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, 1 person was the most common household size among households in Mackay, accounting for 48% (777 households). This share was higher than Mackay (R) (23.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 1 person, which increased by 106 households and 2 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Mackay - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Mackay in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Mackay (R) and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Mackay, with comparison markers for Mackay (R).
1 person
2021 count
777
% of total
48.0%
Change from 2016
+2.0pp
777
48.0%
+2.0pp
2 persons
2021 count
507
% of total
31.3%
Change from 2016
+1.8pp
507
31.3%
+1.8pp
3 persons
2021 count
168
% of total
10.4%
Change from 2016
-1.7pp
168
10.4%
-1.7pp
4 persons
2021 count
100
% of total
6.2%
Change from 2016
-0.9pp
100
6.2%
-0.9pp
5 persons
2021 count
46
% of total
2.8%
Change from 2016
-1.1pp
46
2.8%
-1.1pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
21
% of total
1.3%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
21
1.3%
-0.3pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+106
+2.0pp
2 persons
+77
+1.8pp
3 persons
-8
-1.7pp
4 persons
-3
-0.9pp
5 persons
-11
-1.1pp
6 or more persons
-2
-0.3pp
Data table
Household size for Mackay. Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Mackay (R).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Mackay (R)% | Count | % | Mackay (R)% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 777 | 48.0% | 23.9% | 671 | 46.0% | 23.5% | +106 | +2.0pp |
| 2 persons | 507 | 31.3% | 35.6% | 430 | 29.5% | 36.0% | +77 | +1.8pp |
| 3 persons | 168 | 10.4% | 15.3% | 176 | 12.1% | 15.9% | -8 | -1.7pp |
| 4 persons | 100 | 6.2% | 14.9% | 103 | 7.1% | 15.1% | -3 | -0.9pp |
| 5 persons | 46 | 2.8% | 6.9% | 57 | 3.9% | 6.8% | -11 | -1.1pp |
| 6 or more persons | 21 | 1.3% | 3.2% | 23 | 1.6% | 2.8% | -2 | -0.3pp |
| Total classifiable households | 1,618 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 1,459 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +159 | 0.0pp |