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City of KnoxCommunity profile

Ferntree Gully

Household size

In 2021, 24% of households in Ferntree Gully contained only one person, compared with 21.2% in the City of Knox, with the most dominant household size being 2 persons per household.

The size of households in general follows the life-cycle of families. Households are usually small at the stage of relationship formation (early marriage), and then increase in size with the advent of children. They later reduce in size again as these children reach adulthood and leave home. Household size can also be influenced by a lack (or abundance) of affordable housing. Overseas migrants and indigenous persons often have a tradition of living with extended family members which significantly affects household size.

Household size in Australia has generally declined since the 1970s, but the rate of decline has slowed in recent years.

An increasing household size in an area may indicate a lack of affordable housing opportunities for young people, an increase in the birth rate or an increase in family formation in the area. A declining household size may indicate children leaving the area when they leave home, an increase in retirees settling in the area, or an attraction of young singles and couples to the area.

For greater insight, Ferntree Gully's Household Size data should be viewed in conjunction with Household Summary, Age Structure, Dwelling Type, Household Income and Language Spoken at Home.

Q:

Derived from the three Census questions:

'Name of each person including visitors who spent the night of Tuesday, 10 August 2021 in this dwelling', and 'Where does the person usually live?', and 'Name of each person who usually lives in this dwelling but was away on Tuesday, 10 August 2021.'

Household size
Ferntree Gully - Households (Enumerated)20212016Change
Number of persons usually residentNumber%City of Knox %Number%City of Knox %2016 to 2021
1 person2,46123.921.22,24023.320.2+221
2 persons3,35432.632.03,03531.630.7+319
3 persons1,81617.718.51,74518.218.5+71
4 persons1,78417.419.01,70717.820.0+77
5 persons6166.06.76586.87.5-42
6 or more persons2452.42.62282.43.1+17
Total classifiable households10,276100.0100.09,613100.0100.0+663
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
Household size - Summary
Ferntree Gully - Enumerated20212016Change
DwellingsNumber%City of Knox %Number%City of Knox %2016 to 2021
Occupied private dwellings10,593----9,949----+644
Persons in occupied private dwellings26,937----25,625----+1,312
Average household size (persons per dwelling)2.54--2.652.58--2.70-0.03
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

The 'Dwellings' table is enumerated data.

Dominant groups

Analysis of the number of persons usually resident in a household in Ferntree Gully compared with the City of Knox shows that there were a higher proportion of lone person households, and a lower proportion of larger households (those with 4 persons or more). Overall there were 23.9% of lone person households, and 25.7% of larger households, compared with 21.2% and 28.3% respectively for the City of Knox.

The major differences in the household size for Ferntree Gully and the City of Knox were:

  • A larger percentage of households with 1 person usually resident (23.9% compared to 21.2%)
  • A smaller percentage of households with 4 persons usually resident (17.4% compared to 19.0%)

Emerging groups

The number of households in Ferntree Gully increased by 663 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the number of persons usually resident in a household in Ferntree Gully between 2016 and 2021 were:

  • 2 persons (+319 households)
  • 1 person (+221 households)
  • 4 persons (+77 households)
  • 3 persons (+71 households)

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