Households

Household size

About this topic

Household size shows how many people live in each household. It is a basic but important measure of family life, dwelling use, and the way people share housing.

This topic helps indicate demand for different dwelling sizes and can reflect life-cycle patterns, cultural norms, and affordability pressures. It is best read with household type, age structure, and dwelling type, because changes in household size can happen for very different reasons.

Interpretation notes

  • This counts the number of people usually resident in the dwelling, so it describes shared living arrangements rather than dwelling size.
  • Household size should be read with bedrooms or dwelling structure before drawing conclusions about crowding or housing suitability.

Key insight

In 2021, two-person households was the most common household size among households in Ashburton (S), accounting for 30.1% (476 households). This share was lower than Regional WA (36.1%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in one-person households, which decreased by 103 households and 1.2 percentage points.

Section overview

Household size

Ashburton (S) - Households (Enumerated)

This table summarises household size for Ashburton (S) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional WA and change since 2016.

Household size snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Ashburton (S), with comparison markers for Regional WA.

Ashburton (S)
Regional WA

Number Of Persons Usually Resident One

2021 count

382

% of total

24.2%

Change from 2016

-1.2pp

Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two

2021 count

476

% of total

30.1%

Change from 2016

+2.4pp

Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three

2021 count

229

% of total

14.5%

Change from 2016

+0.2pp

Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four

2021 count

294

% of total

18.6%

Change from 2016

-1.4pp

Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five

2021 count

146

% of total

9.2%

Change from 2016

+0.6pp

Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More

2021 count

54

% of total

3.4%

Change from 2016

-0.8pp

Data table

Household size for Ashburton (S). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.

Household size for Ashburton (S). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.
Household size for Ashburton (S). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.
Category20212016Change
Count%Regional WA%Count%Regional WA%Countpp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One38224.2%27.4%48525.4%25.6%-103-1.2pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two47630.1%36.1%52827.7%36.1%-52+2.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three22914.5%13.7%27314.3%14.2%-44+0.2pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four29418.6%13.4%38220.0%14.2%-88-1.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five1469.2%6.2%1658.6%6.5%-19+0.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More543.4%3.2%814.2%3.4%-27-0.8pp
Total1,581100.0%100.0%1,909100.0%100.0%-3280.0pp