Greater Adelaide
Household size
In 2021, 28% of households in Greater Adelaide contained only one person, compared with 28.5% in South Australia, 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, Greater Adelaide's Household Size data should be viewed in conjunction with Household Summary, Age Structure, Dwelling Type, Household Income and Language Spoken at Home.
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.'
Family, group and lone person households
| Household size | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Adelaide - Households (Enumerated) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
| Number of persons usually resident | Number | % | South Australia % | Number | % | South Australia % | 2016 to 2021 | |
| 1 person | 148,641 | 27.7 | 28.5 | 134,827 | 27.4 | 28.0 | +13,814 | 20001 |
| 2 persons | 179,747 | 33.5 | 34.7 | 166,105 | 33.7 | 34.8 | +13,642 | 20002 |
| 3 persons | 85,059 | 15.9 | 15.0 | 78,212 | 15.9 | 15.1 | +6,847 | 20003 |
| 4 persons | 80,056 | 14.9 | 14.0 | 74,578 | 15.1 | 14.3 | +5,478 | 20004 |
| 5 persons | 29,259 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 27,024 | 5.5 | 5.4 | +2,235 | 20005 |
| 6 or more persons | 13,278 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 11,703 | 2.4 | 2.3 | +1,575 | 20006 |
| Total classifiable households | 536,040 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 492,449 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +43,591 | |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (opens a new window)(informed decisions).
| Household size - Summary | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Adelaide - Enumerated | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
| Dwellings | Number | % | South Australia % | Number | % | South Australia % | 2016 to 2021 | |
| Occupied private dwellings | 553,819 | -- | -- | 2002 | 514,742 | -- | -- | +39,077 |
| Persons in occupied private dwellings | 1,345,214 | -- | -- | 2003 | 1,247,995 | -- | -- | +97,219 |
| Average household size (persons per dwelling) | 2.43 | -- | 2.38 | 2004.00 | 2.42 | -- | 2.39 | -- |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing(opens a new window) 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (opens a new window)(informed decisions).
The 'Dwellings' table is enumerated data.
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Dominant groups
Analysis of the number of persons usually resident in a household in Greater Adelaide compared with South Australia shows that there were a lower proportion of lone person households, and a higher proportion of larger households (those with 4 persons or more). Overall there were 27.7% of lone person households, and 22.9% of larger households, compared with 28.5% and 21.8% respectively for South Australia.
The major difference in the household size for Greater Adelaide and South Australia was:
- A smaller percentage of households with 2 persons usually resident (33.5% compared to 34.7%)
Emerging groups
The number of households in Greater Adelaide increased by 43,591 between 2016 and 2021.
The largest changes in the number of persons usually resident in a household in Greater Adelaide between 2016 and 2021 were:
- 1 person (+13,814 households)
- 2 persons (+13,642 households)
- 3 persons (+6,847 households)
- 4 persons (+5,478 households)