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 Wollongong (C), accounting for 33.3% (26,856 households). This share was lower than Regional NSW (36.4%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in two-person households, which increased by 2,590 households and 0.5 percentage points.
Section overview
Household size
Wollongong (C) - Households (Enumerated)
This table summarises household size for Wollongong (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional NSW and change since 2016.
Household size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Wollongong (C), with comparison markers for Regional NSW.
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One
2021 count
21,265
% of total
26.4%
Change from 2016
+0.9pp
21,265
26.4%
+0.9pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two
2021 count
26,856
% of total
33.3%
Change from 2016
+0.5pp
26,856
33.3%
+0.5pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three
2021 count
12,661
% of total
15.7%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
12,661
15.7%
-0.1pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four
2021 count
12,635
% of total
15.7%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
12,635
15.7%
-0.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five
2021 count
5,050
% of total
6.3%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
5,050
6.3%
-0.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More
2021 count
2,191
% of total
2.7%
Change from 2016
-0.4pp
2,191
2.7%
-0.4pp
Chart view
Household size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Number Of Persons Usually Resident One
+2,394
+0.9pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two
+2,590
+0.5pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three
+979
-0.1pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four
+705
-0.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five
+121
-0.4pp
Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More
-86
-0.4pp
Data table
Household size for Wollongong (C). 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 | |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident One | 21,265 | 26.4% | 27.9% | 18,871 | 25.5% | 27.5% | +2,394 | +0.9pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Two | 26,856 | 33.3% | 36.4% | 24,266 | 32.8% | 36.3% | +2,590 | +0.5pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Three | 12,661 | 15.7% | 14.1% | 11,682 | 15.8% | 14.2% | +979 | -0.1pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Four | 12,635 | 15.7% | 13.0% | 11,930 | 16.1% | 13.2% | +705 | -0.4pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Five | 5,050 | 6.3% | 5.8% | 4,929 | 6.7% | 6.0% | +121 | -0.4pp |
| Number Of Persons Usually Resident Six Or More | 2,191 | 2.7% | 2.8% | 2,277 | 3.1% | 2.8% | -86 | -0.4pp |
| Total | 80,658 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 73,953 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +6,705 | 0.0pp |