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 Edmonton, accounting for 31.7% (1,161 households). This share was lower than Cairns (R) (35%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 2 persons, which increased by 125 households and 1.8 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Edmonton - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Edmonton in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Cairns (R) and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Edmonton, with comparison markers for Cairns (R).
1 person
2021 count
759
% of total
20.7%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
759
20.7%
0.0pp
2 persons
2021 count
1,161
% of total
31.7%
Change from 2016
+1.8pp
1,161
31.7%
+1.8pp
3 persons
2021 count
604
% of total
16.5%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
604
16.5%
-0.1pp
4 persons
2021 count
607
% of total
16.6%
Change from 2016
-1.1pp
607
16.6%
-1.1pp
5 persons
2021 count
308
% of total
8.4%
Change from 2016
-0.8pp
308
8.4%
-0.8pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
216
% of total
5.9%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
216
5.9%
0.0pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+42
0.0pp
2 persons
+125
+1.8pp
3 persons
+27
-0.1pp
4 persons
-7
-1.1pp
5 persons
-10
-0.8pp
6 or more persons
+10
0.0pp
Data table
Household size for Edmonton. Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Cairns (R).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Cairns (R)% | Count | % | Cairns (R)% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 759 | 20.7% | 27.0% | 717 | 20.7% | 26.1% | +42 | 0.0pp |
| 2 persons | 1,161 | 31.7% | 35.0% | 1,036 | 29.9% | 34.7% | +125 | +1.8pp |
| 3 persons | 604 | 16.5% | 15.7% | 577 | 16.6% | 16.1% | +27 | -0.1pp |
| 4 persons | 607 | 16.6% | 13.7% | 614 | 17.7% | 14.0% | -7 | -1.1pp |
| 5 persons | 308 | 8.4% | 5.4% | 318 | 9.2% | 5.9% | -10 | -0.8pp |
| 6 or more persons | 216 | 5.9% | 3.2% | 206 | 5.9% | 3.3% | +10 | 0.0pp |
| Total classifiable households | 3,658 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 3,466 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +192 | 0.0pp |