Witherlea

Witherlea is a suburb to the south of Blenheim's central district.^[3][4]

Witherlea
Suburb
Coordinates: 41.538°S 173.954°E / -41.538; 173.954
Country	New Zealand
City	Blenheim, New Zealand
Local authority	Marlborough District Council
Electoral ward	Blenheim General Ward Marlborough Māori Ward
Area [1]
• Land	381 ha (941 acres)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	6,060
Hospitals	Wairau Hospital

Burleigh	Redwoodtown	Riverlands
	Witherlea
	(Wither Hills)

The Blenheim hospital campus, which includes Wairau Hospital, is in Witherlea.^[5]

Omaka Cemetery has graves from early Pākehā settlement in the Wairau area.^[6]

Demographics

Witherlea covers 3.81 km² (1.47 sq mi).^[1] It had an estimated population of 6,060 as of June 2024, with a population density of 1,575 people per km².

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	4,563	—
2013	4,833	+0.82%
2018	5,409	+2.28%
Source: [7]

Witherlea had a population of 5,409 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 576 people (11.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 846 people (18.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,115 households, comprising 2,631 males and 2,775 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female, with 987 people (18.2%) aged under 15 years, 741 (13.7%) aged 15 to 29, 2,409 (44.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,269 (23.5%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.0% European/Pākehā, 10.0% Māori, 2.1% Pasifika, 4.0% Asian, and 2.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 17.8, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 50.4% had no religion, 38.5% were Christian, 0.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 786 (17.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 831 (18.8%) people had no formal qualifications. 714 people (16.1%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,172 (49.1%) people were employed full-time, 708 (16.0%) were part-time, and 81 (1.8%) were unemployed.^[7]

Individual statistical areas

Name	Area (km2)	Population	Density (per km2)	Households	Median age	Median income
Witherlea West	2.44	2,601	1,066	1,017	46.4 years	$35,400[8]
Witherlea East	1.37	2,808	2,050	1,098	44.2 years	$34,400[9]
New Zealand					37.4 years	$31,800

Education

Witherlea School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a roll of 401 students as of July 2025.^[10][11]