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 Darebin (C), accounting for 32.4% (19,276 households). This share was higher than Greater Melbourne (31.3%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in one-person households, which increased by 2,871 households and 2.6 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Darebin (C) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Darebin (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Melbourne and change since 2016.
Chart view
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Darebin (C), with comparison markers for Greater Melbourne.
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One
2021 count
18,201
% of total
30.6%
Change from 2016
+2.6pp
18,201
30.6%
+2.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two
2021 count
19,276
% of total
32.4%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
19,276
32.4%
+0.2pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three
2021 count
9,640
% of total
16.2%
Change from 2016
-0.6pp
9,640
16.2%
-0.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four
2021 count
8,701
% of total
14.6%
Change from 2016
-0.7pp
8,701
14.6%
-0.7pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five
2021 count
2,594
% of total
4.4%
Change from 2016
-0.8pp
2,594
4.4%
-0.8pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More
2021 count
1,076
% of total
1.8%
Change from 2016
-0.7pp
1,076
1.8%
-0.7pp
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One
+2,871
+2.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two
+1,666
+0.2pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three
+430
-0.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four
+333
-0.7pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five
-277
-0.8pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More
-278
-0.7pp
Data table
Household size for Darebin (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 | |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident One | 18,201 | 30.6% | 24.8% | 15,330 | 28.0% | 23.2% | +2,871 | +2.6pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two | 19,276 | 32.4% | 31.3% | 17,610 | 32.2% | 31.4% | +1,666 | +0.2pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three | 9,640 | 16.2% | 16.9% | 9,210 | 16.8% | 17.3% | +430 | -0.6pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four | 8,701 | 14.6% | 17.2% | 8,368 | 15.3% | 17.6% | +333 | -0.7pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five | 2,594 | 4.4% | 6.6% | 2,871 | 5.2% | 7.1% | -277 | -0.8pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More | 1,076 | 1.8% | 3.2% | 1,354 | 2.5% | 3.5% | -278 | -0.7pp |
| Total | 59,488 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 54,736 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +4,752 | 0.0pp |