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Northern Councils AllianceCommunity profile

Northern Melbourne Region

Dwelling type

In Northern Melbourne Region, 26.4% of the dwellings were medium or high density, compared to 34% in Greater Melbourne.

Dwelling Type is an important determinant of Northern Melbourne Region'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 Northern Melbourne Region.

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
Northern Melbourne Region - Dwellings (Enumerated)20212016Change
Dwelling typeNumber%Greater Melbourne %Number%Greater Melbourne %2016 to 2021
Separate house298,47973.165.1264,57973.466.1+33,900
Medium density87,83021.521.680,94222.422.9+6,888
High density20,1434.912.812,4083.410.1+7,735
Caravans, cabin, houseboat2470.10.15060.10.2-259
Other1,1710.30.31,2160.30.3-45
Not stated3840.10.11,0270.30.3-643
Total Private Dwellings408,254100.0100.0360,678100.0100.0+47,576
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
Northern Melbourne Region20212016Change
Dwelling typeNumber%Greater Melbourne %Number%Greater Melbourne %2016 to 2021
Occupied private dwellings379,22792.890.2334,34592.690.7+44,882
Unoccupied private dwellings29,0227.19.626,3317.39.1+2,691
Non private dwellings4090.10.13110.10.1+98
Total dwellings408,658100.0100.0360,987100.0100.0+47,671
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 298,479 separate houses in the area, 87,830 medium density dwellings, and 20,143 high density dwellings.

Analysis of the types of dwellings in Northern Melbourne Region in 2021 shows that 73.1% of all dwellings were separate houses; 21.5% were medium density dwellings, and 4.9% were in high density dwellings, compared with 65.1%, 21.6%, and 12.8% in the Greater Melbourne respectively.

In 2021, a total of 92.8% of the dwellings in Northern Melbourne Region were occupied on Census night, compared to 90.2% in Greater Melbourne. The proportion of unoccupied dwellings was 7.1%, which is smaller compared to that found in Greater Melbourne (9.6%).

Emerging groups

The total number of dwellings in Northern Melbourne Region increased by 47,671 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the type of dwellings found in Northern Melbourne Region between 2016 and 2021 were:

  • Separate house (+33,900 dwellings)
  • High density (+7,735 dwellings)
  • Medium density (+6,888 dwellings)
  • Caravans, cabin, houseboat (-259 dwellings)

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