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About Hamilton

Hamilton Lake

Hamilton today

NZ's largest inland city, and 4th largest urban area
Kirikiriroa (long stretch of gravel) is city's Maori name
Population of around 131,000 people
Has 3.2% of the total NZ population and is one of the fastest growing cities in NZ
Has a youthful population - around half of residents are under 30 years old
NZ European make up three quarters of the population, and Maori 19 percent
Home to more than 80 ethnic groups
NZ's longest river, the Waikato, flows for 16km through the city
Mild climate and moderate year round rainfall keep the city and surrounding area very green
Mean temperatures - 18C in January (summer) and 9C in July (winter)
135 parks and gardens and 58 sports areas
City has over 1,000 hectares of open space
Home to 26,000 person capacity Waikato Stadium

Lake Rotoroa boardwalk

Hamilton's economy

Is at the centre of one of the richest agricultural and pastoral areas in the world
Major service centre for the Waikato region - NZ's highest export region with 20% of all exports
City is NZ's leading area for hi-tech innovative manufacturing and engineering industries
Dairy industry is centered around Hamilton and Waikato - world class centre of agicultural biotech excellence
Home to much of NZ's science research and numerous major research facilities
11,000 businesses located within Hamilton
More than 40,000 tertiary students at University of Waikato, Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) and Te Wananga o Aotearoa
Home to national Agricultural Fieldays - largest agricultural trade show in the southern Hemisphere (generating $290 million sales)
City's closeness to two main sea ports (Auckland and Tauranga), 2 international airports (Auckland and Hamilton), railway, south Auckland industrial base and state highways provide significant opportunities for export and import

Further information can also be found in the Reports and Monitoring section

Reports and Monitoring

Hamilton at a glance

	Hamilton present	Hamilton past	A growing city…
Population	In 2007, Hamilton’s estimated population is 137,503.	In 2001, Hamilton had a population of 121,000.	Hamilton has seen an estimated population increase of 11.2% between June 2001 to June 2006, well above the national increase of 7.8%. The population is projected to be almost 150,000 by 2012.
Population density	Hamilton has a population density of 1,319 people per square kilometre (compared with 15 people per square kilometre for New Zealand as a whole).	Hamilton’s population density in 2001 was 1,223 people per square kilometre (compared with 13.6 people per square kilometre nationally).	The total hectares of green space per 1,000 residents in Hamilton has increased from 8.1 in 2004 to 12.4 in 2006.
Age	In 2006, the median age of the Hamilton population was 31.1 years (compared with national median age of 35.9 years).	In 2001, the median age of the Hamilton population was 30.8 years (compared with national median age of 34.8 years).	New Zealand is undergoing an ageing of the population, however Hamilton is forecast to have the lowest median age by 2026 (35.3 years compared to 41.4 nationally).
Ethnicity	In 2006, 72% of the Hamilton population was NZ European/ New Zealander, 19% Maori and 10% Asian.	In 2001, 78% of the Hamilton population was NZ European, 19% Maori and 7% Asian.	The Asian population of Hamilton has grown 128% from 1996 to 2006, while the Pacific Islands population has grown 59% over the same timeframe.
Employment	There were 72,150 people employed in Hamilton as at June 2007.	On census day 2001, there were 53,079 people employed in Hamilton.	The property and business services industry employs more Hamilton residents than any other industry (approximately 16%).
Average earnings	On average, Hamilton employees earn $22.54 per hour (June 2007 quarter).	Hamilton employees earned an average of $17.74 per hour in February 2001.	The average weekly income in the Waikato Region was $590 per week in the June 2006 quarter (an increase of 4.6% compared with the June 2005 quarter).
Average sale price of houses	The average Hamilton home costs $384,000 (March 2007 quarter).	The average Hamilton house sale price in the March 2004 quarter was $227,891.	Hamilton house prices are the 9^th most expensive in New Zealand, behind the Auckland and Wellington cities and Tauranga.
Value of building consents	In the year to June 2007, 1,209 new houses worth $226.9 million were authorised for construction within Hamilton.	In the year to March 2003, 892 new houses worth $133.8 million were authorised for construction within Hamilton.	The value of commercial building consents in Hamilton has more than doubled in the past five years, from $71.6 million in 2003 to $159.4 million in 2007.
Travel to work	69.6% of employed residents living in Hamilton drove to work on Census day 2006.	67.2% of employed residents drove to work on Census day in 2001.	The percentage of employed residents using a public bus to get to work rose from 1.5% in 2001 to 1.8% in 2006.
Retail sales	Retail sales in Hamilton for the year ending June 2007 were up 9.6% on the previous year. Total retail sales for the year stood at $2.5 billion.	Hamilton’s retail sales for the year ending March 2001 totalled $1.7 billion.	The Base Retail park in Te Rapa, which opened in July 2005, offers over 50 retail stores, including a 15,000 square metreWarehouse store and 1,100 car parks.

