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 South Mackay, accounting for 34.1% (956 households). This share was higher than Mackay (R) (23.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 1 person, which increased by 35 households and 0.4 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
South Mackay - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for South Mackay in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Mackay (R) and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for South Mackay, with comparison markers for Mackay (R).
1 person
2021 count
956
% of total
34.1%
Change from 2016
+0.4pp
956
34.1%
+0.4pp
2 persons
2021 count
944
% of total
33.6%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
944
33.6%
-0.4pp
3 persons
2021 count
399
% of total
14.2%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
399
14.2%
-0.3pp
4 persons
2021 count
303
% of total
10.8%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
303
10.8%
-0.2pp
5 persons
2021 count
135
% of total
4.8%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
135
4.8%
0.0pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
74
% of total
2.6%
Change from 2016
+0.6pp
74
2.6%
+0.6pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+35
+0.4pp
2 persons
+14
-0.4pp
3 persons
+2
-0.3pp
4 persons
+2
-0.2pp
5 persons
+5
0.0pp
6 or more persons
+19
+0.6pp
Data table
Household size for South 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 | 956 | 34.1% | 23.9% | 921 | 33.7% | 23.5% | +35 | +0.4pp |
| 2 persons | 944 | 33.6% | 35.6% | 930 | 34.0% | 36.0% | +14 | -0.4pp |
| 3 persons | 399 | 14.2% | 15.3% | 397 | 14.5% | 15.9% | +2 | -0.3pp |
| 4 persons | 303 | 10.8% | 14.9% | 301 | 11.0% | 15.1% | +2 | -0.2pp |
| 5 persons | 135 | 4.8% | 6.9% | 130 | 4.8% | 6.8% | +5 | 0.0pp |
| 6 or more persons | 74 | 2.6% | 3.2% | 55 | 2.0% | 2.8% | +19 | +0.6pp |
| Total classifiable households | 2,807 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2,734 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +73 | 0.0pp |