Ōpaki is small rural settlement in the Masterton District and Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island.

Ōpaki
Locality
Ōpaki school
Coordinates: 40.893039°S 175.661343°E / -40.893039; 175.661343
Country	New Zealand
Region	Wellington Region
Territorial authority	Masterton District
Area [1]
• Total	36.04 km2 (13.92 sq mi)
Population  (June 2021)[2]
• Total	1,270
• Density	35/km2 (91/sq mi)

Opaki railway station is located at Ōpaki. The centre of the village was bypassed in 1938, when a bridge replaced the railway level crossing,[3] on what is now SH2.[4]

Demographics

Opaki statistical area covers 36.04 km² (13.92 sq mi).[1] It had an estimated population of 1,270 as of June 2021,[2] with a population density of 35 people per km².

Ōpaki had a population of 1,140 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 126 people (12.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 288 people (33.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 435 households. There were 555 males and 582 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female. The median age was 49.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 201 people (17.6%) aged under 15 years, 132 (11.6%) aged 15 to 29, 567 (49.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 240 (21.1%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 95.8% European/Pākehā, 8.2% Māori, 0.8% Pacific peoples, 1.1% Asian, and 1.6% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 16.8%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 48.7% had no religion, 41.8% were Christian and 1.1% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 243 (25.9%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 150 (16.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $42,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 492 (52.4%) people were employed full-time, 174 (18.5%) were part-time, and 12 (1.3%) were unemployed.[5]

Education

Opaki School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[6][7] with a roll of 176 as of March 2022.[8] School buses serve the neighbouring settlements of Rangitumau, Mauriceville and Mikimiki.[9]

References