Mataroa
Mataroa is a settlement in the Rangitikei District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island.
The area was already settled by the Māori iwi Ngāti Rangi by the time William Colenso made the first recorded European visit in 1845.
Railway surveyors cut a rough track through the district in 1884, and wool farmers began clearing the area in the following decades. The Mataroa Tunnel was dug through the area in the early 1900s. The Main Trunk railway line was laid through it in 1906 and it began to carry trains in 1907.
The Paengaroa Scenic Reserve is located in Mataroa. It includes a carpark, picnicking area, and ten minute walking track.
There were two fatal crashes in Mataroa in 2019.
Demographics
Mataora locality covers. It is part of the larger Mokai Patea statistical area.Mataora had a population of 126 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 3 people since the 2018 census, and a decrease of 9 people since the 2013 census. There were 66 males and 57 females in 54 dwellings. 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 40.9 years. There were 24 people aged under 15 years, 27 aged 15 to 29, 54 aged 30 to 64, and 21 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 90.5% European, 31.0% Māori, 4.8% Pasifika, and 2.4% Asian. English was spoken by 97.6%, Māori by 11.9%, and other languages by 2.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 4.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.
The sole religious affiliation given was 33.3% Christian. People who answered that they had no religion were 50.0%, and 11.9% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 18 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 69 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 15 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $47,900, compared with $41,500 nationally. 9 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 66 full-time and 15 part-time.