Carterton is home to around 9,198 people and stretches from the Tararuas in the west to Flat Point in the east. The district is administered by the Carterton District Council.
There are three iwi within Carterton; Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa - Tāmaki Nui ā Rua and Rangitāne.