Thames-Coromandel District Explained

The Thames-Coromandel District is a territorial authority district in the North Island of New Zealand, covering all the Coromandel Peninsula and extending south to Hikutaia.

It is administered by the Thames-Coromandel District Council, which has its seat in the town of Thames. It was the first district council to be formed in New Zealand, being constituted in 1975. The district lies within the Waikato Regional Council area. Its only land boundary is with Hauraki District.

Demographics

The district had a population of live in Thames, in Whitianga, in Whangamatā, and in Coromandel.It covers 2207.59km2^[1] and had a population density of people per km².

Thames-Coromandel District had a population of 31,995 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 2,100 people (7.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 5,817 people (22.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 15,729 males, 16,182 females and 87 people of other genders in 13,557 dwellings.^[2] 2.3% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 55.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 4,365 people (13.6%) aged under 15 years, 3,528 (11.0%) aged 15 to 29, 13,284 (41.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 10,821 (33.8%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 88.4% European (Pākehā); 18.8% Māori; 2.5% Pasifika; 3.6% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.3%, Māori language by 3.9%, Samoan by 0.2% and other languages by 6.6%. No language could be spoken by 1.2% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 16.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 28.0% Christian, 0.7% Hindu, 0.1% Islam, 1.0% Māori religious beliefs, 0.9% Buddhist, 0.6% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 58.8%, and 8.6% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 3,582 (13.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 15,453 (55.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 7,461 (27.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $30,000, compared with $41,500 nationally. 1,848 people (6.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 9,969 (36.1%) people were employed full-time, 4,404 (15.9%) were part-time, and 645 (2.3%) were unemployed.^[3]

Individual wards

Name	Area (km2)	Population	Density (per km2)	Dwellings !	Median age	Median income
Coromandel-Colville Ward	560.29	3,345	6.0	1,353	55.1 years	$27,800[4]
Mercury Bay Ward	709.67	10,134	14.3	4,329	53.4 years	$31,900[5]
Thames Ward	473.19	10,737	22.7	4,425	54.5 years	$29,400[6]
South East Ward	464.44	7,779	16.7	3,450	59.1 years	$30,800[7]
New Zealand					38.1 years	$41,500

Local government

The Thames-Coromandel District Council was formed from the amalgamation of the Thames Borough, Thames County and Coromandel County councils in 1975,^[8] and is led by the Mayor of Thames-Coromandel.

History

In 1923, the constituent counties included -^[9]

	area	population	gravel roads	mud roads	tracks
Coromandel County	440mi2	2,120	42miles	74miles	189miles
Thames County	413mi2	5,373	52miles	26miles	155miles
Thames Borough	3670acres[10]	4,765[11]
Totals	2185km2	12,258

Notes and References

1. Web site: ArcGIS Web Application. 10 October 2024. statsnz.maps.arcgis.com.
2. Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_005&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=doTotal%2Bdo1.011%2Bw_01101%2Bw_01102%2Bw_01103%2Bw_01104.2023&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_DWD_003 Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024.
3. Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.011.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001 Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024. Thames-Coromandel District (011).
4. Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.w_01101.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001 Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024. Coromandel-Colville Ward.
5. Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.w_01102.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001 Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024. Mercury Bay Ward.
6. Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.w_01103.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001 Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024. Thames Ward.
7. Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.w_01104.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001 Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024. South East Ward.
8. Encyclopedia: Hauraki–Coromandel region - Government and politics . Paul . Monin . Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . 14 April 2016 . 10 July 2019.
9. Web site: 3 Aug 1923. KAWHIA SETTLER AND RAGLAN ADVERTISER Main Highways - Conference at Hamilton. 2021-10-16. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
10. Web site: 6 Jul 1922. Thames Valley Power Board. TE AROHA NEWS. 2021-10-16. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
11. Web site: Official Year Book 1921-22.