List of cities and towns in the South Island by population

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This is a list of cities and towns in the South Island of New Zealand by the population of their urban area.

Contents

The populations given in the table below are provisional New Zealand usually resident populations, June 2022 estimates, and refer to the urban area defined under the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA) unless otherwise stated.

Cities

Urban areaPopulationRegionTerritorial authority
Christchurch 377,900 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Dunedin 102,400 Otago Dunedin City Council
Invercargill 49,800 Southland Invercargill City Council
Nelson 50,800 Nelson Nelson City Council

Towns

Population 10,000 and over

Urban areaPopulationRegionTerritorial authority
Ashburton 20,600 Canterbury Ashburton District
Blenheim 29,000 Marlborough Marlborough District
Kaiapoi 13,400 Canterbury Waimakariri District
Mosgiel 14,500 Otago Dunedin City
Oamaru 13,900 Otago Waitaki District
Queenstown 15,800 Otago Queenstown Lakes District
Rangiora 19,700 Canterbury Waimakariri District
Richmond 18,450 Tasman Tasman District
Rolleston 28,000 Canterbury Selwyn District
Timaru28,600 Canterbury Timaru District
Wānaka 12,150 Otago Queenstown Lakes District

† Timaru was officially a city until local government reorganisation in 1989, and is still frequently referred to as such.

Population 1,000 to 9,999

Urban areaPopulationRegionTerritorial authority
Alexandra 6,090 Otago Central Otago District
Amberley 2,340 Canterbury Hurunui District
Arrowtown 2,950 Otago Queenstown Lakes District
Arthurs Point 1,360 Otago Queenstown Lakes District
Balclutha 4,300 Otago Clutha District
Bluff 1,830 Southland Invercargill City
Brighton 1,520 Otago Dunedin City
Brightwater 2,340 Tasman Tasman District
Clyde 1,270 Otago Central Otago District
Cromwell 7,010 Otago Central Otago District
Darfield 3,120 Canterbury Selwyn District
Diamond Harbour 1,600 Canterbury Christchurch City
Geraldine 2,820 Canterbury Timaru District
Gore 8,220 Southland Gore District
Greymouth 8,320 West Coast Grey District
Hokitika 2,860 West Coast Westland District
Hope 990 Tasman Tasman District
Kaikōura 2,330 Canterbury Kaikoura District
Lake Hāwea 1,860 Otago Queenstown Lakes District
Lake Hayes 6,760 Otago Queenstown Lakes District
Leeston 2,490 Canterbury Selwyn District
Lincoln 9,180 Canterbury Selwyn District
Lyttelton 3,150 Canterbury Christchurch City
Māpua 1,350 Tasman Tasman District
Mataura 1,720 Southland Gore District
Methven 1,970 Canterbury Ashburton District
Milton 2,200 Otago Clutha District
Motueka 8,340 Tasman Tasman District
Oxford 2,440 Canterbury Waimakariri District
Pegasus 3,820 Canterbury Waimakariri District
Picton 4,800 Marlborough Marlborough District
Pleasant Point 1,490 Canterbury Timaru District
Prebbleton 5,260 Canterbury Selwyn District
Rakaia 1,560 Canterbury Ashburton District
Reefton 930 West Coast Buller District
Renwick 2,620 Marlborough Marlborough District
Riverton / Aparima 1,660 Southland Southland District
Runanga 1,240 West Coast Grey District
Tākaka 1,400 Tasman Tasman District
Te Anau 2,970 Southland Southland District
Temuka 4,660 Canterbury Timaru District
Twizel 1,670 Canterbury MacKenzie District
Wakefield 2,680 Tasman Tasman District
Waikouaiti 1,240 Otago Dunedin City
Waimate 3,600 Canterbury Waimate District
West Melton 2,640 Canterbury Selwyn District
Westport 4,290 West Coast Buller District
Winton 2,450 Southland Southland District
Woodend 3,210 Canterbury Waimakariri District

Major suburbs

The following suburbs have a population of over 2,000.

