Otumoetai is one of the older and more traditional family suburbs of Tauranga. Much of the housing growth occurred in the late 1960s and 1970s, although a lot of refurbishment of homes has occurred in the past decade.

Larger sites have been subdivided and homes on the north & harbour facing ridges of Pillans Point and Cherrywood have seen substantial upgrades. This has resulted in a range of values at both ends of the pricing spectrum, and many in the middle.

The suburb is serviced by two primary schools - Pillans Point and Otumoetai- and several preschool facilities.

The main shopping hub is Cherrywwod with three banks, a Postshop, and a range of suburban shops. There are also four small blocks of shops, two in Bureta and two in central Otumoetai. Bureta also hosts a large Motor Inn, bar and restaurant facility and adjacent bottle store.

The wider Otumoetai area is well serviced by local transport with most streets only a few minutes walk to the nearest bus stop. Bus services are normally on the quarter or half hour, and operate in opposite directions.