District · Canterbury
Timaru district in numbers
Timaru district had an estimated 49,000 people at 30 June 2026, down 0.2% (100 people) since the 2023 Census, 9th of 9 in Canterbury for growth. 25% of its 19,557 households rent, 65% own and 9% hold the home in a family trust (2023 Census).
People, June 2026
49,000
−0.2% (−100) since the 2023 Census
Latest year
−0.4%
−200 people, June 2025 to June 2026
Since 1996
+12.6%
Thirty years of Stats NZ estimates
Median weekly rent, Canterbury
$550
Lower quartile $470, upper $646. 56,910 active bonds. MBIE, July 2026. Regional figure; MBIE does not publish this district on its own
Median full-time earnings, Canterbury
$1,563 a week
June 2026. Regional, not district level
Employment rate, Canterbury
69%
Unemployment 4.4%, 2026 Q1. Regional survey estimate
Population, 1996 to 2026
Stats NZ estimated resident population at 30 June. Estimates after 2023 are provisional and built on the 2023 Census. Dark bars: first year, 2023 Census base, latest.
Population by year, 2019 to 2026
| 30 June | People | Change on the year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 47,800 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 48,100 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 48,200 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 48,200 | 0% |
| 2023 | 49,100 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 49,200 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 49,200 | 0% |
| 2026 | 49,000 | −0.4% |
How Timaru district households hold their homes
- 65% own their home
- 25% rent
- 9% held in a family trust
19,557 households, 2023 Census.