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 West Melbourne, accounting for 41.3% (1,591 households). This share was higher than Melbourne (C) (39.5%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 1 person, which increased by 944 households and 12.2 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
West Melbourne - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for West Melbourne in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Melbourne (C) and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for West Melbourne, with comparison markers for Melbourne (C).
1 person
2021 count
1,504
% of total
39.0%
Change from 2016
+12.2pp
1,504
39.0%
+12.2pp
2 persons
2021 count
1,591
% of total
41.3%
Change from 2016
-3.5pp
1,591
41.3%
-3.5pp
3 persons
2021 count
476
% of total
12.4%
Change from 2016
-3.1pp
476
12.4%
-3.1pp
4 persons
2021 count
223
% of total
5.8%
Change from 2016
-3.4pp
223
5.8%
-3.4pp
5 persons
2021 count
40
% of total
1.0%
Change from 2016
-1.8pp
40
1.0%
-1.8pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
16
% of total
0.4%
Change from 2016
-1.0pp
16
0.4%
-1.0pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+944
+12.2pp
2 persons
+655
-3.5pp
3 persons
+153
-3.1pp
4 persons
+30
-3.4pp
5 persons
-18
-1.8pp
6 or more persons
-13
-1.0pp
Data table
Household size for West 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 | 1,504 | 39.0% | 43.1% | 560 | 26.8% | 36.2% | +944 | +12.2pp |
| 2 persons | 1,591 | 41.3% | 39.5% | 936 | 44.8% | 40.5% | +655 | -3.5pp |
| 3 persons | 476 | 12.4% | 10.8% | 323 | 15.5% | 14.1% | +153 | -3.1pp |
| 4 persons | 223 | 5.8% | 4.9% | 193 | 9.2% | 6.4% | +30 | -3.4pp |
| 5 persons | 40 | 1.0% | 1.1% | 58 | 2.8% | 1.9% | -18 | -1.8pp |
| 6 or more persons | 16 | 0.4% | 0.5% | 29 | 1.4% | 0.9% | -13 | -1.0pp |
| Total classifiable households | 3,853 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2,089 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +1,764 | 0.0pp |