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, two-person households was the most common household size among households in Penrith (C), accounting for 29.5% (21,671 households). This share was lower than Greater Sydney (30.7%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in one-person households, which increased by 3,735 households and 2.6 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Penrith (C) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Penrith (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Sydney and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Penrith (C), with comparison markers for Greater Sydney.
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One
2021 count
15,971
% of total
21.8%
Change from 2016
+2.6pp
15,971
21.8%
+2.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two
2021 count
21,671
% of total
29.5%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
21,671
29.5%
-0.1pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three
2021 count
13,145
% of total
17.9%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
13,145
17.9%
-0.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four
2021 count
12,952
% of total
17.6%
Change from 2016
-1.0pp
12,952
17.6%
-1.0pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five
2021 count
6,029
% of total
8.2%
Change from 2016
-0.6pp
6,029
8.2%
-0.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More
2021 count
3,628
% of total
4.9%
Change from 2016
-0.6pp
3,628
4.9%
-0.6pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One
+3,735
+2.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two
+2,832
-0.1pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three
+1,517
-0.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four
+1,093
-1.0pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five
+399
-0.6pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More
+150
-0.6pp
Data table
Household size for Penrith (C). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | pp | |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident One | 15,971 | 21.8% | 23.2% | 12,236 | 19.2% | 21.6% | +3,735 | +2.6pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two | 21,671 | 29.5% | 30.7% | 18,839 | 29.6% | 29.9% | +2,832 | -0.1pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three | 13,145 | 17.9% | 17.2% | 11,628 | 18.3% | 17.6% | +1,517 | -0.4pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four | 12,952 | 17.6% | 17.3% | 11,859 | 18.6% | 18.1% | +1,093 | -1.0pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five | 6,029 | 8.2% | 7.3% | 5,630 | 8.8% | 8.0% | +399 | -0.6pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More | 3,628 | 4.9% | 4.2% | 3,478 | 5.5% | 4.7% | +150 | -0.6pp |
| Total | 73,398 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 63,667 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +9,731 | 0.0pp |