Bethlehem is a suburb of Tauranga in New Zealand's North Island. Originally a small independent town, it has now been absorbed by Tauranga and comprises a number of subdivisions including Bethlehem Heights, Sterling Gate, La Cumbre, Saint Andrews, and Mayfield.[3]
Demographics
Bethlehem covers 13.86 km2 (5.35 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 9,270 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 669 people per km2.
Bethlehem had a population of 8,634 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,584 people (22.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 3,078 people (55.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,228 households, comprising 4,044 males and 4,593 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.88 males per female, with 1,473 people (17.1%) aged under 15 years, 1,068 (12.4%) aged 15 to 29, 3,369 (39.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,724 (31.5%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 85.8% European/Pākehā, 10.8% Māori, 1.5% Pacific peoples, 8.3% Asian, and 1.3% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 24.7, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 40.2% had no religion, 49.0% were Christian, 1.0% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.7% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.7% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 1,569 (21.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,206 (16.8%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,392 people (19.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,694 (37.6%) people were employed full-time, 1,053 (14.7%) were part-time, and 177 (2.5%) were unemployed.[4]
Bethlehem Town Centre is a shopping area covering 20,000 m².[10] It has 1000 carparks and about 50 retailers, including Kmart, Countdown and Smiths City.[11]
Education
Bethlehem Campus
The local Bethlehem Campus includes several Christian educational institutions on a single site.
Bethlehem College is a co-educational state-integrated school for Year 1 to 13 students.[12][13] with a roll of 2023 as of August 2024.[14]
In January 2013 a van of Bethlehem College students and former students crashed in a small village in Kenya, while they were on a volunteer mission at Ark Quest Academy.[15] Student Caitlin Dickson was killed, as were married couple Brian and Grace Johnston. Kenyan bus driver Christopher Mmata was also killed.[16]
In 2022 Bethlehem College received considerable media attention when it was revealed that the school contract had a clause in it which made parents and their children agree that marriage is between a man and a woman.[17] Allegations of homophobic bullying within the school came to light following this, resulting in a petition for the Education Review Office and the Ministry of Education to investigate the school, launched by Shaneel Lal.[18][19]
Bethlehem Tertiary Institute, formerly the Bethlehem Institute of Education, is a tertiary institution offering Degrees and Diplomas in teaching, social work and counselling and a Master of Professional Practice. Over 400 students are enrolled and students may study either onsite with a 'flipped classroom' approach or through innovative distance learning. The academy was founded in 1988 as a primary school with 100 students, and has expanded since to offer secondary and tertiary education.[20][third-party source needed]
