The broken topography of the peninsula and the early attraction of landing points as sites for settlement are reflected in the character of the urban hierarchy. There are few towns and only one large one, Whangarei borough, with a population of 17,880 (1961). More numerous are the small settlements (often below the legal minimum population of 1,000 necessary to acquire borough status), which nevertheless effectively function in the social and economic life of the surrounding farming population. These villages are distributed right throughout the peninsula and included amongst the more well known ones are (population figures refer to 1961 census) Awanui (139), Kerikeri (280), Moerewa (757), Waipu (515), Maungaturoto (565), Ruawai (590), Wellsford (1,136), and Warkworth (991). Some of them are very attractive tourist centres, notably Russell (569), Paihia (448), and Leigh (163). All of the boroughs have shown a rapid rate of increase in the last decade, especially, considering its size, Whangarei, where the establishment of the first New Zealand oil refinery at Marsden Point will ensure its continued growth. Already Whangarei possesses some manufacturing plants, but the improvement of the port facilities consequent upon the establishment of the refinery has attracted more industry, notably a large fertiliser works. Commercial activities have already undergone expansion. Although handling a notable volume of cargo, Whangarei has never ranked as one of the country's major ports. During the period 1955–60 the total tonnage handled remained in the vicinity of 300,000 tons. Most of the traffic is coastal, the principal export being 115,270 tons of butter, and the principal imports being coal and motor spirits, which account for almost the whole of the overseas trade. This pattern will, of course, change now the refinery is in production. The Bay of Islands port at Opua was opened as an overseas port only in 1957. Since that year the total tonnage handled has increased from 5,400 tons to 33,578 tons in 1960. There is very little inwards traffic, principally manures, accounting for 5,609 tons, the bulk of the trade being concerned with the export of butter, 12,692 tons, frozen meat, 9,073 tons, and milk products, 2,631 tons. Awanui, Mangonui, and Whangaroa still function as coastal ports, though in the last five years there has been a constant decline in the number of ships calling, partly on account of the considerable improvement in roading.

North Auckland is one of the few regions of New Zealand which remains overwhelmingly rural (71·26 per cent of the total population). This figure reflects the region's stage of economic development and, in addition, the high proportion of Maoris in the total population. With a ratio of approximately 23 Maoris to every 100 Europeans, the region singles itself out as containing one of the most important concentrations of Maori population in the whole country, with approximately three times the average proportion; and the proportion of Maoris to Europeans increases perceptibly in the more northern counties. Considering the county population together with that of the boroughs, in Mangonui County 27·47 per cent of the population are Maoris; in Whangaroa County, 41·66 per cent; in Hokianga County, 56·44 per cent; and in Bay of Islands, 41·88 per cent. With a total population of 35,042 people in these four northernmost counties, 15,122, or 43·15 per cent, are Maoris. In the purely rural areas this percentage rises to 47·16.

As Fraser's (1958) survey of the four northernmost counties showed, a marked disparity in standards exists between the European and the Maori population, whatever index is chosen. In 1956 the Maori birthrate was 39·68 per 1,000, compared with the European rate of 28·51. The Maori death rate was 7·60 per thousand, the European rate 6·03. Natural increase amongst the Maoris was 32·08 per thousand, compared with 22·12 amongst the Europeans. The Maori rural population had only 16·6 acres of farm land per capitum, compared with the European figure of 81·9 acres. At the dairy factories surveyed, average annual butterfat production per cow was 162 lb for Maori and 213 lb for European producers. The European farm supplied on average a total quantity of butterfat three times that supplied by the Maori farm (and income is closely related to this figure), and the average Maori herd size was only 43 per cent of the average European herd size. During the past decade it has become abundantly clear that, while much Maori land is under-utilised, Maori holdings are, on the whole, too small to provide a comparable standard of living. Hampered by his low productivity, the Maori is unable to meet the full burden of county rates, which result in a slow improvement in the accessibility of rural areas.