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 Docklands, accounting for 43.2% (3,255 households). This share was higher than Melbourne (C) (39.5%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 1 person, which increased by 1,539 households and 8.7 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Docklands - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Docklands in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Melbourne (C) and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Docklands, with comparison markers for Melbourne (C).
1 person
2021 count
2,973
% of total
39.4%
Change from 2016
+8.7pp
2,973
39.4%
+8.7pp
2 persons
2021 count
3,255
% of total
43.2%
Change from 2016
-1.0pp
3,255
43.2%
-1.0pp
3 persons
2021 count
899
% of total
11.9%
Change from 2016
-5.0pp
899
11.9%
-5.0pp
4 persons
2021 count
337
% of total
4.5%
Change from 2016
-1.6pp
337
4.5%
-1.6pp
5 persons
2021 count
65
% of total
0.9%
Change from 2016
-0.7pp
65
0.9%
-0.7pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
11
% of total
0.1%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
11
0.1%
-0.5pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+1,539
+8.7pp
2 persons
+1,190
-1.0pp
3 persons
+111
-5.0pp
4 persons
+52
-1.6pp
5 persons
-11
-0.7pp
6 or more persons
-18
-0.5pp
Data table
Household size for Docklands. Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Melbourne (C).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Melbourne (C)% | Count | % | Melbourne (C)% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 2,973 | 39.4% | 43.1% | 1,434 | 30.7% | 36.2% | +1,539 | +8.7pp |
| 2 persons | 3,255 | 43.2% | 39.5% | 2,065 | 44.2% | 40.5% | +1,190 | -1.0pp |
| 3 persons | 899 | 11.9% | 10.8% | 788 | 16.9% | 14.1% | +111 | -5.0pp |
| 4 persons | 337 | 4.5% | 4.9% | 285 | 6.1% | 6.4% | +52 | -1.6pp |
| 5 persons | 65 | 0.9% | 1.1% | 76 | 1.6% | 1.9% | -11 | -0.7pp |
| 6 or more persons | 11 | 0.1% | 0.5% | 29 | 0.6% | 0.9% | -18 | -0.5pp |
| Total classifiable households | 7,540 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 4,673 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +2,867 | 0.0pp |