This paper examines some dimensions of demographic and economic change in a region which is generally considered to be one of the most productive and affluent parts of New Zealand’s “heartland”. The paper highlights considerable demographic and economic diversity within the Central North Island. This is a complex region in terms of its population composition, its mix of rural and urban places and industries, and its linkages to other parts of New Zealand’s society and economy. The consistently poorer performance found in a wide range of indices of social and economic change in this part of New Zealand is very sobering.