Omakere

Omakere
Town
Coordinates: 40°03′03″S 176°45′16″E / 40.050849°S 176.754430°E / -40.050849; 176.754430
Country	New Zealand
Region	Hawke's Bay
Territorial authority	Central Hawke's Bay District
Ward	Aramoana-Ruahine
Electorates	Wairarapa Ikaroa-Rāwhiti (Māori)
Government
• Territorial Authority	Central Hawke's Bay District Council
• Regional council	Hawke's Bay Regional Council

Omakere (Māori: Ōmakere) is a farming settlement in the Central Hawke's Bay District and Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand's North Island.^[1] It is located east of Waipawa.^[2]

Ōmakere translates as place (Ō) someone was lost or died (makere).^[3]

The Omakere Church includes a stained glass memorial wall, depicting Jesus Christ's crucifixion, in memory of three local men who died in war.^[4]

The Omakere and neighbouring Elsthorpe rugby union teams were featured in a New Zealand television advertisement for coverage of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Omakere is in Mangarara statistical area, which also includes Ōtāne and covers 838.07 km² (323.58 sq mi)^[5] and had an estimated population of 3,020 as of June 2024,^[6] with a population density of 3.6 people per km².

Mangarara had a population of 2,400 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 324 people (15.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 399 people (19.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 900 households, comprising 1,200 males and 1,200 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female. The median age was 44.6 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 513 people (21.4%) aged under 15 years, 282 (11.8%) aged 15 to 29, 1,197 (49.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 411 (17.1%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 85.6% European/Pākehā, 20.9% Māori, 1.9% Pacific peoples, 1.0% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 12.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.5% had no religion, 36.0% were Christian, 1.2% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim and 1.4% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 294 (15.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 423 (22.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $32,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 249 people (13.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,023 (54.2%) people were employed full-time, 291 (15.4%) were part-time, and 48 (2.5%) were unemployed.^[7]

Omakere School is a Year 1-8 co-educational state primary school.^[8] It is a decile 8 school with a roll of 78 as of August 2024.^[9][10] The school opened in 1912.^[11]