Wilton, New Zealand

Job Wilton was a sheep farmer; in 1861 he had a flock of 165 sheep, to be washed in the Kaiwharawhara Stream before shearing.^[3] He subdivided his farm in 1915, but Wilton was semi-rural to the 1930s with little housing development until after World War II. A Sunday trip to Wilton's Bush and Chapman's Gardens (now the Otari Plant Museum) required walking from the Wadestown tram terminus. From 1944 a feeder bus ran from the terminus. A school opened in 1956. Wilton House in Blackbridge Road was built for Courtenay Place chemist Mr O'Connor and his sister in 1925.^[4]

Wilton statistical area covers 1.26 km² (0.49 sq mi).^[1] It had an estimated population of 2,170 as of June 2025,^[2] with a population density of 1,722 people per km².

Wilton had a population of 2,127 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 78 people (−3.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 78 people (3.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,026 males, 1,080 females, and 21 people of other genders in 849 dwellings.^[7] 8.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 38.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 333 people (15.7%) aged under 15 years, 462 (21.7%) aged 15 to 29, 1,047 (49.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 279 (13.1%) aged 65 or older.^[5]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 84.6% European (Pākehā); 10.6% Māori; 4.9% Pasifika; 7.9% Asian; 3.8% 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 97.5%, Māori by 3.5%, Samoan by 1.4%, and other languages by 18.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.4% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 28.2, compared with 28.8% nationally.^[5]

Religious affiliations were 22.7% Christian, 1.0% Hindu, 2.0% Islam, 0.4% Māori religious beliefs, 1.0% Buddhist, 0.8% New Age, 0.3% Jewish, and 1.6% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 65.3%, and 5.1% of people did not answer the census question.^[5]

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,008 (56.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 609 (33.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 171 (9.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $61,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. 480 people (26.8%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,071 (59.7%) full-time, 216 (12.0%) part-time, and 45 (2.5%) unemployed.^[5]

Wilton is served by multiple bus services:

• No 4 Strathmore - Mairangi ^[12]
• No 13 Mairangi - Brandon Street^[13]
• No 14 Wilton - Kilbirnie^[14]
• No 22 Johnsonville - Wellington^[15]
• No N4 Night service Wellington - Khandallah^[16]

The Catholic Parish of Ōtari has one church in Wilton - St Thomas More, in Worcester Street.^[17]

• Bremner, Julie (1983). Wellington’s Northern Suburbs 1840-1918. Wellington: Millwood Press. ISBN 0-908582-59-5.
• Bremner, Julie (1987). Wellington’s Northern Suburbs 1919-1945. Wellington: Millwood Press. ISBN 0-908582-80-3.