Prestons, New Zealand
The suburb is named for Thomas Herbert Preston (1824–1884), a local resident and chair of the Avon Road Board. It was first planned as a residential suburb in 2007, and constructed in the 2010s.
The suburb has a main exit to Preston Road at the north, and a minor one to the east. An exit to the south to reduce congestion has been delayed by disagreements over the intersection design. The new exit was still delayed in May 2023.
Demographics
Prestons covers 4.07 km (1.57 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 5,170 as of June 2024, with a population density of 1,270 people per km.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 162 | — |
| 2013 | 237 | +5.59% |
| 2018 | 3,048 | +66.67% |
| Source: | ||
Before the 2023 census, the suburb had a smaller boundary, covering 3.98 km (1.54 sq mi). Using that boundary, Prestons had a population of 3,048 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 2,811 people (1186.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 2,886 people (1781.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,137 households, comprising 1,485 males and 1,566 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female. The median age was 39.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 624 people (20.5%) aged under 15 years, 462 (15.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,428 (46.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 534 (17.5%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 87.7% European/Pākehā, 8.1% Māori, 1.8% Pasifika, 8.8% Asian, and 2.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 19.8, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.4% had no religion, 39.2% were Christian, 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.6% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 591 (24.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 306 (12.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $43,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 627 people (25.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,317 (54.3%) people were employed full-time, 378 (15.6%) were part-time, and 51 (2.1%) were unemployed.
References
- ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ "Christchurch Place Names: N - Z : Prestons" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. February 2016. pp. 28–30.
- ^ Chamberlain, Peter (1 August 2010). "Community Commodified: The Prestons Road Residential Subdivision". Lincoln Planning Review. doi:10.34900/lpr.v2i2.528.
- ^ Walton, Steven (21 December 2022). "Subdivision residents hemmed in after dispute over tiny stretch of road". Stuff.
- ^ Gill, Sinead (25 May 2023). "Thousands of residents still using the one exit out of subdivision despite assurances". The Press.
- ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Prestons (321300). 2018 Census place summary: Prestons