South Waikato District
South Waikato District is a local government district in the Waikato Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located between the cities of Hamilton to the north, Rotorua to the east, Taupō to the south and Ruapehu District to the west.
The seat of the South Waikato District Council is at Tokoroa, the biggest town. The other main towns are Putāruru, Tīrau and Arapuni.
Populated places
South Waikato District consists of the following towns, localities, settlements and communities:Putaruru Ward:- * Arahiwi West
- * Arapuni
- * Hodderville
- * Lichfield
- * Ngatira
- * North Putāruru
- * Pinedale
- * Puketurua
- * Putāruru
- * WaotuTirau Ward:
- * Okoroire
- * Piarere
- * Tapapa
- * Tīrau
- * WaiomouTokoroa Ward:
- * Kinleith
- * North Tokoroa
- * Te Whetu
- * Tokoroa
- * Upper Ātiamuri
- * Waipapa
- * Wawa
- * Wiltsdown
Demographics
The district's population in was, of whom % lived in Tokoroa. Putaruru's population was. The region's population decreased markedly during the 1990s, dropping over 4000 since the 1991 census.Ngāti Raukawa is the Maori tribe of the area and goes back 20–25 generations. There are 32 marae in the district, Papa te Aroha marae, Aotearoa marae, Pikitu marae, Pōhara marae, Whakaaratamaiti marae, Mangakaretu marae, Ngatira marae, Tarukenga marae, Ongaroto marae, Paparamu marae, Te Ruapeka marae, among others
South Waikato District covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
South Waikato District had a population of 25,044 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,002 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 2,973 people since the 2013 census. There were 12,444 males, 12,540 females and 66 people of other genders in 9,075 dwellings. 2.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 37.1 years. There were 5,637 people aged under 15 years, 4,467 aged 15 to 29, 10,614 aged 30 to 64, and 4,326 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 69.0% European ; 38.3% Māori; 13.5% Pasifika; 5.0% Asian; 0.3% 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 96.8%, Māori language by 8.5%, Samoan by 1.0% and other languages by 6.3%. No language could be spoken by 2.3%. New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.4, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 30.1% Christian, 0.5% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 2.6% [Religion of Māori people|Māori people|Māori religious beliefs], 0.5% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 55.5%, and 9.1% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 1,665 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 11,187 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 6,096 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $34,900, compared with $41,500 nationally. 1,347 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 8,979 people were employed full-time, 2,334 were part-time, and 1,014 were unemployed.
| Name | Area | Population | Density | Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
| Tirau Ward | 293.10 | 2,535 | 8.6 | 960 | 37.0 years | $47,100 |
| Putāruru Ward | 562.61 | 6,993 | 12.4 | 2,619 | 40.0 years | $35,300 |
| Tokoroa Ward | 963.17 | 15,516 | 16.1 | 5,493 | 36.0 years | $33,000 |
| New Zealand | 38.1 years | $41,500 |