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 North Melbourne, accounting for 40.1% (2,600 households). This share was lower than Melbourne (C) (43.1%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 1 person, which increased by 542 households and 5.2 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
North Melbourne - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for North Melbourne in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Melbourne (C) and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for North Melbourne, with comparison markers for Melbourne (C).
1 person
2021 count
2,600
% of total
40.1%
Change from 2016
+5.2pp
2,600
40.1%
+5.2pp
2 persons
2021 count
2,310
% of total
35.6%
Change from 2016
-2.0pp
2,310
35.6%
-2.0pp
3 persons
2021 count
817
% of total
12.6%
Change from 2016
-2.1pp
817
12.6%
-2.1pp
4 persons
2021 count
548
% of total
8.4%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
548
8.4%
-0.3pp
5 persons
2021 count
147
% of total
2.3%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
147
2.3%
-0.3pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
77
% of total
1.2%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
77
1.2%
-0.4pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+542
+5.2pp
2 persons
+91
-2.0pp
3 persons
-48
-2.1pp
4 persons
+32
-0.3pp
5 persons
-6
-0.3pp
6 or more persons
-17
-0.4pp
Data table
Household size for North Melbourne. 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 | 2,600 | 40.1% | 43.1% | 2,058 | 34.9% | 36.2% | +542 | +5.2pp |
| 2 persons | 2,310 | 35.6% | 39.5% | 2,219 | 37.6% | 40.5% | +91 | -2.0pp |
| 3 persons | 817 | 12.6% | 10.8% | 865 | 14.7% | 14.1% | -48 | -2.1pp |
| 4 persons | 548 | 8.4% | 4.9% | 516 | 8.7% | 6.4% | +32 | -0.3pp |
| 5 persons | 147 | 2.3% | 1.1% | 153 | 2.6% | 1.9% | -6 | -0.3pp |
| 6 or more persons | 77 | 1.2% | 0.5% | 94 | 1.6% | 0.9% | -17 | -0.4pp |
| Total classifiable households | 6,486 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 5,904 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +582 | 0.0pp |