Christchurch

SuburbPopulationRegionTerritorial authority
Riccarton 9,786 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Linwood 9,024 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Hornby 8,007 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Christchurch Central City 7,653 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Shirley 7,176 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Cashmere 6,876 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Woolston 5,733 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Sydenham 5,478 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Halswell 4,065 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Sumner 3,978 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Belfast 3,726 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
New Brighton 3,642 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Papanui 3,543 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Merivale 3,012 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Fendalton 2,898 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Bishopdale 2,454 Canterbury Christchurch City Council
Burnside 2,370 Canterbury Christchurch City Council

Dunedin

SuburbPopulationRegionTerritorial authority
Mosgiel10,497 Otago Dunedin City Council
Dunedin North 7,047 Otago Dunedin City Council
St Kilda 5,904 Otago Dunedin City Council
Caversham 5,058 Otago Dunedin City Council
North East Valley 4,413 Otago Dunedin City Council
St Clair 4,179 Otago Dunedin City Council
Roslyn 3,957 Otago Dunedin City Council
Vauxhall 3,918 Otago Dunedin City Council
Brockville 3,393 Otago Dunedin City Council
Mornington 3,393 Otago Dunedin City Council
Wakari 3,069 Otago Dunedin City Council
Port Chalmers~3,000 Otago Dunedin City Council
Musselburgh 2,835 Otago Dunedin City Council
South Dunedin 2,538 Otago Dunedin City Council
Andersons Bay 2,532 Otago Dunedin City Council
Green Island2,430 Otago Dunedin City Council
City Rise 2,406 Otago Dunedin City Council
Pine Hill 2,259 Otago Dunedin City Council
Fairfield 2,010 Otago Dunedin City Council

‡ Mosgiel, Port Chalmers, and Green Island were officially separate towns until local government reorganisation in 1989, and are separated from Dunedin's main urban area. They are still frequently referred to as towns.

Invercargill

SuburbPopulationRegionTerritorial authority
Rosedale 3,855 Southland Invercargill City Council
Gladstone-Avenal 3,768 Southland Invercargill City Council
Grasmere 3,342 Southland Invercargill City Council
Heidelberg 3,078 Southland Invercargill City Council
Newfield 2,910 Southland Invercargill City Council
Georgetown 2,229 Southland Invercargill City Council
Waikiwi 2,193 Southland Invercargill City Council

Nelson

SuburbPopulationRegionTerritorial authority
Stoke ~7,000 Nelson Nelson City Council
The Wood 2,730 Nelson Nelson City Council
Maitlands 2,412 Nelson Nelson City Council
Atawhai 2,154 Nelson Nelson City Council
Tāhunanui ~2,000 Nelson Nelson City Council
Annesbrook Nelson Nelson City Council
Britannia Heights Nelson Nelson City Council
Nelson South Nelson Nelson City Council
Washington Valley Nelson Nelson City Council

Others

SuburbPopulationTownTerritorial authority
Allenton 5,172 Ashburton Ashburton District Council
Redwoodtown 4,881 Blenheim Marlborough District Council
Whitney 4,005 Blenheim Marlborough District Council
Witherlea 3,993 Blenheim Marlborough District Council
Marchwiel 3,741 Timaru Timaru District Council
Highfield 3,408 Timaru Timaru District Council
Springlands 3,081 Blenheim Marlborough District Council
West End2,790 Timaru Timaru District Council
Tinwald 2,703 Ashburton Ashburton District Council
Mayfield 2,694 Blenheim Marlborough District Council
Seaview 2,505 Timaru Timaru District Council
Parkside 2,412 Timaru Timaru District Council
Hampstead 2,325 Ashburton Ashburton District Council
Watlington 2,256 Timaru Timaru District Council
Gleniti 2,022 Timaru Timaru District Council

Map

See also

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