Thornton, Bay of Plenty
Thornton, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Thornton is a small coastal community in the Bay of Plenty region, about 13 kilometers west of Whakatāne, beside the Rangitaiki River. In 1911 the river was straightened at Thornton, turning swampy land into dairy farmland.
What it’s like
- Area: about 32.9 square kilometers
- It sits in two nearby statistical areas: Matatā-Otakiri and Thornton-Awakeri
Population
- 606 people living there (2023 census)
- 204 dwellings
- Sex: roughly equal numbers of men and women
- 1.0% identify as LGBTQ+
Who lives there
- Ethnicity: about 86% European, 24% Māori, with small numbers of Pasifika, Asian and other identities
- Language: about 98% speak English; around 8% speak Māori
- Age: a mix of children, young adults, working-age adults, and seniors
- Born overseas: about 9%
Community and life
- Religion: around 58% have no religion; about 29% are Christian
- Education: about 14% have a bachelor’s degree or higher; around 61% have a post-high school qualification; about 27% have high school-level qualifications
- Employment: around 49% full-time, 18% part-time, a small number unemployed
- Income: around 13% earn over $100,000
Thornton School
- Thornton School is a co-educational state primary for Year 1–8
- About 138 students (October 2025)
- Opened in 1912
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 17:29 (CET).