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 Whitehorse (C), accounting for 31.5% (19,855 households). This share was similar to Greater Melbourne (31.3%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in two-person households, which increased by 2,301 households and 1.4 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Whitehorse (C) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Whitehorse (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Melbourne and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Whitehorse (C), with comparison markers for Greater Melbourne.
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One
2021 count
15,879
% of total
25.2%
Change from 2016
+1.3pp
15,879
25.2%
+1.3pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two
2021 count
19,855
% of total
31.5%
Change from 2016
+1.4pp
19,855
31.5%
+1.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three
2021 count
10,872
% of total
17.2%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
10,872
17.2%
-0.5pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four
2021 count
11,341
% of total
18.0%
Change from 2016
-0.8pp
11,341
18.0%
-0.8pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five
2021 count
3,805
% of total
6.0%
Change from 2016
-0.9pp
3,805
6.0%
-0.9pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More
2021 count
1,340
% of total
2.1%
Change from 2016
-0.5pp
1,340
2.1%
-0.5pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One
+1,948
+1.3pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two
+2,301
+1.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three
+559
-0.5pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four
+370
-0.8pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five
-229
-0.9pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More
-164
-0.5pp
Data table
Household size for Whitehorse (C). Household size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Melbourne.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Melbourne% | Count | % | Greater Melbourne% | Count | pp | |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident One | 15,879 | 25.2% | 24.8% | 13,931 | 23.9% | 23.2% | +1,948 | +1.3pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two | 19,855 | 31.5% | 31.3% | 17,554 | 30.1% | 31.4% | +2,301 | +1.4pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three | 10,872 | 17.2% | 16.9% | 10,313 | 17.7% | 17.3% | +559 | -0.5pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four | 11,341 | 18.0% | 17.2% | 10,971 | 18.8% | 17.6% | +370 | -0.8pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five | 3,805 | 6.0% | 6.6% | 4,034 | 6.9% | 7.1% | -229 | -0.9pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More | 1,340 | 2.1% | 3.2% | 1,504 | 2.6% | 3.5% | -164 | -0.5pp |
| Total | 63,094 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 58,308 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +4,786 | 0.0pp |