Tweed Shire CouncilCommunity profile
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Tweed Shire

Household size

In 2021, 29% of households in Tweed Shire contained only one person, compared with 38.3% in Tweed Heads, 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, Tweed Shire'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
Tweed Shire - Households (Enumerated)20212016Change
Number of persons usually residentNumber%Tweed Heads %Number%Tweed Heads %2016 to 2021
1 person10,81228.838.310,10628.838.8+706
2 persons13,94337.140.013,15737.540.2+786
3 persons5,06113.510.94,67213.310.4+389
4 persons4,80012.87.24,32512.37.0+475
5 persons2,0195.42.51,9035.42.4+116
6 or more persons9692.61.19272.61.2+42

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).

Household size - Summary
Tweed Shire - Enumerated20212016Change
DwellingsNumber%Tweed Heads %Number%Tweed Heads %2016 to 2021
Occupied private dwellings40,683----38,497----+2,186
Persons in occupied private dwellings95,690----90,345----+5,345
Average household size (persons per dwelling)2.35--1.972.35--1.96+0.01

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).

The 'Dwellings' table is enumerated data.

Household size, 2021
Household size, 2021 6 or more persons, Tweed Heads: 1.1% 5 persons, Tweed Heads: 2.5% 4 persons, Tweed Heads: 7.2% 3 persons, Tweed Heads: 10.9% 2 persons, Tweed Heads: 40.0% 1 person, Tweed Heads: 38.3% 6 or more persons, Tweed Shire: 2.6% 5 persons, Tweed Shire: 5.4% 4 persons, Tweed Shire: 12.8% 3 persons, Tweed Shire: 13.5% 2 persons, Tweed Shire: 37.1% 1 person, Tweed Shire: 28.8%
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (Enumerated data)
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Change in household size, 2016 to 2021
Change in household size, 2016 to 2021 6 or more persons, Tweed Shire: +42 5 persons, Tweed Shire: +116 4 persons, Tweed Shire: +475 3 persons, Tweed Shire: +389 2 persons, Tweed Shire: +786 1 person, Tweed Shire: +706
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 2016 and 2021 (Enumerated data)
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).

Dominant groups

Analysis of the number of persons usually resident in a household in Tweed Shire compared with Tweed Heads 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 28.8% of lone person households, and 20.7% of larger households, compared with 38.3% and 10.8% respectively for Tweed Heads.

The major differences in the household size for Tweed Shire and Tweed Heads were:

  • A larger percentage of households with 4 persons usually resident (12.8% compared to 7.2%)
  • A larger percentage of households with 5 persons usually resident (5.4% compared to 2.5%)
  • A smaller percentage of households with 1 person usually resident (28.8% compared to 38.3%)
  • A smaller percentage of households with 2 persons usually resident (37.1% compared to 40.0%)

Emerging groups

The number of households in Tweed Shire increased by 2,514 between 2016 and 2021.

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

  • 2 persons (+786 households)
  • 1 person (+706 households)
  • 4 persons (+475 households)
  • 3 persons (+389 households)

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