The main town is Waimate, while there are many smaller rural communities dispersed throughout the area.

[2] The district is the only part of New Zealand where Bennett's wallabies are prolific, after their introduction from Australia in the 19th century.

The animals are a mixed blessing locally, attracting tourists but being a farm pest, and culling measures have been taken in their slowly expanding territory.

The results were 88.4% European (Pākehā); 8.7% Māori; 1.5% Pasifika; 6.5% Asian; 0.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

Of those at least 15 years old, 714 (10.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 3,780 (56.0%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 2,064 (30.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications.