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 Bayside (C), accounting for 32.6% (12,376 households). This share was higher than Greater Melbourne (31.3%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 2 persons, which increased by 1,301 households and 1 percentage point.
Section overview
Household size
Bayside (C) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Bayside (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Melbourne and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Bayside (C), with comparison markers for Greater Melbourne.
1 person
2021 count
9,581
% of total
25.3%
Change from 2016
+0.9pp
9,581
25.3%
+0.9pp
2 persons
2021 count
12,376
% of total
32.6%
Change from 2016
+1.0pp
12,376
32.6%
+1.0pp
3 persons
2021 count
5,780
% of total
15.2%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
5,780
15.2%
0.0pp
4 persons
2021 count
7,147
% of total
18.8%
Change from 2016
-0.9pp
7,147
18.8%
-0.9pp
5 persons
2021 count
2,537
% of total
6.7%
Change from 2016
-0.7pp
2,537
6.7%
-0.7pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
519
% of total
1.4%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
519
1.4%
-0.3pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+1,020
+0.9pp
2 persons
+1,301
+1.0pp
3 persons
+455
0.0pp
4 persons
+248
-0.9pp
5 persons
-45
-0.7pp
6 or more persons
-81
-0.3pp
Data table
Household size for Bayside (C). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Melbourne.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Melbourne% | Count | % | Greater Melbourne% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 9,581 | 25.3% | 24.8% | 8,561 | 24.4% | 23.2% | +1,020 | +0.9pp |
| 2 persons | 12,376 | 32.6% | 31.3% | 11,075 | 31.6% | 31.4% | +1,301 | +1.0pp |
| 3 persons | 5,780 | 15.2% | 16.9% | 5,325 | 15.2% | 17.3% | +455 | 0.0pp |
| 4 persons | 7,147 | 18.8% | 17.2% | 6,899 | 19.7% | 17.6% | +248 | -0.9pp |
| 5 persons | 2,537 | 6.7% | 6.6% | 2,582 | 7.4% | 7.1% | -45 | -0.7pp |
| 6 or more persons | 519 | 1.4% | 3.2% | 600 | 1.7% | 3.5% | -81 | -0.3pp |
| Total classifiable households | 37,936 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 35,037 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +2,899 | 0.0pp |