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AustraliaCommunity profile

Greater Brisbane

Dwelling type

In Greater Brisbane, 27.8% of the dwellings were medium or high density, compared to 28% in Victoria.

Dwelling Type is an important determinant of Greater Brisbane'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 Greater Brisbane.

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
Greater Brisbane - Dwellings (Enumerated)20212016Change
Dwelling typeNumber%Victoria %Number%Victoria %2016 to 2021
Separate house726,54571.571.5671,21374.472.1+55,332
Medium density164,11316.118.4138,32415.319.4+25,789
High density118,40811.69.581,4639.07.4+36,945
Caravans, cabin, houseboat4,5060.40.35,4140.60.4-908
Other1,0600.10.31,7740.20.4-714
Not stated2,0570.20.13,6080.40.4-1,551
Total Private Dwellings1,016,689100.0100.0901,796100.0100.0+114,893
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
Greater Brisbane20212016Change
Dwelling typeNumber%Victoria %Number%Victoria %2016 to 2021
Occupied private dwellings950,63093.489.2833,39992.388.8+117,231
Unoccupied private dwellings66,0606.510.668,4017.611.0-2,341
Non private dwellings1,1300.10.21,0940.10.2+36
Total dwellings1,017,820100.0100.0902,894100.0100.0+114,926
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 726,545 separate houses in the area, 164,113 medium density dwellings, and 118,408 high density dwellings.

Analysis of the types of dwellings in Greater Brisbane in 2021 shows that 71.5% of all dwellings were separate houses; 16.1% were medium density dwellings, and 11.6% were in high density dwellings, compared with 71.5%, 18.4%, and 9.5% in the Victoria respectively.

In 2021, a total of 93.4% of the dwellings in Greater Brisbane were occupied on Census night, compared to 89.2% in Victoria. The proportion of unoccupied dwellings was 6.5%, which is smaller compared to that found in Victoria (10.6%).

Emerging groups

The total number of dwellings in Greater Brisbane increased by 114,926 between 2016 and 2021.

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

  • Separate house (+55,332 dwellings)
  • High density (+36,945 dwellings)
  • Medium density (+25,789 dwellings)
  • Caravans, cabin, houseboat (-908 dwellings)

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