[1] Much of the area was surveyed by Herbert Guthrie-Smith, who farmed 60,000 acres (240 km²) surrounding Lake Tūtira.

[2] Guthrie-Smith, a naturalist, published the popular Tutira: the story of a New Zealand sheep station in 1921.

[4] Puketitiri-Tutira statistical area, which includes Waipātiki Beach, Tangoio and Te Haroto, covers 2,415.34 km2 (932.57 sq mi)[5] and had an estimated population of 2,010 as of June 2024,[6] with a population density of 0.83 people per km2.

Before the 2023 census, the statistical area had a larger boundary, covering 2,433.16 km2 (939.45 sq mi).

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 57.7% had no religion, 30.8% were Christian, 3.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.2% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions.