Fernridge, New Zealand
Rural locality in Wellington Region, New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fernridge is a small rural settlement located 4 km northwest of Masterton, New Zealand. The area has a mixture of farms, horticultural smallholdings and lifestyle blocks.
Fernridge | |
|---|---|
Locality | |
 Interactive map of Fernridge | |
| Coordinates: 40.9337°S 175.6142°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Wellington Region |
| Territorial authority | Masterton District |
| Ward |
|
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | Masterton District Council |
| • Regional council | Greater Wellington Regional Council |
| • Mayor of Masterton | Bex Johnson[1] |
| • Wairarapa MP | Mike Butterick[2] |
| • Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP | Cushla Tangaere-Manuel[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 84.91 km2 (32.78 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2025)[5] | |
• Total | 1,300 |
| • Density | 15/km2 (40/sq mi) |
Demographics
Upper Plain statistical area, which also includes Kaituna and Matahiwi, covers 84.91 km2 (32.78 sq mi).[4] It had an estimated population of 1,300 as of June 2025,[5] with a population density of 15 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,044 | — |
| 2013 | 1,071 | +0.37% |
| 2018 | 1,203 | +2.35% |
| 2023 | 1,263 | +0.98% |
| The 2006 population is for a larger area of 85.23 km2. Source: [6] | ||
Upper Plain had a population of 1,263 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 60 people (5.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 192 people (17.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 648 males, 609 females, and 6 people of other genders in 441 dwellings.[7] 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 46.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 231 people (18.3%) aged under 15 years, 177 (14.0%) aged 15 to 29, 591 (46.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 261 (20.7%) aged 65 or older.[6]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 92.6% European (Pākehā); 15.9% Māori; 2.9% Pasifika; 2.4% Asian; 0.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.9%, Māori by 2.6%, Samoan by 0.5%, and other languages by 5.5%. No language could be spoken by 1.9% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.[6]
Religious affiliations were 29.7% Christian, 0.2% Hindu, 0.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, and 0.7% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 60.8%, and 7.8% of people did not answer the census question.[6]
Of those at least 15 years old, 252 (24.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 579 (56.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 201 (19.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $43,000, compared with $41,500 nationally. 150 people (14.5%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 525 (50.9%) full-time, 171 (16.6%) part-time, and 15 (1.5%) unemployed.[6]