Thornton, Bay of Plenty
{{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Thornton
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| settlement_type =
| image_skyline =
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| image_caption =
| image_flag =
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| image_seal =
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| etymology =
| nickname =
| motto = A coastal area, a coastal family. Thornton School.
~Shelly Bremner
| image_map = {{infobox mapframe|coord= {{coord|37|55|20|S|176|52|00|E}}|zoom=9}}
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| coordinates = {{coord|37|55|20|S|176|52|00|E|display=it}}
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| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|New Zealand}}
| subdivision_type1 = Region
| subdivision_name1 = Bay of Plenty
| subdivision_type2 = Territorial authority
| subdivision_name2 = Whakatāne District
| subdivision_type3 = Ward
| subdivision_name3 = Rangitāiki
| subdivision_type4 = Community
| subdivision_name4 = Rangitāiki Community
| leader_title = Territorial authority
| leader_name = Whakatāne District Council
| leader_title1 = Regional council
| leader_name1 = Bay of Plenty Regional Council
| leader_title2 = Mayor of Whakatāne
| leader_name2 = {{NZ officeholder data|Whakatāne District Mayor|y}}
| leader_title3 = East Coast MP
| leader_name3 = {{NZ officeholder data|East Coast MP|y}}
| leader_title4 = Waiariki MP
| leader_name4 = {{NZ officeholder data|Waiariki MP|y}}
| seat_type = Electorates
| seat = {{ubl|East Coast|Waiariki (Māori)}}
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_total_km2 = 32.88
| population_as_of = 2023 Census
| population_total = 606
| population_density_km2 = auto
}}
Thornton is a settlement in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. Thornton is located {{convert|13|km}} west of Whakatāne, and is on the true right of the Rangitaiki River.
In 1911 the Rangitaiki River was put into a straight channel at the current site of Thornton, which enabled draining the Rangitaiki Plains and converting this swamp land into dairy country.{{cite web | first=Malcolm | last=McKinnon | title=Bay of Plenty places - Rangitāiki River | publisher=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand | date=13 July 2012 | accessdate=20 June 2015 | url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/bay-of-plenty-places/page-8}}
Demographics
Thornton covers {{Convert|32.88|km2||abbr=on}}.{{Cite web|title=Stats NZ Geographic Data Service|url=https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/data/|at=Statistical Area 1 2023 (generalised)|access-date=12 July 2025}} It is partly in the Matatā-Otakiri and partly in the Thornton-Awakeri statistical areas.{{cite web|url=https://statsnz.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=3a406ce8fbb14367ab5caae21c07ab8b|title=Geographic Boundary Viewer|publisher=Stats NZ|at=Statistical Area 1 – 2023 and Statistical Area 2 – 2023}}
{{Historical populations|2006|516|2013|480|2018|528|2023|606|percentages=pagr|align=left|source={{NZ census 2018|7015140, 7015147 and 7015145}}|footnote=The 2006 population is for a larger area of 43.41 km2.}}
Thornton had a population of 606 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 78 people (14.8%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 126 people (26.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 303 males and 303 females in 204 dwellings.{{cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_009&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=doTotal%2Bdo1.7015140%2B7015147%2B7033541.2023&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_DWD_003|publisher=Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses}} 1.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 111 people (18.3%) aged under 15 years, 93 (15.3%) aged 15 to 29, 273 (45.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 123 (20.3%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 86.1% European (Pākehā); 24.3% Māori; 1.0% Pasifika; 1.5% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.0%, Māori by 7.9%, and other languages by 3.0%. No language could be spoken by 1.5% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 8.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 28.7% Christian, 0.5% Islam, 2.0% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% New Age, and 0.5% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 58.4%, and 9.9% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 69 (13.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 300 (60.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 129 (26.1%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 63 people (12.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 243 (49.1%) full-time, 87 (17.6%) part-time, and 6 (1.2%) unemployed.{{Cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_012&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bib7%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.7015140%2B7015147%2B7033541.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001|publisher=Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses|at=7015140, 7015147 and 7033541}}
Education
Thornton School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,{{cite web |title=Ministry of Education School Profile |url=https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/profile?school=2028 |website=educationcounts.govt.nz |publisher=Ministry of Education}} with a roll of {{NZ school roll data|2028|y}} as of {{NZ school roll data|||y|y||.}}{{cite web |title=Education Review Office Report |url=https://ero.govt.nz/institution/2028/thornton-school |website=ero.govt.nz |publisher=Education Review Office}} It opened in 1912.{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/former-pupils-off-to-school-celebrations/476BMMAGSK2QCHCIEBJB5LBYCA/|newspaper=Rotorua Daily Post|date=19 April 2012|title=Former pupils off to school celebrations|first=Sonya|last=Bateson}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Whakatāne District}}