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, 2 persons was the most common household size among households in Ballina (A), accounting for 38.3% (6,995 households). This share was higher than Regional NSW (36.4%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 2 persons, which increased by 766 households, while its share fell by 0.1 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Ballina (A) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Ballina (A) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional NSW and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Ballina (A), with comparison markers for Regional NSW.
1 person
2021 count
5,155
% of total
28.2%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
5,155
28.2%
-0.1pp
2 persons
2021 count
6,995
% of total
38.3%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
6,995
38.3%
-0.1pp
3 persons
2021 count
2,536
% of total
13.9%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
2,536
13.9%
+0.1pp
4 persons
2021 count
2,271
% of total
12.4%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
2,271
12.4%
+0.1pp
5 persons
2021 count
923
% of total
5.0%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
923
5.0%
-0.1pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
403
% of total
2.2%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
403
2.2%
+0.2pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+561
-0.1pp
2 persons
+766
-0.1pp
3 persons
+295
+0.1pp
4 persons
+283
+0.1pp
5 persons
+95
-0.1pp
6 or more persons
+71
+0.2pp
Data table
Household size for Ballina (A). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional NSW.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional NSW% | Count | % | Regional NSW% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 5,155 | 28.2% | 27.9% | 4,594 | 28.3% | 27.5% | +561 | -0.1pp |
| 2 persons | 6,995 | 38.3% | 36.4% | 6,229 | 38.4% | 36.3% | +766 | -0.1pp |
| 3 persons | 2,536 | 13.9% | 14.1% | 2,241 | 13.8% | 14.2% | +295 | +0.1pp |
| 4 persons | 2,271 | 12.4% | 13.0% | 1,988 | 12.3% | 13.2% | +283 | +0.1pp |
| 5 persons | 923 | 5.0% | 5.8% | 828 | 5.1% | 6.0% | +95 | -0.1pp |
| 6 or more persons | 403 | 2.2% | 2.8% | 332 | 2.0% | 2.8% | +71 | +0.2pp |
| Total classifiable households | 18,281 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 16,220 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +2,061 | 0.0pp |