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 Gold Coast (C), accounting for 35.7% (81,778 households). This share was lower than Regional Qld (36.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 2 persons, which increased by 10,897 households.
Section overview
Household size
Gold Coast (C) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Gold Coast (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Gold Coast (C), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.
1 person
2021 count
53,934
% of total
23.6%
Change from 2016
+0.5pp
53,934
23.6%
+0.5pp
2 persons
2021 count
81,778
% of total
35.7%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
81,778
35.7%
0.0pp
3 persons
2021 count
38,197
% of total
16.7%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
38,197
16.7%
-0.2pp
4 persons
2021 count
35,154
% of total
15.4%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
35,154
15.4%
0.0pp
5 persons
2021 count
13,235
% of total
5.8%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
13,235
5.8%
-0.2pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
6,614
% of total
2.9%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
6,614
2.9%
0.0pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+7,979
+0.5pp
2 persons
+10,897
0.0pp
3 persons
+4,628
-0.2pp
4 persons
+4,475
0.0pp
5 persons
+1,376
-0.2pp
6 or more persons
+883
0.0pp
Data table
Household size for Gold Coast (C). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 53,934 | 23.6% | 25.6% | 45,955 | 23.1% | 24.9% | +7,979 | +0.5pp |
| 2 persons | 81,778 | 35.7% | 36.9% | 70,881 | 35.7% | 36.8% | +10,897 | 0.0pp |
| 3 persons | 38,197 | 16.7% | 14.9% | 33,569 | 16.9% | 15.2% | +4,628 | -0.2pp |
| 4 persons | 35,154 | 15.4% | 13.6% | 30,679 | 15.4% | 14.0% | +4,475 | 0.0pp |
| 5 persons | 13,235 | 5.8% | 5.8% | 11,859 | 6.0% | 6.0% | +1,376 | -0.2pp |
| 6 or more persons | 6,614 | 2.9% | 3.2% | 5,731 | 2.9% | 3.2% | +883 | 0.0pp |
| Total classifiable households | 228,913 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 198,668 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +30,245 | 0.0pp |