The area around Putāraru, which cover 556 square kilometres including Arapuni, Waotu and Lichfield, had a population of 2,373 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 150 people (6.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 135 people (6.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 840 households. There were 1,173 males and 1,200 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female. The median age was 35.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 552 people (23.3%) aged under 15 years, 456 (19.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,092 (46.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 273 (11.5%) aged 65 or older.