Ōwhata
Suburb
Coordinates: 38°08′02″S 176°17′46″E / 38.134°S 176.296°E / -38.134; 176.296
Country	New Zealand
City	Rotorua
Local authority	Rotorua Lakes Council
Electoral ward	Te Ipu Wai Auraki General Ward
Area [1]
• Land	475 ha (1,174 acres)
Population  (June 2022)[2]
• Total	6,510

(Lake Rotorua)		Holdens Bay
(Ōwhatiura Bay)	Ōwhata
Ngāpuna	Lynmore

Ōwhata is a semi-rural suburb of Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island.

In 2015, it had the highest house sales of any suburb in Rotorua.^[3]

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of the elevated stage" for Ōwhata.^[4]

Marae

The local Ōwhata or Hinemoa Marae and is a meeting place for the Ngāti Whakaue hapū of Ngāti Korouateka and Ngāti te Roro o te Rangi.^[5] It includes the Tūtanekai meeting house.^[6]

In October 2020, the Government committed $4,525,104 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae and nine others, creating an estimated 34 jobs.^[7]

Demographics

Ōwhata covers 4.75 km² (1.83 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 6,510 as of June 2022,^[2] with a population density of 1,371 people per km².

Ōwhata had a population of 6,216 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 720 people (13.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 777 people (14.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,022 households, comprising 2,991 males and 3,225 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.93 males per female, with 1,575 people (25.3%) aged under 15 years, 1,128 (18.1%) aged 15 to 29, 2,580 (41.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 933 (15.0%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 62.0% European/Pākehā, 45.9% Māori, 5.3% Pacific peoples, 7.3% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 15.0, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.9% had no religion, 33.3% were Christian, 3.0% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.6% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.8% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 699 (15.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 945 (20.4%) people had no formal qualifications. 519 people (11.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,208 (47.6%) people were employed full-time, 678 (14.6%) were part-time, and 264 (5.7%) were unemployed.^[8]

Education

Owhata School is a coeducational primary school for year 1–6 students^[11][12] with a roll of 250.^[13]

Mokoia Intermediate is a co-educational state intermediate school,^[14][15] with a roll of 373.^[16]

Rotorua Lakes High School is a co-educational state secondary school,^[17][18] with a roll of 701.^[19]

References