About Our District

Environment

With miles and miles of open sea, 160 kilometres of coastline, 13 clean, fast flowing rivers and 11,200 hectares of native bush and scrubland, the Opotiki District is the perfect home for a community that appreciates and enjoys outdoor activities and the natural environment. The district comprises 25% of the Bay of Plenty region and contains 50% of the Bay of Plenty coastline.

Population

Just over 10,000 people live in the Ōpōtiki District. Each year more than 30,000 visitors experience the environment that we are lucky enough to call home. Just under half of the resident population lives in the Opotiki township with the remainder living in smaller outlying communities. There are 20 marae in the district, which are a focal point for local communities, along with a number of strong farming, lifestyle and coastal settlements.

Demographics

In the 2023 Census approximately 66.2% of people in the Ōpōtiki District said they belong to the Māori ethnic group. The media age in 2023 was 40 years and 8.8% of the population were born overseas.
In 2023 23% were speakers of te reo Māori, far above the 4.3% recorded nationally.

The Economy

The economy is driven primarily by agriculture with over 400 farms amounting to a total area of 75,660 hectares. 38% of this area is in beef and dairy farms, 29% in planted forests and 1% in horticulture units. The majority of horticultural land is planted in kiwifruit with plans for further development within this industry.

Labour Force Participation

In the 2023 Census 6.2% of working age people were unemployed, which is higher than the national average.

Income

The median household income in the Ōpōtiki District in was $66,900 in 2023 compared with $97,000 nationally and the median personal income was $30,500 compared with $41,500 nationally.

Development

In the 2023 Census a high proportion of residents 69.1% own (or partly own) their homes, which is comparable to the Bay of Plenty and national figure. 11.7% of the population live in what is classified as crowded households.

Over the past three years there has been a steady increase in the value of house sales in the district.