Fordell, New Zealand

Fordell is a rural community in the Whanganui District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is on the Marton-New Plymouth railway line east of Kaitoke and north of Whangaehu.

Paloma Gardens in Fordell is a private garden rated by the New Zealand Gardens Trust as "Significant". The horror film 'X', directed by Ti West and starring Mia Goth, was filmed in the area.

Demographics
Kaitoke-Fordell statistical area covers 261.31 km2 and had an estimated population of as of  with a population density of  people per km2.

Kaitoke-Fordell had a population of 1,770 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 3 people (−0.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 372 people (26.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 567 households, comprising 1,029 males and 744 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.38 males per female. The median age was 44.0 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 297 people (16.8%) aged under 15 years, 291 (16.4%) aged 15 to 29, 936 (52.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 243 (13.7%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 86.6% European/Pākehā, 18.5% Māori, 2.9% Pacific peoples, 1.0% Asian, and 1.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 10.7, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 50.7% had no religion, 38.1% were Christian, 2.0% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.7% were Muslim and 1.0% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 207 (14.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 270 (18.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $25,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 189 people (12.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 741 (50.3%) people were employed full-time, 249 (16.9%) were part-time, and 36 (2.4%) were unemployed.

Education
Fordell School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of  as of.

Notable people

 * Charles Harris Burnett, born (1875) and farmed at Fordell before becoming an MP for Tauranga


 * Henry Shafto Harrison, early settler (1847), the first MP for the Wanganui electorate, first and only President of the Wanganui Jockey Club.