Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is 13,850, which accounts for 42% of the West Coast's inhabitants. The Greymouth urban area had an estimated population of 10,000 (June 2010 estimates). The District Council expects growth of 1.5% per year between 2006 and 2016.

Monteith's Brewery. The local brewery offers tours.

Aquatic Centre. Completed in 2009, the public aquadic and sports centre offers indoor pools and waterslides.

The Pike River Mine disaster was a coal mining accident that began on 19 November 2010 in the Pike River Mine, 46 kilometres (29 mi) northeast of Greymouth, in the West Coast Region of New Zealand's South Island. A first explosion occurred in the mine at approximately 3:44 pm (NZDT, UTC+13). At the time of the explosion 31 miners and contractors were present in the mine. Two miners managed to walk from the mine; they were treated for moderate injuries and released from hospital the next day. The remaining 16 miners and 13 contractors were believed to be at least 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) from the mine's entrance.