Kihikihi
Kihikihi, a small town located in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, serves as a satellite community of Te Awamutu, five kilometres to the north, and lies 35 kilometres south of Hamilton. The estimated population was
Kihikihi is a Māori-language word meaning "cicada"; the name imitates the sound made by the insect.
History
Kihikihi in the 19th century was described as a "border settlement" or a "frontier town" by James Cowan, ruined in the 1880s by the "Great Wet Peace" with the partition of the King Country and land-buying from Māori.Demographics
Kihikihi covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.Kihikihi had a population of 3,456 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 702 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 1,047 people since the 2013 census. There were 1,698 males, 1,749 females, and 9 people of other genders in 1,212 dwellings. 2.9% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 34.2 years. There were 777 people aged under 15 years, 690 aged 15 to 29, 1,494 aged 30 to 64, and 498 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 79.3% European ; 30.1% Māori; 3.6% Pasifika; 5.2% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders ; and 2.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.8%, Māori by 6.9%, Samoan by 0.3%, and other languages by 6.9%. No language could be spoken by 2.9%. New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.4, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 26.2% Christian, 1.5% Hindu, 0.1% Islam, 2.1% Māori religious beliefs, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 60.4%, and 7.4% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 462 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,554 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 666 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $45,600, compared with $41,500 nationally. 243 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,533 full-time, 321 part-time, and 66 unemployed.
| Name | Area | Population | Density | Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
| St Leger | 6.56 | 624 | 95 | 222 | 40.8 years | $55,200 |
| Kihikihi Central | 2.24 | 2,829 | 1,263 | 990 | 33.2 years | $43,900 |
| New Zealand | 38.1 years | $41,500 |
People
, a railroad surveyor, died in the Star Hotel and is buried in the Kihikihi Cemetery.Rewi Maniapoto, a Māori chief, lived in Kihikihi.
Archaeological sites
20 archaeological sites have been identified in the town, 9 of which are listed by Heritage New Zealand -- c1868 Alpha Hotel
- 1879 Major Jackson's House
- 1881 Christ Church
- 1883 Star Hotel
- 1894 Rewi Maniapoto Memorial and Reserve
- 1904 Town Hall
- 1907 Constable's House and Police Station
- 1920 World War One Memorial
- 94 Lyon St