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 Essendon, accounting for 32.3% (2,751 households). This share was higher than Moonee Valley (C) (29.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 1 person, which increased by 408 households and 2.2 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Essendon - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Essendon in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Moonee Valley (C) and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Essendon, with comparison markers for Moonee Valley (C).
1 person
2021 count
2,751
% of total
32.3%
Change from 2016
+2.2pp
2,751
32.3%
+2.2pp
2 persons
2021 count
2,558
% of total
30.0%
Change from 2016
+0.7pp
2,558
30.0%
+0.7pp
3 persons
2021 count
1,256
% of total
14.7%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
1,256
14.7%
-0.4pp
4 persons
2021 count
1,348
% of total
15.8%
Change from 2016
-1.7pp
1,348
15.8%
-1.7pp
5 persons
2021 count
501
% of total
5.9%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
501
5.9%
-0.5pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
124
% of total
1.5%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
124
1.5%
-0.2pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+408
+2.2pp
2 persons
+271
+0.7pp
3 persons
+77
-0.4pp
4 persons
-18
-1.7pp
5 persons
+4
-0.5pp
6 or more persons
-6
-0.2pp
Data table
Household size for Essendon. Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Moonee Valley (C).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Moonee Valley (C)% | Count | % | Moonee Valley (C)% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 2,751 | 32.3% | 29.2% | 2,343 | 30.1% | 26.4% | +408 | +2.2pp |
| 2 persons | 2,558 | 30.0% | 31.8% | 2,287 | 29.3% | 32.3% | +271 | +0.7pp |
| 3 persons | 1,256 | 14.7% | 15.8% | 1,179 | 15.1% | 16.4% | +77 | -0.4pp |
| 4 persons | 1,348 | 15.8% | 16.0% | 1,366 | 17.5% | 16.7% | -18 | -1.7pp |
| 5 persons | 501 | 5.9% | 5.6% | 497 | 6.4% | 6.2% | +4 | -0.5pp |
| 6 or more persons | 124 | 1.5% | 1.6% | 130 | 1.7% | 2.0% | -6 | -0.2pp |
| Total classifiable households | 8,522 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 7,795 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +727 | 0.0pp |