District · Otago
Waitaki district in numbers
Waitaki district had an estimated 24,900 people at 30 June 2026, up 3.8% (900 people) since the 2023 Census, 3rd of 5 in Otago for growth. 26% of its 9,705 households rent, 62% own and 11% hold the home in a family trust (2023 Census).
People, June 2026
24,900
+3.8% (+900) since the 2023 Census
Latest year
+1.2%
+300 people, June 2025 to June 2026
Since 1996
+13.2%
Thirty years of Stats NZ estimates
Median weekly rent, Otago
$580
Lower quartile $441, upper $750. 22,137 active bonds. MBIE, July 2026. Regional figure; MBIE does not publish this district on its own
Median full-time earnings, Otago
$1,500 a week
June 2026. Regional, not district level
Employment rate, Otago
70.3%
Unemployment 3.6%, 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 | 23,100 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 23,500 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 23,500 | 0% |
| 2022 | 23,500 | 0% |
| 2023 | 24,000 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 24,400 | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 24,600 | +0.8% |
| 2026 | 24,900 | +1.2% |
How Waitaki district households hold their homes
- 62% own their home
- 26% rent
- 11% held in a family trust
9,705 households, 2023 Census.