Fernridge is a small rural settlement located 4 km northwest of

Masterton Masterton () is a large town in the Wellington Region, Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand that operates as the seat of the Masterton District (a territorial authority or local-government district). It is the largest town in the Wairarapa ...

, New Zealand. The area has a mixture of farms, horticultural smallholdings and lifestyle blocks.

Demographics

Upper Plain statistical area, which also includes Kaituna and Matahiwi, covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Before the 2023 census, the statistical area had a larger boundary, covering . Using that boundary, Upper Plain had a population of 1,224 at the

2018 New Zealand census The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census. Resu ...

, an increase of 138 people (12.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 180 people (17.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 438 households, comprising 639 males and 585 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.09 males per female. The median age was 46.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 249 people (20.3%) aged under 15 years, 156 (12.7%) aged 15 to 29, 576 (47.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 243 (19.9%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 93.4% European/

Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...

, 11.8% Māori, 2.2% Pasifika, 1.7% Asian, and 2.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.0, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.2% had no religion, 39.5% were

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, 0.2% had

Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, 0.2% were

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and 1.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 213 (21.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 174 (17.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $35,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 195 people (20.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 483 (49.5%) people were employed full-time, 156 (16.0%) were part-time, and 21 (2.2%) were unemployed.

Education

Fernridge School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students, with a roll of as of .

References

{{Masterton District, New Zealand Masterton District Wairarapa Populated places in the Wellington Region