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AustraliaCommunity profile

In Australia, 28.3% of the dwellings were medium or high density, compared to 9% in Regional TAS.

Dwelling Type is an important determinant of Australia's residential role and function. A greater concentration of higher density dwellings is likely to attract more young adults and smaller households, often renting. Larger, detached or separate dwellings are more likely to attract families and prospective families. The residential built form often reflects market opportunities or planning policy, such as building denser forms of housing around public transport nodes or employment centres.

Dwelling Type statistics should be viewed in conjunction with Household Size, Household Types, Housing Tenure and Age Structure for a more complete picture of the housing market in Australia.

If you're looking at this data to prepare a housing strategy, learn more here.

Q:

Derived from the Census:

'Dwelling Structure is derived from the ABS address register supplemented with information from Census Field Officers.'

Dwelling structure
Australia - Dwellings (Enumerated)20212016Change
Dwelling typeNumber%Regional TAS %Number%Regional TAS %2016 to 2021
Separate house7,624,41570.388.97,042,75971.188.9+581,656
Medium density1,875,54917.39.11,769,16117.99.0+106,388
High density1,195,13511.00.2898,3719.10.3+296,764
Caravans, cabin, houseboat87,5210.81.196,6301.00.9-9,109
Other34,7140.30.447,5440.50.5-12,830
Not stated34,8830.30.347,0310.50.4-12,148
Total Private Dwellings10,852,217100.0100.09,901,496100.0100.0+950,721
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Dwelling type
Australia20212016Change
Dwelling typeNumber%Regional TAS %Number%Regional TAS %2016 to 2021
Occupied private dwellings9,808,43590.292.38,861,61989.391.2+946,816
Unoccupied private dwellings1,043,7849.67.51,039,87210.58.6+3,912
Non private dwellings22,6160.20.223,1700.20.2-554
Total dwellings10,874,835100.0100.09,924,844100.0100.0+949,991
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

In 2021, there were 7,624,415 separate houses in the area, 1,875,549 medium density dwellings, and 1,195,135 high density dwellings.

Analysis of the types of dwellings in Australia in 2021 shows that 70.3% of all dwellings were separate houses; 17.3% were medium density dwellings, and 11.0% were in high density dwellings, compared with 88.9%, 9.1%, and 0.2% in the Regional TAS respectively.

In 2021, a total of 90.2% of the dwellings in Australia were occupied on Census night, compared to 92.3% in Regional TAS. The proportion of unoccupied dwellings was 9.6%, which is larger compared to that found in Regional TAS (7.5%).

Emerging groups

The total number of dwellings in Australia increased by 949,991 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the type of dwellings found in Australia between 2016 and 2021 were:

  • Separate house (+581,656 dwellings)
  • High density (+296,764 dwellings)
  • Medium density (+106,388 dwellings)
  • Other (-12,830 dwellings)

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