Where Do Most Plumbers Live? Real Data on Where Plumbing Professionals Settle

Most plumbers don’t live in big cities - at least not the ones you’d expect. If you’ve ever wondered where the people fixing your leaky pipes actually call home, the answer isn’t downtown or in trendy suburbs. It’s in the towns and suburbs right next to growing neighborhoods, near construction zones, and along highways where homes are being built or renovated. Plumbing isn’t a job you can do remotely, so plumbers live where the work is - and that’s changing fast.

Plumbers Live Where Housing Is Expanding

In New Zealand, the biggest clusters of plumbers are in places like Manukau, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Porirua. These aren’t the flashy city centers - they’re the fast-growing suburbs where new housing developments pop up every month. A 2024 Housing Industry Association report showed that 68% of licensed plumbers in the country live within 15 kilometers of a major new housing project. Why? Because they need to be close to job sites. A plumber in Auckland might start a job in Ōtāhuhu at 8 a.m., then head to Papakura for a kitchen reno by 1 p.m. Living in the city center would mean wasting two hours a day just commuting.

This isn’t unique to New Zealand. In Australia, plumbers cluster around Melbourne’s outer suburbs like Craigieburn and Werribee. In the U.S., it’s places like Phoenix’s west side and Atlanta’s northern belt. The pattern is the same: plumbers live where homes are being built, not where they’re oldest.

Training Locations Shape Where Plumbers Settle

Where you train often determines where you end up living. Most plumbing apprenticeships are tied to local trade schools, polytechnics, or employer-sponsored programs. In Auckland, the main plumbing training course is offered at AUT and Unitec, both of which have strong ties to local plumbing firms. Graduates from these programs tend to stay in the region because they’ve built relationships with local employers during their training.

Same goes for Wellington - most plumbers trained at the Wellington Institute of Technology end up working in the Hutt Valley or Lower Hutt. Why? Because those companies hired them as apprentices. They didn’t move far because they didn’t need to. The same thing happens in Christchurch after the rebuilds - plumbers who trained through the Canterbury Polytechnic stayed because the demand was still high.

Training isn’t just about learning to fit pipes. It’s about building a network. If you do your apprenticeship with a family-run business in Napier, you’re likely to stay in Hawke’s Bay. You know the local codes, the suppliers, the inspectors. Moving elsewhere means starting from scratch.

Plumbing Is Local - And So Are Plumbers

Unlike software developers or remote marketers, plumbers can’t work from anywhere. You need to be on-site. You need to carry tools, trucks, and materials. You need to know which water pressure systems are used in older homes versus new builds in your area. That’s why most plumbers don’t relocate unless they’re chasing a specific job or family reason.

A 2023 survey by the Master Plumbers Association found that 82% of plumbers had lived in the same region for over five years. Only 9% had moved more than 100 kilometers away since becoming licensed. The rest stayed put because the work was steady, the clients were loyal, and the commute was short.

Even in cities like Auckland, where housing is expensive, plumbers often choose to live in more affordable areas nearby. Many live in Manurewa, Papatoetoe, or Wiri - places where houses are cheaper, but the drive to central Auckland or the airport is still under 20 minutes. They trade space for time. And that’s smart.

What About Rural Areas?

You might think rural towns have no plumbers. That’s not true. Places like Taumarunui, Wairoa, and Dargaville have plumbers - but they’re often the only one in town. These plumbers don’t just fix leaks. They install whole water systems, maintain septic tanks, and sometimes even handle gas lines because there’s no one else.

They live in those towns because they own their businesses. They bought the local plumbing shop years ago. Their kids go to the local school. They’re part of the community. They don’t leave because there’s nowhere better to go - and the work doesn’t stop just because it’s quiet.

In fact, rural plumbers often earn more per job. Why? Because they’re the only option. If your septic tank backs up in Gore, you don’t call a company from Invercargill - you call the guy down the road. And he knows it.

Plumbing Training Programs Are Tied to Regional Demand

Training centers don’t open just anywhere. They open where the need is. That’s why you’ll find plumbing courses in Tauranga and Hamilton, but not in places like Ruatoria or Kaitaia. The Ministry of Education tracks apprenticeship demand by region, and funding follows the need.

In 2024, 43% of all new plumbing apprentices in New Zealand enrolled in programs based in Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty. These are the same regions where new housing consents hit record highs. The training isn’t random - it’s a direct response to where homes are being built.

If you’re thinking about taking a plumbing training course, your choice of location matters. Enroll in a program near where you want to live and work. You’ll graduate with local connections, know the regional building codes, and have employers already waiting for you.

Why This Matters If You’re Thinking About Becoming a Plumber

If you’re considering a plumbing training course, don’t just pick the closest one. Pick the one in the region you want to settle in. Your future home, your commute, your income - all of it ties back to where you train.

Plumbing is one of the few trades where location equals opportunity. You can’t get hired in Christchurch if you trained in Nelson unless you’re willing to relocate and start over. But if you train where you plan to live, you’re already ahead of the game.

Look at the housing growth maps. See where new subdivisions are being approved. That’s where the jobs are. And that’s where the plumbers live.

Plumbers Don’t Move Often - But When They Do, It’s for a Reason

There are exceptions. Some plumbers move to bigger cities for higher pay. Others relocate to be closer to family. A few leave the trade entirely after a few years. But those are the outliers.

Most plumbers stay put because the life works for them. They wake up, drive 15 minutes to work, fix a toilet, grab lunch with a client they’ve known for ten years, and head home before dark. They own their trucks. They have their own tools. They’re not employees - they’re small business owners.

And that’s why they don’t leave. Not because they’re stuck. But because they’ve built something worth staying for.