Housing
Number of cars per household
About this topic
Number of cars per household shows how many registered motor vehicles are available to people living in a household. It is a measure of access to private transport rather than total travel activity.
This topic is useful for understanding mobility, transport choice, and access to jobs and services. It should be read with public transport availability, household type, income, and travel to work, because high or low car ownership can reflect very different local conditions.
Interpretation notes
- This measures registered motor vehicles owned or used by residents that were garaged or parked at or near the dwelling on Census night.
- Vehicle counts are a household access measure, not a direct measure of how often people drive or commute.
Related topics
Key insight
In 2021, no motor vehicles was the most common car-ownership level among households in Melbourne (part), accounting for 55.4% (16,806 households). This share was higher than Melbourne (C) (42.5%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in no motor vehicles, which increased by 3,078 households, while its share fell by 0.5 percentage points.
Section overview
Car ownership
Melbourne (part) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises number of cars per household for Melbourne (part) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Melbourne (C) and change since 2016.
Car ownership snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Melbourne (part), with comparison markers for Melbourne (C).
No motor vehicles
2021 count
16,806
% of total
55.4%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
16,806
55.4%
-0.5pp
1 motor vehicle
2021 count
9,102
% of total
30.0%
Change from 2016
+5.0pp
9,102
30.0%
+5.0pp
2 motor vehicles
2021 count
1,386
% of total
4.6%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
1,386
4.6%
-0.4pp
3 or more motor vehicles
2021 count
230
% of total
0.8%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
230
0.8%
-0.1pp
Not stated
2021 count
2,805
% of total
9.2%
Change from 2016
-4.0pp
2,805
9.2%
-4.0pp
Chart view
Car ownership change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
No motor vehicles
+3,078
-0.5pp
1 motor vehicle
+2,972
+5.0pp
2 motor vehicles
+155
-0.4pp
3 or more motor vehicles
+5
-0.1pp
Not stated
-444
-4.0pp
Data table
Number of cars per household for Melbourne (part). Car ownership. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Melbourne (C).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Melbourne (C)% | Count | % | Melbourne (C)% | Count | pp | |
| No motor vehicles | 16,806 | 55.4% | 42.5% | 13,728 | 55.9% | 42.8% | +3,078 | -0.5pp |
| 1 motor vehicle | 9,102 | 30.0% | 38.9% | 6,130 | 25.0% | 33.0% | +2,972 | +5.0pp |
| 2 motor vehicles | 1,386 | 4.6% | 9.0% | 1,231 | 5.0% | 9.4% | +155 | -0.4pp |
| 3 or more motor vehicles | 230 | 0.8% | 1.7% | 225 | 0.9% | 1.9% | +5 | -0.1pp |
| Not stated | 2,805 | 9.2% | 7.9% | 3,249 | 13.2% | 12.9% | -444 | -4.0pp |
| Total households | 30,332 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 24,565 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +5,767 | 0.0pp |