This article summarises key findings from the strand of the Tai Timu Tangata. Taihoa e? project that examined the mechanisms of subnational population change in New Zealand for 143 towns, 132 rural centres and 66 territorial authority areas (hereafter TAs), for the 37-year period 1976-2013. Because of space constraints we present the information as a set of 10 summary observations. For the underlying analyses please refer to Jackson, Brabyn and Maré (2016); Jackson and Cameron (2017), Jackson, Brabyn, Maré, Cameron and Pool (forthcoming); and Jackson and Brabyn (forthcoming).