The Waikato district is predominantly a rural area and home to just under 59,000 people, with the median age being 35.3 years. The majority of residents in the Waikato district identify themselves as European. Over half of the Waikato district's residents own their own property.
The people
Nearly 40 per cent of New Zealand's total population live within a 150 km radius of the Waikato district. However, the district itself is still sparsely populated by North Island standards, with just under 59,000 people living in this principally rural area, which covers roughly 418,893 hectares.
The Waikato district has a median age of 35.3 years, lower than that of New Zealand as a whole where it is 35.9 years. This is a reflection of the fact that the district has a smaller number of people aged over 65 (10.0 per cent) and a larger number of people aged under 15 (25.5 per cent) than the average.
While this currently means that there is a greater need for services and facilities for the younger members of our community, there are long-term implications as the demand for services for those above 65 will increase in future years.
Ethnicity
Ethnically, the Waikato district has low numbers of Pacific Island (2.4 per cent) and Asian people (2.8 per cent), but a much larger than average proportion of Maaori (25.9 per cent). 69 per cent of people in the Waikato district consider themselves to be European. The district's urban wards have much higher percentages of Maaori than its rural wards.
Waikato-Tainui
Waikato-Tainui holds a unique status as tangata whenua of the Waikato region. For more information please go to the Iwi and Communities page.
Income
The district has a higher then national median level of income, at $25,700. The diversity of the district shows differing results when comparing the rural wards with urban wards.
A high number of people receive their income from the agriculture and fishing industries, which reflects the district’s rural nature.
Property Ownership
There are moderate levels of home ownership in the Waikato district with 55.2 per cent of permanent residents owning their own property. The national average is 54.5 per cent.