Waitohi, Waitohi Flat and Upper Waitohi are small farming centres from 5 to 16 km west of Temuka and north of the Opihi river, South Canterbury in New Zealand. They are about 20 km north of Timaru.
It is the area where Richard Pearse, a pioneer aviator, lived and farmed. From 1902 to 1904, Richard Pearce built and flew experimental aircraft on his Waitohi farm and managed to achieve powered flight.
Demographics
Waitohi locality covers 103.38 km2 (39.92 sq mi). It is part of the Waitohi statistical area.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 222 | — |
| 2013 | 210 | −0.79% |
| 2018 | 219 | +0.84% |
| 2023 | 222 | +0.27% |
| Source: | ||
Waitohi had a population of 222 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 3 people (1.4%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 12 people (5.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 123 males and 102 females in 81 dwellings. There were 48 people (21.6%) aged under 15 years, 30 (13.5%) aged 15 to 29, 126 (56.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 24 (10.8%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 89.2% European (Pākehā), 5.4% Māori, 1.4% Pasifika, 6.8% Asian, and 5.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.9%, and other languages by 8.1%. No language could be spoken by 2.7% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 17.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 35.1% Christian, 1.4% Hindu, and 1.4% Islam. People who answered that they had no religion were 55.4%, and 8.1% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 33 (19.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 96 (55.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 33 (19.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 27 people (15.5%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 111 (63.8%) full-time, 30 (17.2%) part-time, and 3 (1.7%) unemployed.
Waitohi statistical area
The Waitohi statistical area includes Winchester and Milford Huts, and surrounds but does not include Temuka. It covers 371.78 km2 (143.55 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,820 as of June 2025, with a population density of 4.9 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,602 | — |
| 2013 | 1,737 | +1.16% |
| 2018 | 1,761 | +0.27% |
| 2023 | 1,758 | −0.03% |
| Source: | ||
Waitohi statistical area had a population of 1,758 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 3 people (−0.2%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 21 people (1.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 930 males and 828 females in 714 dwellings. 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 41.7 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 312 people (17.7%) aged under 15 years, 273 (15.5%) aged 15 to 29, 873 (49.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 297 (16.9%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 85.0% European (Pākehā); 12.1% Māori; 2.0% Pasifika; 5.8% Asian; 1.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 4.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.9%, Māori by 1.9%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 9.0%. No language could be spoken by 1.7% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 17.2, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 32.9% Christian, 0.7% Hindu, 0.9% Māori religious beliefs, 0.3% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, and 0.9% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 56.0%, and 8.4% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 180 (12.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 858 (59.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 408 (28.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $41,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 111 people (7.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 771 (53.3%) full-time, 234 (16.2%) part-time, and 36 (2.5%) unemployed.
