List of cities and towns in the South Island by population

This is a list of cities and towns in the South Island of New Zealand by the population of their urban area.

The populations given in the table below are provisional New Zealand usually resident populations, June 2021 estimates, and refer to the urban area defined under the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA) unless otherwise stated.

Population 10,000 and over[edit]

Urban area	Population	Region	Territorial authority
Ashburton	20,500	Canterbury	Ashburton District
Blenheim	28,800	Marlborough	Marlborough District
Kaiapoi	13,050	Canterbury	Waimakariri District
Mosgiel	14,700	Otago	Dunedin City
Oamaru	13,850	Otago	Waitaki District
Queenstown	15,450	Otago	Queenstown Lakes District
Rangiora	19,250	Canterbury	Waimakariri District
Richmond	18,000	Tasman	Tasman District
Rolleston	24,700	Canterbury	Selwyn District
Timaru†	28,600	Canterbury	Timaru District
Wanaka	11,600	Otago	Queenstown Lakes District

† Timaru was officially a city until local government reorganisation in 1989, and is still frequently referred to as such.

Population 1,000 to 9,999[edit]

Urban area	Population	Region	Territorial authority
Alexandra	5,970	Otago	Central Otago District
Amberley	2,310	Canterbury	Hurunui District
Arrowtown	2,880	Otago	Queenstown Lakes District
Arthurs Point	1,320	Otago	Queenstown Lakes District
Balclutha	4,280	Otago	Clutha District
Bluff	1,840	Southland	Invercargill City
Brighton	1,570	Otago	Dunedin City
Brightwater	2,250	Tasman	Tasman District
Clyde	1,250	Otago	Central Otago District
Cromwell	6,640	Otago	Central Otago District
Darfield	2,960	Canterbury	Selwyn District
Diamond Harbour	1,600	Canterbury	Christchurch City
Geraldine	2,800	Canterbury	Timaru District
Gore	8,250	Southland	Gore District
Greymouth	8,310	West Coast	Grey District
Hokitika	2,910	West Coast	Westland District
Hope	970	Tasman	Tasman District
Kaikōura	2,420	Canterbury	Kaikoura District
Lake Hāwea	1,880	Otago	Queenstown Lakes District
Lake Hayes	6,750	Otago	Queenstown Lakes District
Leeston	2,370	Canterbury	Selwyn District
Lincoln	8,920	Canterbury	Selwyn District
Lyttelton	3,170	Canterbury	Christchurch City
Māpua	1,340	Tasman	Tasman District
Mataura	1,740	Southland	Gore District
Methven	1,920	Canterbury	Ashburton District
Milton	2,190	Otago	Clutha District
Motueka	8,280	Tasman	Tasman District
Oxford	2,380	Canterbury	Waimakariri District
Pegasus	3,810	Canterbury	Waimakariri District
Picton	4,790	Marlborough	Marlborough District
Pleasant Point	1,480	Canterbury	Timaru District
Prebbleton	5,020	Canterbury	Selwyn District
Rakaia	1,560	Canterbury	Ashburton District
Reefton	920	West Coast	Buller District
Renwick	2,580	Marlborough	Marlborough District
Riverton	1,690	Southland	Southland District
Runanga	1,230	West Coast	Grey District
Tākaka	1,380	Tasman	Tasman District
Te Anau	2,930	Southland	Southland District
Temuka	4,660	Canterbury	Timaru District
Twizel	1,660	Canterbury	MacKenzie District
Wakefield	2,610	Tasman	Tasman District
Waikouaiti	1,270	Otago	Dunedin City
Waimate	3,610	Canterbury	Waimate District
West Melton	2,530	Canterbury	Selwyn District
Westport	4,280	West Coast	Buller District
Winton	2,450	Southland	Southland District
Woodend	3,190	Canterbury	Waimakariri District

Major suburbs[edit]

The following suburbs have a population of over 2,000.

Christchurch[edit]

Suburb	Population	Region	Territorial authority
Riccarton	9,786	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Linwood	9,024	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Hornby	8,007	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Christchurch Central City	7,653	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Shirley	7,176	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Cashmere	6,876	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Woolston	5,733	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Sydenham	5,478	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Halswell	4,065	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Sumner	3,978	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Belfast	3,726	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
New Brighton	3,642	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Papanui	3,543	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Merivale	3,012	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Fendalton	2,898	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Bishopdale	2,454	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council
Burnside	2,370	Canterbury	Christchurch City Council

Dunedin[edit]

Suburb	Population	Region	Territorial authority
Mosgiel‡	10,497	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Dunedin North	7,047	Otago	Dunedin City Council
St Kilda	5,904	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Caversham	5,058	Otago	Dunedin City Council
North East Valley	4,413	Otago	Dunedin City Council
St Clair	4,179	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Roslyn	3,957	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Vauxhall	3,918	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Brockville	3,393	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Mornington	3,393	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Wakari	3,069	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Port Chalmers‡	~3,000	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Musselburgh	2,835	Otago	Dunedin City Council
South Dunedin	2,538	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Andersons Bay	2,532	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Green Island‡	2,430	Otago	Dunedin City Council
City Rise	2,406	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Pine Hill	2,259	Otago	Dunedin City Council
Fairfield	2,010	Otago	Dunedin City Council

‡ Mosgiel, Port Chalmers, and Green Island were officially separate towns until local government reorganisation in 1989, and are separated from Dunedin’s main urban area. They are still frequently referred to as towns.

Invercargill[edit]

Nelson[edit]

Others[edit]

Suburb	Population	Town	Territorial authority
Allenton	5,172	Ashburton	Ashburton District Council
Redwoodtown	4,881	Blenheim	Marlborough District Council
Whitney	4,005	Blenheim	Marlborough District Council
Witherlea	3,993	Blenheim	Marlborough District Council
Marchwiel	3,741	Timaru	Timaru District Council
Highfield	3,408	Timaru	Timaru District Council
Springlands	3,081	Blenheim	Marlborough District Council
West End	2,790	Timaru	Timaru District Council
Tinwald	2,703	Ashburton	Ashburton District Council
Mayfield	2,694	Blenheim	Marlborough District Council
Seaview	2,505	Timaru	Timaru District Council
Parkside	2,412	Timaru	Timaru District Council
Hampstead	2,325	Ashburton	Ashburton District Council
Watlington	2,256	Timaru	Timaru District Council
Gleniti	2,022	Timaru	Timaru District Council

See also[edit]