Cust is a rural village in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located in North Canterbury and comes under seat of the Waimakariri District Council. It is located approximately 16 km east of Oxford and 17 km west of Rangiora. The town is named after General Sir Edward Cust, who was a member of the Canterbury Association which organised European settlement of the area around 1850. Earlier names for the town were Moeraki Downs and Middleton-on-the-Cust.
Cust School is Cust's only school. It is a state co-educational full primary school with a decile rating of 10 and a roll of students (as of ). The principal is Miriam Bell.
Cust is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement and covers . It had an estimated population of as of , with a population density of people per km<sup>2</sup>. Cust is part of the larger Starvation Hill-Cust statistical area.
Before the 2023 census, the settlement had a larger boundary, covering . Using that boundary, Cust had a population of 390 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 27 people (7.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 36 people (10.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 144 households, comprising 192 males and 195 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female, with 78 people (20.0%) aged under 15 years, 42 (10.8%) aged 15 to 29, 177 (45.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 90 (23.1%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 97.7% European/PÃÂkehÃÂ, 3.8% MÃÂori, 1.5% Pasifika, 0.0% Asian, and 1.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.8% had no religion, 30.0% were Christian, 1.5% were Buddhist and 1.5% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 60 (19.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 48 (15.4%) people had no formal qualifications. 66 people (21.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 147 (47.1%) people were employed full-time, 48 (15.4%) were part-time, and 0.0% were unemployed.
Starvation Hill-Cust statistical area covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km<sup>2</sup>.
Starvation Hill-Cust had a population of 2,217 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 267 people (13.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 828 people (59.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 798 households, comprising 1,092 males and 1,125 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female. The median age was 46.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 462 people (20.8%) aged under 15 years, 270 (12.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,095 (49.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 393 (17.7%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 95.3% European/PÃÂkehÃÂ, 4.6% MÃÂori, 0.3% Pasifika, 1.5% Asian, and 2.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 19.9, compared with 27% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 55.5% had no religion, 34.5% were Christian, 0.1% had MÃÂori religious beliefs, 0.4% were Buddhist and 1.5% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 360 (20.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 267 (15.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $36,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 402 people (22.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.21% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 909 (51.8%) people were employed full-time, 315 (17.9%) were part-time, and 27 (1.5%) were unemployed.
Between 1936 and 1963, Cust was a significant center for New Zealand motorcycle racing. The first New Zealand Grand Prix (organised road race) was held at Cust on Easter 1936, attracting approximately 6,000 spectators to the gravel-road circuit. The inaugural race featured 24 starters and was won by W. Nelson in 2 hours, 41 minutes, and 12.6 seconds.
The annual Easter event grew significantly over the following decades, with crowds occasionally swelling the village population to 25,000. The races were held on a metalled-road circuit until 1963, when the Grand Prix was relocated to the Ruapuna race track in Christchurch.
The Cust Museum, located at 1725 Main Road, is a local history museum administered by the Cust and Districts Historical Records Society. It is housed in the former offices of the Waimakariri-Ashley Water Supply Board, a building noted for its connection to the region's early water management and engineering history.
The museum's collection focuses on the social and natural history of the districtâÂÂan area bounded by Bennetts, Fernside, the Ashley River / Rakahuri, and the Waimakariri River. Key exhibits include:
The township is known for reports of paranormal activity, particularly at the historic Cust Pub. Local tradition describes a spirit known as "Mary" who is said to inhabit the upper floor. In 2025, restaurateur Philip Kraal reopened the pub; despite initial skepticism, Kraal reported an unexplained late-night incident that contributed to the site's reputation as a local attraction for ghost stories.
The average temperature in summer is 16.2 ðC, and in winter is 5.9 ðC.