Tahuna is a small rural settlement located 18 km north of Morrinsville. In the Māori language Tahuna means sandbank, likely to refer to the sandbanks along the nearby Piako River, where a Māori settlement started. Tahuna is seen as the upper limit for navigatable travel on the Piako River. The settlement has a rugby club, a lawn bowls club, a golf course and various shops.

Although Tahuna is in the Matamata-Piako District for local government, its representation in national government is within the Coromandel electorate due to the abolition of the Piako electorate for the 2008 election.

A town water supply was proposed in the 1980s and installed in the 2000s.

There are two marae in the Tahuna area:

• The Waiti-Raungaunu marae and Paoa meeting house are also associated with the Waikato Tainui hapū of Ngāti Makirangi, and with the iwi of Ngāti Paoa.
• Hoe o Tainui marae and surrounding settlement is affiliated with Ngāti Makirangi.

Tahuna is in an SA1 statistical area which covers 10.64 km (4.11 sq mi). The SA1 area is part of the larger Tahuna-Mangateparu statistical area.

Historical population for Tahuna settlement

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	180	—
2013	195	+1.15%
2018	183	−1.26%
Source:

Tahuna had a population of 183 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 12 people (−6.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 3 people (1.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 72 households, comprising 93 males and 90 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.03 males per female. The median age was 40.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 36 people (19.7%) aged under 15 years, 39 (21.3%) aged 15 to 29, 72 (39.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 33 (18.0%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.2% European/Pākehā, 8.2% Māori, 1.6% Pacific peoples, and 8.2% Asian. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 63.9% had no religion, 24.6% were Christian, 1.6% had Māori religious beliefs, 6.6% were Hindu, 1.6% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 15 (10.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 48 (32.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $32,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 15 people (10.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 75 (51.0%) people were employed full-time, 18 (12.2%) were part-time, and 3 (2.0%) were unemployed.

Tahuna-Mangateparu statistical area, which includes Mangateparu, covers 238.92 km (92.25 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,730 as of June 2024, with a population density of 7.2 people per km.

Historical population for Tahuna-Mangateparu

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	1,419	—
2013	1,491	+0.71%
2018	1,569	+1.03%
Source:

Tahuna-Mangateparu had a population of 1,569 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 78 people (5.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 150 people (10.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 567 households, comprising 816 males and 753 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.08 males per female. The median age was 37.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 384 people (24.5%) aged under 15 years, 267 (17.0%) aged 15 to 29, 729 (46.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 189 (12.0%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 89.5% European/Pākehā, 13.2% Māori, 1.7% Pacific peoples, 3.6% Asian, and 2.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 12.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 57.4% had no religion, 30.4% were Christian, 0.8% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.0% were Hindu, 0.4% were Muslim, 0.2% were Buddhist and 2.1% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 153 (12.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 291 (24.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $38,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 213 people (18.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 678 (57.2%) people were employed full-time, 198 (16.7%) were part-time, and 30 (2.5%) were unemployed.

Tahuna School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students, with a roll of 104 as of August 2024. The school opened in 1905.