State Highway 26 runs through the town, and connects to Te Aroha 10 km to the north-east.

A Fonterra dairy factory is a prominent blue building in the middle of the town.

Two freezing works and a rendering plant also operate in the Waitoa area.

Workers commute from nearby towns of Te Aroha, Morrinsville and Matamata.

Before the 2023 census, the settlement had a larger boundary, covering 3.99 km2 (1.54 sq mi).

Before the 2023 census, the statistical area had a smaller boundary, covering 107.27 km2 (41.42 sq mi).

It opened as Waitoa Valley School and reached a roll of 222 students in 1959.