- Est. Median Value
- $458K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $200/wk
- Safety Score
- 91/100
- Green Space
- 4%
- Current Weather
- 6.6°C
- Median Age
- 41 yrs
~34 crimes/1k/yr
light rain
Living in Kaiwera
Kaiwera is a small South Otago locality in the farming country between Clinton and Gore, where the pastoral plains of the Clutha and Mataura districts begin to overlap in the flat, productive land that makes this corridor one of the South Island's most consistently farmed stretches. The Māori name belongs to the creek or local feature, one of the South Otago waterway names that the European farming era retained while renaming most of the surrounding geography.
The farming around Kaiwera is the South Otago to northern Southland character: sheep, beef and increasingly dairy on the flat and gently rolling country that the Mataura River plain and its tributaries have created. The land here has the improved, productive quality of country that has been farmed seriously for over 150 years, with the drainage works and the pasture management that sustained agricultural production requires.
The permanent population is the farming families on the surrounding properties, with Gore and Balclutha both providing services within driving distance. The area sits in the transition zone between South Otago's administration and Southland's, with the practical farming connections running in both directions.
Children from Kaiwera attend the nearest local schools, with the secondary run to Gore or Balclutha depending on family location.
Is Kaiwera a good place to live?
Kaiwera is home to roughly 143 people across 99.2 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Kaiwera scores 51 out of 100, with a safety score of 91/100 and 4% green space.
Schools: Kaiwera has 1 school in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.
Housing: The estimated median value is around $458K, and weekly rent typically sits around $200.
Lifestyle: The current temperature is 6.6°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.
Whether Kaiwera is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.
Livability Breakdown
- Safety91
- Amenities22
- Schools34
- Housing Affordability82
- Green space13
- Community78
- Transport19
Property & Economics
- Est. Median Value
- $458K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $200/wk
- Median HH Income
- $101K/yr
- Pop. Growth (5yr)
- +3.2%
- Data Year
- 2023
Key Financial Indicators (NZD)
† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.
Nearby Suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Kaiwera?
- Kaiwera is in South Otago, in the farming country between Clinton and Gore on the Clutha-Southland border, near the Mataura River plain.
- What is Kaiwera like?
- Kaiwera is a small farming locality on the productive South Otago plains, with sheep, beef and dairy farming on the flat country between the Clutha and Mataura districts.
- What schools serve Kaiwera?
- Children from Kaiwera attend local district schools, with secondary students at Gore High School or South Otago High School in Balclutha.
- What is near Kaiwera?
- Clinton is to the north and Gore is to the south, both on State Highway 1, providing services for the Kaiwera locality.
- How do I get from Gore to Kaiwera?
- By car, north on State Highway 1 toward Clinton, with Kaiwera in the farming country between the two towns.
- Which schools are in zone for Kaiwera?
- Children living in Kaiwera are in zone for Southland Adventist Christian School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.
- How do I check my school zone in Kaiwera?
- Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.
Schools & Enrolment Zones in Kaiwera
Schools in zone for Kaiwera
Children living in Kaiwera have a guaranteed right to enrol at these school, based on Ministry of Education home zones.
Southland Adventist Christian School
Full Primary · roll 123 · decile 4
Check your school zone
School Zone Checker
Enter your address to check your school zone in Kaiwera. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.
Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.
Kaiwera Weather
Current conditions: 6.6°C, light rain
| Month | High (°C) | Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm/day) | Sunshine (hrs/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Jan | 19.29 | 9.83 | 3.07 | 10.69 |
| ☀️ Feb | 18.07 | 9.07 | 3.68 | 9.53 |
| 🍂 Mar | 15.24 | 7.38 | 4.54 | 8.14 |
| 🍂 Apr | 13.77 | 6.74 | 2.59 | 6.18 |
| 🍂 May | 10.5 | 4.66 | 3.32 | 5 |
| ❄️ Jun | 8.3 | 2.44 | 2.51 | 5.46 |
| ❄️ Jul | 7.87 | 2.23 | 3.3 | 5.23 |
| ❄️ Aug | 9.28 | 1.79 | 2.18 | 6.58 |
| 🌸 Sep | 11.54 | 3.79 | 5.72 | 7.08 |
| 🌸 Oct | 12.83 | 4.43 | 4.56 | 8 |
| 🌸 Nov | 14.68 | 5.74 | 3.14 | 9.6 |
| ☀️ Dec | 17.36 | 8.58 | 4.53 | 9.66 |
Kaiwera Community
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