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 Lightning Ridge, accounting for 44.3% (321 households). This share was higher than Walgett (A) (37.4%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 1 person, which decreased by 134 households and 1.5 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Lightning Ridge - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Lightning Ridge in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Walgett (A) and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Lightning Ridge, with comparison markers for Walgett (A).
1 person
2021 count
321
% of total
44.3%
Change from 2016
-1.5pp
321
44.3%
-1.5pp
2 persons
2021 count
247
% of total
34.1%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
247
34.1%
0.0pp
3 persons
2021 count
79
% of total
10.9%
Change from 2016
+1.1pp
79
10.9%
+1.1pp
4 persons
2021 count
37
% of total
5.1%
Change from 2016
-1.2pp
37
5.1%
-1.2pp
5 persons
2021 count
23
% of total
3.2%
Change from 2016
+1.4pp
23
3.2%
+1.4pp
6 or more persons
2021 count
20
% of total
2.8%
Change from 2016
-0.3pp
20
2.8%
-0.3pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
1 person
-134
-1.5pp
2 persons
-92
0.0pp
3 persons
-18
+1.1pp
4 persons
-26
-1.2pp
5 persons
+5
+1.4pp
6 or more persons
-11
-0.3pp
Data table
Household size for Lightning Ridge. Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Walgett (A).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Walgett (A)% | Count | % | Walgett (A)% | Count | pp | |
| 1 person | 321 | 44.3% | 37.4% | 455 | 45.8% | 37.4% | -134 | -1.5pp |
| 2 persons | 247 | 34.1% | 34.5% | 339 | 34.1% | 32.5% | -92 | 0.0pp |
| 3 persons | 79 | 10.9% | 11.6% | 97 | 9.8% | 11.3% | -18 | +1.1pp |
| 4 persons | 37 | 5.1% | 7.7% | 63 | 6.3% | 9.7% | -26 | -1.2pp |
| 5 persons | 23 | 3.2% | 4.9% | 18 | 1.8% | 4.7% | +5 | +1.4pp |
| 6 or more persons | 20 | 2.8% | 4.2% | 31 | 3.1% | 4.5% | -11 | -0.3pp |
| Total classifiable households | 725 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 994 | 100.0% | 100.0% | -269 | 0.0pp |