Central city at night

A selection of comparisons (as at 30 June)

	2005	2006	2007
Population	126,650¹	133,700²	137,503³
City area	9,860ha	9,860ha	9,860ha
Businesses ⁴	10,693	11,047	not available
Environment
Number/area of parks and gardens⁵	139	144 (582ha)
Number/area of sports areas⁶	58 (426ha)	59 (441ha)	57 (432.9ha)
Number of play areas	83	85	94
Number of swimming pools ⁷	3	3	3
Walkways in parks and reserves	43.8km	43.8km	55.5km
Number of street trees	28,645	29,013	29,267
Infrastructure
Traffic bridges over the Waikato River	6	6	6
Number of bridges ⁸	56	57	59
Length of streets (road centreline length)	575km	582km	586.7km
Length of footpaths	863km	882km	907.5km
Length of cycleways ⁹	45km	45km	47.3km
Length of wastewater pipes	743km	760km	761km
Length of stormwater pipes	598km	607km	617km
Length of open stormwater drains and natural water courses	85km	90km	85km
Length of water pipes	994km	1,011km	1,035km
Refuse Disposal
Hamilton's residential and industrial/commercial waste sent to landfill	103,045 tonnes	123,499 tonnes	111,148 tonnes
Waste recycled through kerbside recycling, recycling centre operations and greenwaste composting at the Hamilton Organic Centre	23,101tonnes	29,176 tonnes	30,527 tonnes
Rating Data
Rating system	Land value	Land value	Land value
Rateable properties (all excluding not-rated)	48,002	50,167	50,789
Rateable land value (all excluding not-rated)	$4,238m	$4,301m	$9,945m
Rateable capital value (all excluding not-rated)	$12,590m	$13,013m	$21,049m
Date of city revaluation	1 Sept 2003	1 Sept 2003	1 Sept 2006
Years of rate revenue to repay city debt	1.84 years	1.96 years	2.09 years
Rates revenue	$73.3m	$82.1m	$89.0m
Net city debt (including internal borrowing)	$135.2m	$160.6m	$186.6m

Notes

Statistics New Zealand – Subnational Estimate
Statistics New Zealand – Subnational Estimate
Hamilton City Council/University of Waikato estimate.
Statistics New Zealand (Business Frame Survey).
Parks and Gardens – areas are defined as being available wholly or principally as recreational public open space. A change in criteria for 2007 has led to changes in numbers and areas reported, but there is no change in the underlying resource.
Sports Areas – areas are defined as providing a sports venue for the public. A change in criteria for 2007 has led to changes in numbers and areas reported, but there is no change in the underlying resource.
In addition Council has partner pool relationships and provides funding to the University of Waikato Campus Pool, Hillcrest Normal School, Te Rapa Primary School and Fairfield College.
Includes traffic bridges, large culverts, and pedestrian bridges/underpasses.
Includes on-road cycle lanes and off-road cycle paths.

History

The earliest recorded settlers in the Hamilton area were Maori from the Tainui waka. The Tainui people called an area on the west bank of the Waikato River Kirikiriroa (long stretch of gravel), which is the Maori name for Hamilton today. The area was later renamed Hamilton after Captain John Charles Fane Hamilton, who was killed at the battle of Gate Pa in Tauranga in 1864.

The Hamilton area has a history of 700-800 years of Maori occupation and settlement, highlighted by pa sites, traditional gardens and agricultural features along the Waikato River. The main hapu of Hamilton/Kirikiriroa and the surrounding area are Ngati Wairere, Ngati Haua and Ngati Mahanga.

In 1863, the New Zealand Settlement Act enabled land to be taken from Maori by the Crown. This resulted in 1.2 million hectares of land being confiscated in the Waikato region, and part of this land provided the basis for European settlement in Hamilton.

Formal European settlement was established on 24 August 1864, when Captain William Steele came off the gunboat Rangiriri and established the first redoubt near what is now known as Memorial Park.

A military outpost was set up in Hamilton East, which was originally destined to be the main street of Hamilton. Evidence of planning for the centre of the village can be seen in the 'village square' concept of Steele Park and the planting of 'English' trees along Grey Street.

The Borough of Hamilton was established in 1877 with a population of 1,245 and an area of 752 hectares. In December 1945, Hamilton became a city with 20,000 citizens, and in 2006 has a population of around 134,000.