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 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 1 person, 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.
1 person
2021 count
15,971
% of total
21.8%
Change from 2016
+2.6pp
15,971
21.8%
+2.6pp
2 persons
2021 count
21,671
% of total
29.5%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
21,671
29.5%
-0.1pp
3 persons
2021 count
13,145
% of total
17.9%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
13,145
17.9%
-0.4pp
4 persons
2021 count
12,952
% of total
17.6%
Change from 2016
-1.0pp
12,952
17.6%
-1.0pp
5 persons
2021 count
6,029
% of total
8.2%
Change from 2016
-0.6pp
6,029
8.2%
-0.6pp
6 or more persons
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.
1 person
+3,735
+2.6pp
2 persons
+2,832
-0.1pp
3 persons
+1,517
-0.4pp
4 persons
+1,093
-1.0pp
5 persons
+399
-0.6pp
6 or more persons
+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 | |
| 1 person | 15,971 | 21.8% | 23.2% | 12,236 | 19.2% | 21.6% | +3,735 | +2.6pp |
| 2 persons | 21,671 | 29.5% | 30.7% | 18,839 | 29.6% | 29.9% | +2,832 | -0.1pp |
| 3 persons | 13,145 | 17.9% | 17.2% | 11,628 | 18.3% | 17.6% | +1,517 | -0.4pp |
| 4 persons | 12,952 | 17.6% | 17.3% | 11,859 | 18.6% | 18.1% | +1,093 | -1.0pp |
| 5 persons | 6,029 | 8.2% | 7.3% | 5,630 | 8.8% | 8.0% | +399 | -0.6pp |
| 6 or more persons | 3,628 | 4.9% | 4.2% | 3,478 | 5.5% | 4.7% | +150 | -0.6pp |
| Total classifiable households | 73,398 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 63,667 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +9,731 | 0.0pp |