuru	WAIKATO	Very high	Maleme Fault (Zone) · 0.1km	1,878
2	Ohakuri	WAIKATO	Very high	Orakeikorako Fault · 0.3km	1,953
3	Waitoa-Ngarua	WAIKATO	Very high	Kerepehi Fault · 0.3km	1,137
4	Kinloch	WAIKATO	Very high	Unnamed · 0.9km	1,191
5	Mapara	WAIKATO	High	Whakaipo Fault · 1.1km	1,179
6	Mangaiti	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 1.3km	1,362
7	Tūrangi	WAIKATO	High	Unnamed · 1.3km	3,792
8	Tauhara	WAIKATO	High	Rotokawa Fault · 1.4km	1,689
9	Mountview	WAIKATO	High	Aratiatia Fault · 1.7km	2,838
10	Acacia Bay	WAIKATO	High	Kaiapo Fault · 1.9km	1,770
11	Te Poi	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 2.0km	885
12	Ngatea	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 2.4km	1,548
13	Taupō Central East	WAIKATO	High	Aratiatia Fault · 2.4km	2,457
14	Matamata North	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 2.5km	3,300
15	Rangatira Park	WAIKATO	High	Aratiatia Fault · 2.5km	1,122
16	Hilltop (Taupo District)	WAIKATO	High	Aratiatia Fault · 2.7km	1,950
17	Bird Area	WAIKATO	High	Aratiatia Fault · 2.7km	2,193
18	Invergarry	WAIKATO	High	Rotokawa Fault · 2.7km	828
19	Mangatangi	WAIKATO	High	Wairoa South Fault · 2.8km	1,131
20	Brentwood (Taupo District)	WAIKATO	High	Karapiti Fault · 2.8km	2,178
21	Matamata East	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 3.0km	2,355
22	Tuakau Rural	WAIKATO	High	Aka Aka Fault · 3.2km	1,581
23	Nukuhau	WAIKATO	High	Karapiti Fault · 3.2km	1,560
24	Hauraki Plains East	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 3.3km	1,440
25	Golden Springs	WAIKATO	High	Unnamed · 3.6km	1,854
26	Tīrau	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 3.6km	2,535
27	Waipahihi	WAIKATO	High	Rotokawa Fault · 3.8km	2,292
28	Tuakau North	WAIKATO	High	Aka Aka Fault · 4.0km	3,528
29	Richmond Downs-Wardville	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 4.2km	1,284
30	Matamata West	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 4.2km	3,480
31	Aka Aka	WAIKATO	High	Pukekohe Fault · 4.5km	3,360
32	Okauia	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 4.5km	1,092
33	Tuakau South	WAIKATO	High	Aka Aka Fault · 4.7km	2,211
34	Waharoa-Peria	WAIKATO	High	Kerepehi Fault · 4.8km	1,359
35	Richmond Heights	WAIKATO	Moderate	Aratiatia Fault · 5.0km	2,403
36	Lake Taupō Bays	WAIKATO	Moderate	Waihi Fault · 5.6km	1,854
37	Hinuera	WAIKATO	Moderate	Kerepehi Fault · 5.6km	1,134
38	Paeroa Rural	WAIKATO	Moderate	Kerepehi Fault · 5.7km	1,989
39	Te Aroha West	WAIKATO	Moderate	Kerepehi Fault · 5.8km	2,064
40	Paeroa	WAIKATO	Moderate	Kerepehi Fault · 6.1km	4,458
41	Tatuanui	WAIKATO	Moderate	Kerepehi Fault · 6.3km	1,455
42	Te Aroha East	WAIKATO	Moderate	Kerepehi Fault · 6.8km	2,589
43	Wharewaka	WAIKATO	Moderate	Aratiatia Fault · 6.9km	1,614
44	Wairākei-Broadlands	WAIKATO	Moderate	Unnamed · 7.0km	1,182
45	Waihou-Manawaru	WAIKATO	Moderate	Kerepehi Fault · 7.1km	1,278
46	Hauraki Plains South	WAIKATO	Moderate	Kerepehi Fault · 7.5km	1,551
47	Waitahanui	WAIKATO	Moderate	Rotokawa Fault · 7.6km	846
48	Totora-Kopu	WAIKATO	Moderate	Kerepehi Fault · 8.6km	903
49	Pōkeno South	WAIKATO	Moderate	Aka Aka Fault · 9.0km	2,754
50	Pōkeno North	WAIKATO	Moderate	Aka Aka Fault · 9.4km	3,330

FAQ

New Zealand highest earthquake risk FAQ

What does Highest Earthquake Risk rank?

Highest Earthquake Risk ranks areas in Waikato using QuickProperty's processed property and locality datasets. SA2 areas closest to a mapped active fault, by GNS hazard band (population > 500). Estimated regional exposure from nearest-fault distance, not a property-level seismic assessment
How should I use this ranking for property research?

Use the ranking as a screening step for Waikato. Save realistic areas to your shortlist, compare the strongest pair, and open suburb detail pages before relying on one result.
Does the top ranked area mean it is the best choice?

No. Rankings are a shortlist input, not a final recommendation. Check price history, rent, income, population, local services, source freshness, and current listings before making a decision.
How current is the ranking data?

QuickProperty uses processed public-source datasets and refreshes automated sources where available. Use the suburb detail page source panels to see which signals are current, estimated, or missing for a specific area.