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 Hume (C), accounting for 26.1% (19,733 households). This share was lower than Greater Melbourne (31.3%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 2 persons, which increased by 4,103 households and 0.1 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Hume (C) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Hume (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Melbourne and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Hume (C), with comparison markers for Greater Melbourne.
1 person
2021 count
12,954
% of total
17.1%
Change from 2016
+0.5pp
12,954
17.1%
+0.5pp
2 persons
2021 count
19,733
% of total
26.1%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
19,733
26.1%
+0.1pp
3 persons
2021 count
14,378
% of total
19.0%
Change from 2016
+0.4pp
14,378
19.0%
+0.4pp
4 persons
2021 count
15,650
% of total
20.7%
Change from 2016
+0.2pp
15,650
20.7%
+0.2pp
5 persons
2021 count
7,629
% of total
10.1%
Change from 2016
-0.6pp
7,629
10.1%
-0.6pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
5,395
% of total
7.1%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
5,395
7.1%
-0.5pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+2,991
+0.5pp
2 persons
+4,103
+0.1pp
3 persons
+3,187
+0.4pp
4 persons
+3,304
+0.2pp
5 persons
+1,203
-0.6pp
6 or more persons
+833
-0.5pp
Data table
Household size for Hume (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 | 12,954 | 17.1% | 24.8% | 9,963 | 16.6% | 23.2% | +2,991 | +0.5pp |
| 2 persons | 19,733 | 26.1% | 31.3% | 15,630 | 26.0% | 31.4% | +4,103 | +0.1pp |
| 3 persons | 14,378 | 19.0% | 16.9% | 11,191 | 18.6% | 17.3% | +3,187 | +0.4pp |
| 4 persons | 15,650 | 20.7% | 17.2% | 12,346 | 20.5% | 17.6% | +3,304 | +0.2pp |
| 5 persons | 7,629 | 10.1% | 6.6% | 6,426 | 10.7% | 7.1% | +1,203 | -0.6pp |
| 6 or more persons | 5,395 | 7.1% | 3.2% | 4,562 | 7.6% | 3.5% | +833 | -0.5pp |
| Total classifiable households | 75,740 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 60,129 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +15,611 | 0.0pp |