# Newtown, New Zealand

The suburb of Newtown lies in the southern part of Wellington in New Zealand. It lies east of Vogeltown, between Mount Cook and Berhampore. The main thoroughfares of Newtown are Riddiford St, leading from Mount Cook to Berhampore and Melrose, and Constable St, leading from Newtown to Kilbirnie.

## History

Originally a working-class suburb, Newtown has followed gentrification trends in recent years, attracting large numbers of immigrants, students and young professionals and resulting in an ethnically diverse population. The Wellington City Council District Plan identifies Newtown as a suburb with an "identifiable or distinct character".
On 16 May 2023, a fire broke out at the 92-bed Loafers Lodge in Newtown. Five people died, 20 were injured, and many of the 99 people known to be living at the hostel were made homeless.

## Demographics

Newtown, comprising the statistical areas of Newtown North, Newtown West and Newtown South, covers 2.56 km$^2$ (0.99 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 9,890 as of June 2024, with a population density of 3,863 people per km$^2$.
Newtown had a population of 9,180 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 780 people (9.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,299 people (16.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,351 households, comprising 4,314 males and 4,866 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.89 males per female, with 1,056 people (11.5%) aged under 15 years, 3,420 (37.3%) aged 15 to 29, 3,825 (41.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 882 (9.6%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 65.5% European/Pākehā, 10.1% Māori, 8.2% Pasifika, 18.8% Asian, and 8.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 35.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.2% had no religion, 29.1% were Christian, 0.5% had Māori religious beliefs, 3.7% were Hindu, 4.7% were Muslim, 1.4% were Buddhist and 4.2% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 3,504 (43.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 780 (9.6%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,425 people (17.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,530 (55.8%) people were employed full-time, 1,194 (14.7%) were part-time, and 477 (5.9%) were unemployed.
Individual statistical areas :
| Name | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Density (per km$^2$) | Households | Median age | Median income |
| Newtown North | 0.70 | 2,124 | 3,034 | 678 | 30.6 years | $33,000 |
| Newtown West | 0.66 | 3,414 | 5,172 | 1,269 | 29.0 years | $34,300 |
| Newtown South | 1.19 | 3,642 | 3,061 | 1,404 | 32.2 years | $30,500 |
| New Zealand | | | | | 37.4 years | $31,800 |

## Features

Government House on Rugby Street, Wellington Hospital located on Riddiford Street and Wellington Zoo all lie within the boundaries of Newtown. Newtown Park is located next to the Zoo, off Roy Street and provides a venue for athletics and football. The Park consists of a 400m all-weather running track, grandstand, changing rooms, community rooms and play area. Wellington City Council has spent $3.6 million on modernising facilities at Newtown Park to meet current and future needs for the athletics and soccer sports codes, and the wider community.

## Newtown Festival

The annual Newtown Festival takes place over one day, culminating in the Newtown Festival Street Fair which is usually held on International Children's Day (usually the first Sunday in March). The event grew from small beginnings in 1995 with the opening of a neighbourhood park. It is now New Zealand's biggest free musical festival and street fair, with 16 outdoor stages, more than 1000 performers and crowds of 80,000 a year. Up until 2017 the festival was run by the Newtown Residents’ Association, and in 2017 a charitable trust, the Newtown Festival Trust, was established to support the organising team. Eleven blocks of Newtown's central Riddiford Street and eleven adjoining side streets are all closed to vehicles for the festival.

## Education
### Newtown School

Newtown School is a co-educational contributing state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students, with a roll of 345 as of August 2024.
The school has a Māori language immersion class, Ngāti Kotahitanga, providing an 80 per cent immersion environment. It also has an indoor heated swimming pool, computer suite, and separate junior and senior playgrounds.

### Other schools

South Wellington Intermediate is a co-educational state intermediate school for Year 7 to 8 students, with a roll of 428.
St Anne's School is a co-educational state-integrated Catholic primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 193 as of August 2024.