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 Port Stephens (A), accounting for 38.9% (11,241 households). This share was higher than Regional NSW (36.4%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 2 persons, which increased by 1,461 households and 0.5 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Port Stephens (A) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Port Stephens (A) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional NSW and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Port Stephens (A), with comparison markers for Regional NSW.
1 person
2021 count
7,503
% of total
26.0%
Change from 2016
+1.0pp
7,503
26.0%
+1.0pp
2 persons
2021 count
11,241
% of total
38.9%
Change from 2016
+0.5pp
11,241
38.9%
+0.5pp
3 persons
2021 count
3,894
% of total
13.5%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
3,894
13.5%
-0.5pp
4 persons
2021 count
3,647
% of total
12.6%
Change from 2016
-0.9pp
3,647
12.6%
-0.9pp
5 persons
2021 count
1,685
% of total
5.8%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
1,685
5.8%
-0.3pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
901
% of total
3.1%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
901
3.1%
+0.1pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
+1,143
+1.0pp
2 persons
+1,461
+0.5pp
3 persons
+329
-0.5pp
4 persons
+209
-0.9pp
5 persons
+144
-0.3pp
6 or more persons
+129
+0.1pp
Data table
Household size for Port Stephens (A). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional NSW.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional NSW% | Count | % | Regional NSW% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 7,503 | 26.0% | 27.9% | 6,360 | 25.0% | 27.5% | +1,143 | +1.0pp |
| 2 persons | 11,241 | 38.9% | 36.4% | 9,780 | 38.4% | 36.3% | +1,461 | +0.5pp |
| 3 persons | 3,894 | 13.5% | 14.1% | 3,565 | 14.0% | 14.2% | +329 | -0.5pp |
| 4 persons | 3,647 | 12.6% | 13.0% | 3,438 | 13.5% | 13.2% | +209 | -0.9pp |
| 5 persons | 1,685 | 5.8% | 5.8% | 1,541 | 6.1% | 6.0% | +144 | -0.3pp |
| 6 or more persons | 901 | 3.1% | 2.8% | 772 | 3.0% | 2.8% | +129 | +0.1pp |
| Total classifiable households | 28,868 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 25,452 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +3,416 | 0.0pp |