Āria is a rural community in the

Waitomo District Waitomo District is a territorial authority, located in the Waikato region, at the north of the King Country area in the North Island of New Zealand. A small part of the district, the locality of Tiroa, however, lies in the Manawatū-Whanganui ...

and

Waikato The Waikato () is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the nort ...

region of New Zealand's

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

. The area experienced severe flooding in September 2017.

History

Āria began in 1904, when some 30 blocks of around were given under the

Homestead Acts The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than of public land, or nearly 10 percent of t ...

. Four small mines produced 53,000 tons from Aria coalfield between 1917 and 1961. To the east of Āria a

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

quarry opened in the 1960s. A new post office opened in 1922 and there was a butter factory from about 1911.

Demographics

Āria locality covers . It is part of the larger Aria statistical area. Āria locality had a population of 240 in the

2023 New Zealand census The 2023 New Zealand census, which took place on 7 March 2023, was the thirty-fifth national census in New Zealand. It implemented measures that aimed to increase the Census' effectiveness in response to the issues faced with the 2018 census, i ...

, a decrease of 21 people (−8.0%) since the 2018 census, and a decrease of 27 people (−10.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 129 males and 111 females in 84 dwellings. There were 54 people (22.5%) aged under 15 years, 39 (16.2%) aged 15 to 29, 117 (48.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 27 (11.2%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 68.8%

European European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...

(

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 ...

), 40.0%

Māori 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 ...

, 1.2%

Pasifika Pasifika may refer to: *Pacific Islander people, indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands **Pasifika New Zealanders, Pacific peoples living in New Zealand *Pacific Islands, including Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia *The Pasifika Festival, an a ...

, and 2.5% Asian. English was spoken by 96.2%, Māori by 7.5%, and other languages by 3.8%. No language could be spoken by 2.5% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 8.8, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 26.2%

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 ...

, and 7.5%

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 ...

. People who answered that they had no religion were 63.8%, and 5.0% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 24 (12.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 114 (61.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 42 (22.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 6 people (3.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 117 (62.9%) full-time, 21 (11.3%) part-time, and 3 (1.6%) unemployed.

Aria statistical area

Aria statistical area, which also includes Piopio, covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Aria statistical area had a population of 1,263 in the

, a decrease of 27 people (−2.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 69 people (5.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 648 males and 615 females in 471 dwellings. 0.5% of people identified as

LGBTIQ+ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group is ...

. The median age was 37.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 309 people (24.5%) aged under 15 years, 201 (15.9%) aged 15 to 29, 546 (43.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 204 (16.2%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 73.9%

(

); 38.7%

; 3.1%

; 1.7% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.9% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.1%, Māori by 8.1%, and other languages by 4.5%. No language could be spoken by 1.4% (e.g. too young to talk).

New Zealand Sign Language New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL () is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights ...

was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 7.4, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 25.7%

, 0.5%

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

, 0.2%

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, 3.8%

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.7%

New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...

, and 0.5% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 61.3%, and 6.9% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 126 (13.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 564 (59.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 261 (27.4%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $40,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 69 people (7.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 558 (58.5%) full-time, 135 (14.2%) part-time, and 18 (1.9%) unemployed.

Education

Āria School is a co-educational state primary school, with a roll of as of The school was established in 1908.

Climate

References

External links

1957 aerial view of Aria
{{Waitomo District Waitomo District Populated places in Waikato