Avenal, New Zealand

Avenal is a suburb of New Zealand's southernmost city, Invercargill. The suburb includes Queens Park and Southland Museum and Art Gallery.

Demographics
Avenal covers 1.43 km2 and had an estimated population of as of  with a population density of  people per km2.

Avenal had a population of 1,263 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 132 people (11.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 105 people (9.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 555 households, comprising 615 males and 648 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female. The median age was 36.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 216 people (17.1%) aged under 15 years, 270 (21.4%) aged 15 to 29, 618 (48.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 159 (12.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 79.8% European/Pākehā, 13.1% Māori, 2.9% Pasifika, 14.0% Asian, and 2.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 21.9, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.7% had no religion, 32.8% were Christian, 0.5% had Māori religious beliefs, 2.9% were Hindu, 0.5% were Muslim, 1.9% were Buddhist and 1.9% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 261 (24.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 198 (18.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $32,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 153 people (14.6%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 579 (55.3%) people were employed full-time, 159 (15.2%) were part-time, and 51 (4.9%) were unemployed.

Education
St John's Girls' School is a state-integrated single-sex school providing education for years 1 to 8 with a roll of as of  It opened in 1917 as an Anglican school, became independent of the church after the depression, and became state-integrated in 1990.