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 Sheffield, accounting for 41.6% (273 households). This share was higher than Kentish (M) (41.4%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 2 persons, which increased by 28 households and 0.8 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Sheffield - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Sheffield in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Kentish (M) and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Sheffield, with comparison markers for Kentish (M).
1 person
2021 count
209
% of total
31.8%
Change from 2016
+1.4pp
209
31.8%
+1.4pp
2 persons
2021 count
273
% of total
41.6%
Change from 2016
+0.8pp
273
41.6%
+0.8pp
3 persons
2021 count
81
% of total
12.3%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
81
12.3%
-0.2pp
4 persons
2021 count
59
% of total
9.0%
Change from 2016
-2.0pp
59
9.0%
-2.0pp
5 persons
2021 count
23
% of total
3.5%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
23
3.5%
0.0pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
6
% of total
0.9%
Change from 2016
-0.9pp
6
0.9%
-0.9pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+26
+1.4pp
2 persons
+28
+0.8pp
3 persons
+6
-0.2pp
4 persons
-7
-2.0pp
5 persons
+2
0.0pp
6 or more persons
-5
-0.9pp
Data table
Household size for Sheffield. Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Kentish (M).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Kentish (M)% | Count | % | Kentish (M)% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 209 | 31.8% | 25.2% | 183 | 30.4% | 24.2% | +26 | +1.4pp |
| 2 persons | 273 | 41.6% | 41.4% | 245 | 40.8% | 41.7% | +28 | +0.8pp |
| 3 persons | 81 | 12.3% | 13.9% | 75 | 12.5% | 13.6% | +6 | -0.2pp |
| 4 persons | 59 | 9.0% | 11.3% | 66 | 11.0% | 12.1% | -7 | -2.0pp |
| 5 persons | 23 | 3.5% | 5.5% | 21 | 3.5% | 5.2% | +2 | 0.0pp |
| 6 or more persons | 6 | 0.9% | 2.4% | 11 | 1.8% | 3.0% | -5 | -0.9pp |
| Total classifiable households | 657 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 601 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +56 | 0.0pp |