The Timaru District is located on the east coast of the South Island and stretches inland as far as the Main Divide.

The next biggest towns in order are Temuka, Geraldine and Pleasant Point.

Smaller settlements include Arundel, Cave, Orari and Winchester.

The results were 87.3% European (Pākehā); 10.4% Māori; 3.5% Pasifika; 5.8% Asian; 0.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.9% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

Of those at least 15 years old, 4,476 (11.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 22,488 (57.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 10,887 (27.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications.

[4] Timaru has its origins in a sheep station, The Levels, run by George Rhodes.