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 Central Coast (C) (NSW), accounting for 34.3% (45,162 households). This share was higher than Greater Sydney (30.7%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 2 persons, which increased by 4,139 households and 0.4 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Central Coast (C) (NSW) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Central Coast (C) (NSW) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Sydney and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Central Coast (C) (NSW), with comparison markers for Greater Sydney.
1 person
2021 count
35,866
% of total
27.2%
Change from 2016
+0.8pp
35,866
27.2%
+0.8pp
2 persons
2021 count
45,162
% of total
34.3%
Change from 2016
+0.4pp
45,162
34.3%
+0.4pp
3 persons
2021 count
19,658
% of total
14.9%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
19,658
14.9%
-0.1pp
4 persons
2021 count
19,055
% of total
14.5%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
19,055
14.5%
-0.5pp
5 persons
2021 count
8,059
% of total
6.1%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
8,059
6.1%
-0.5pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
3,917
% of total
3.0%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
3,917
3.0%
-0.1pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+3,910
+0.8pp
2 persons
+4,139
+0.4pp
3 persons
+1,479
-0.1pp
4 persons
+929
-0.5pp
5 persons
+77
-0.5pp
6 or more persons
+136
-0.1pp
Data table
Household size for Central Coast (C) (NSW). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 35,866 | 27.2% | 23.2% | 31,956 | 26.4% | 21.6% | +3,910 | +0.8pp |
| 2 persons | 45,162 | 34.3% | 30.7% | 41,023 | 33.9% | 29.9% | +4,139 | +0.4pp |
| 3 persons | 19,658 | 14.9% | 17.2% | 18,179 | 15.0% | 17.6% | +1,479 | -0.1pp |
| 4 persons | 19,055 | 14.5% | 17.3% | 18,126 | 15.0% | 18.1% | +929 | -0.5pp |
| 5 persons | 8,059 | 6.1% | 7.3% | 7,982 | 6.6% | 8.0% | +77 | -0.5pp |
| 6 or more persons | 3,917 | 3.0% | 4.2% | 3,781 | 3.1% | 4.7% | +136 | -0.1pp |
| Total classifiable households | 131,713 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 121,048 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +10,665 | 0.0pp |