It is part of the Taupō Volcanic Zone and features several natural geysers, hot pools, boiling mud pools, and the Wairakei Power Station, a major geothermal electric power generating station.

The station was the second large-scale geothermal facility worldwide, and was commissioned in 1958.

It was listed in the book 70 Wonders Of The Modern World published in 2000 by Reader's Digest to record The Eventful 20th Century.

[4] Statistics New Zealand describes Wairakei Village as a rural settlement, which covers 0.36 km2 (0.14 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 540 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 1,500 people per km2.

The settlement is part of the larger Wairakei-Broadlands statistical area.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 64.1% had no religion, 22.3% were Christian, 2.7% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.2% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.2% were Buddhist and 0.7% had other religions.