Riverdale, New Zealand

Riverdale
Suburb
Coordinates: 38°38′39″S 178°00′06″E / 38.644044°S 178.001568°E / -38.644044; 178.001568
Country	New Zealand
City	Gisborne
Local authority	Gisborne District Council
Electoral ward	Tairāwhiti General Ward
Area [1]
• Land	210 ha (520 acres)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	2,740
Hospitals	Gisborne Hospital

Makauri
Makaraka	Riverdale	Mangapapa
	Te Hapara

Riverdale is a suburb of Gisborne, in the Gisborne District of New Zealand's North Island.^[3]

Riverdale covers 2.10 km² (0.81 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 2,740 as of June 2024,^[2] with a population density of 1,305 people per km².

Riverdale had a population of 2,781 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 135 people (5.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 603 people (27.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,230 males and 1,551 females in 1,107 dwellings.^[6] 1.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 393 people (14.1%) aged under 15 years, 357 (12.8%) aged 15 to 29, 981 (35.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,053 (37.9%) aged 65 or older.^[4]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 72.1% European (Pākehā); 31.4% Māori; 2.8% Pasifika; 5.6% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.3%, Māori by 9.1%, Samoan by 0.3%, and other languages by 6.3%. No language could be spoken by 1.8% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.^[4]

Religious affiliations were 45.8% Christian, 1.4% Hindu, 0.3% Islam, 2.6% Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, and 1.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 42.6%, and 5.5% of people did not answer the census question.^[4]

Of those at least 15 years old, 375 (15.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,350 (56.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 666 (27.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 195 people (8.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 918 (38.4%) full-time, 237 (9.9%) part-time, and 51 (2.1%) unemployed.^[4]

Nelson Park is a sports ground, local park and dog walking area, located in Riverdale.^[9]

Lytton High School is a Year 9–13 state secondary school^[10][11] with a roll of 609.^[12] It opened in 1961.^[13] The school includes Te Whare Whai Hua Teenage Parent Centre, a public school for teenage parents.^[14][15]

Riverdale School is a year 1–6 state primary school^[16][17] with a roll of 131. The school was established in 1958.^[18][19] The school has hosted a regional chess tournament since 2006.^[20][21]

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Nga Uri A Maui is a Year 1–15 Māori immersion school^[22] with a roll of 222.^[23] It celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023.^[24]

Sonrise Christian School is a Year 1–10 state integrated school^[25] with a roll of 129.^[26][27] It opened in 1993 in Mangapapa Church and became state integrated in 1999. It moved to separate premises in 2002.^[28]

All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of July 2025.^[29]

The Eastern Institute of Technology has a rural campus in Riverdale.^[30] It is used for EIT courses and community-run horticulture and gardening classes.^[31]