Queenstown-Lakes District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Queenstown-Lakes District
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Territorial authority district
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Lake Wakatipu, one of the lakes in the district
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Otago |
| Wards |
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| Seat | Queenstown |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8,719.66 km2 (3,366.68 sq mi) |
| Population
(June 2023)
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| • Total | 52,800 |
| • Density | 6.055/km2 (15.683/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Postcode(s) |
Map of postcodes
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| Postcode(s) |
9300, 9302, 9304, 9305, 9371, 9372, 9382, 9383, 9384, 9672, 9793
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| Area code(s) | 03 |
Queenstown-Lakes District is a special area in the Otago region of New Zealand. It's like a local government area, created in 1986. This district is surrounded by other districts such as Central Otago, Southland, Westland, and Waitaki.
Many people often just call the whole area "Queenstown" because the town of Queenstown is very famous. However, the district is much bigger! It includes other cool towns like Wānaka to the north-east, Glenorchy to the north-west, and Kingston to the south.
Sometimes, the district is also known as the Southern Lakes. This is because it's home to three amazing lakes: Lake Wakatipu, Lake Wānaka, and Lake Hāwea.
Contents
Who Lives Here?
The Queenstown-Lakes District covers a huge area of about 8,720 square kilometers. In 2023, about 47,808 people lived here. This means there were about 5.5 people living in each square kilometer.
The number of people living in the district has grown a lot!
- In 2006, there were 22,959 people.
- By 2013, it grew to 28,224.
- In 2018, the population was 39,153.
- And in 2023, it reached 47,808 people.
This shows a big increase of 22.1% since 2018 and a huge 69.4% increase since 2013! The average age of people living here is 35.5 years. This is a bit younger than the national average of 38.1 years.
People from Different Backgrounds
The people living in Queenstown-Lakes District come from many different backgrounds.
- About 82.8% are of European/Pākehā descent.
- About 6.4% are Māori.
- About 1.5% are Pasifika.
- About 10.5% are Asian.
- About 5.3% are from Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African backgrounds.
- And 1.1% are from other ethnic groups.
It's important to know that some people identify with more than one ethnic group.
Many people living in the district were born outside New Zealand. About 39.9% of the population was born overseas. This is higher than the national average of 27.1%.
When it comes to beliefs, about 61.2% of people said they had no religion. About 29.1% were Christian. Smaller numbers followed other religions like Hindu (1.6%), Buddhist (1.0%), or Muslim (0.4%).
Education and Jobs
Many adults in the Queenstown-Lakes District have good education. About 28.5% of people aged 15 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher. The average income here is $40,600, which is higher than the national average of $31,800.
Most adults are employed. About 66.4% work full-time, and 14.2% work part-time. Only a small number, about 1.1%, are unemployed.
Main Towns and Communities
The Queenstown-Lakes District has four main towns where most people live. These towns each have a population of over 1,000 people. Together, they are home to about 90% of the district's population.
Here are the main towns and their populations:
- Queenstown: 16,000 people
- Wānaka: 8,700 people
- Arrowtown: 2,850 people
- Lake Hāwea: 2,220 people
Recently, there have been some challenges with housing in the district. Many houses, especially in Queenstown and Wānaka, are used as holiday homes. This means they are often empty and not available for people to rent. Even though new homes are being built, there aren't enough rental houses for everyone who wants to live and work here. This has made it harder to find a place to rent, and rental costs have gone up.
How the District Makes Money
The Queenstown-Lakes District has a strong economy. In 2023, its total economic output was $3,960 million. This makes up about 1% of New Zealand's total economy.
The biggest part of the district's economy comes from hotels, motels, and restaurants. This industry makes up 14.1% of the district's economy. This is much higher than the national average, showing how important tourism is here.
Building new homes and other structures also plays a big role, making up 10.6% of the district's economy. Renting, hiring, and real estate services also contribute a lot, at 10.5%.
Because Queenstown-Lakes is a popular place for visitors, many people work in tourism-related jobs. For example, 8.7% of people work in hotels and other accommodation places. This is much higher than the national average of 1.1%.
The top jobs in the district are in:
- Hotels and other accommodation
- Cafes and restaurants
- House construction
- Running sports and recreation places
Overall, tourism brings in a lot of money to the district, about $889 million. This shows how important visitors are to the local economy.
