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 Mackay (R), accounting for 35.6% (15,299 households). This share was lower than Regional Qld (36.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in one-person households, which increased by 717 households and 0.4 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Mackay (R) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Mackay (R) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Mackay (R), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One
2021 count
10,278
% of total
23.9%
Change from 2016
+0.4pp
10,278
23.9%
+0.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two
2021 count
15,299
% of total
35.6%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
15,299
35.6%
-0.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three
2021 count
6,594
% of total
15.3%
Change from 2016
-0.6pp
6,594
15.3%
-0.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four
2021 count
6,413
% of total
14.9%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
6,413
14.9%
-0.2pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five
2021 count
2,981
% of total
6.9%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
2,981
6.9%
+0.1pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More
2021 count
1,388
% of total
3.2%
Change from 2016
+0.4pp
1,388
3.2%
+0.4pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One
+717
+0.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two
+672
-0.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three
+129
-0.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four
+285
-0.2pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five
+227
+0.1pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More
+255
+0.4pp
Data table
Household size for Mackay (R). 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 | |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident One | 10,278 | 23.9% | 25.6% | 9,561 | 23.5% | 24.9% | +717 | +0.4pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two | 15,299 | 35.6% | 36.9% | 14,627 | 36.0% | 36.8% | +672 | -0.4pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three | 6,594 | 15.3% | 14.9% | 6,465 | 15.9% | 15.2% | +129 | -0.6pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four | 6,413 | 14.9% | 13.6% | 6,128 | 15.1% | 14.0% | +285 | -0.2pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five | 2,981 | 6.9% | 5.8% | 2,754 | 6.8% | 6.0% | +227 | +0.1pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More | 1,388 | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1,133 | 2.8% | 3.2% | +255 | +0.4pp |
| Total | 42,964 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 40,669 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +2,295 | 0.0pp |