Household composition
Key points
Estimates from Census 2021 show that:
- There were 333,235 single family households, 63.4% of the 525,246 total in the Lancashire-12 area
- 165,178 or 31.4% were one person households
- Only 26,833 were of other household types
- Blackpool had a very high rate of one person households at 38% for which it is ranked 6th highest in England and Wales
- There were 142,434 households with dependent children in the Lancashire-12 area
- There were 56,228 lone parent households in the Lancashire-12 area of which 35,979 were with dependent children. This latter figure constituted 25.3% of all households with dependent children
- In Lancashire percentages for cohabiting families with dependent children are higher than the average for England and Wales
- Rossendale had a high rate of cohabiting couple families at 13.5% for which it is ranked 25th highest in England and Wales
Introduction
This article uses statistics that were published as part of the Phase 1 - Census 2021 topic summaries. These are estimates based on information submitted by householders and other respondents on Census Day 2021, which was on 21st March. In due course more details will be published for some of the household composition types covered by this article, such as lone parent households and households with dependent children. At the highest level there are three main household types, one person, single family and other. One person and other household types are further divided into two sub-groups each whereas the single family type is divided into five sub-types. These five are divided once more into nine more detailed types. It is therefore not entirely useful to identify which is the dominant type or sub-type, as this would largely reflect the way the classifications have been made, although this is what the fifth page of the interactive report does. 'One person household: Other' is the dominant sub-type for all the geographical areas shown. This refers to one person households with the householder being aged under 66. At the England and Wales level the 'married or civil partnership couple with dependent children' has second most households, but in Lancashire and many districts therein the 'one person household with all living there aged 66 years and over' has 2nd most. At least the order from largest to smallest is fairly consistent.
The three main household composition types
At the top level of the household composition classification, there were 333,235 single family households, 63.4% of the 525,246 total in the Lancashire-12 area. A further 165,178 or 31.4% were one person households. Only 26,833 were of other household types. The Lancashire-12 percentage of single family households is just above the England and Wales rate of 63%. The rates for one person households were even closer, that of England and Wales being 31.2%. The household composition table on page 2 of the Microsoft Power BI interactive report shows that there were over 60% of all households that were of the single family type for all geographical levels included except Blackpool Unitary Authority where the rate was just 56.1%. Blackpool had instead a very high rate of one person households at 38% for which type it is ranked 6th highest in England and Wales.
Families with dependent children
There were 142,434 households with dependent children in the Lancashire-12 area on Census day, 2021. This constitutes 27.1% of all households in the area. We have derived this figure from the four household composition sub-types that include the 'with dependent children' description. For the Lancashire-14 area the count is 179,087 households and the percentage rate is 27.6%. For England the rate is 28.5% and for England and Wales it is 28.4%.
Lone parent households
There were 56,228 lone parent households in the Lancashire-12 area on Census day, 2021. Of these 35,979 were with dependent children. This latter figure constituted 25.3% of all households with dependent children. For the Lancashire-14 area the lone parent household total was 72,939 of which 46,915 included dependent children, 26.2% of all households with dependent children. These rates were slightly above those for England (24.2%) and England and Wales (24.5%).
The Microsoft Power BI report
Navigation around the five pages of the report are by using the navigation buttons or the left/right/menu controls in the middle of the footer bar. The graph on the first page shows the nine sub-types, called here 'middle-tier classes'. These are the two sub-types of 'One person household', the two sub-types of 'Other household types' and the five sub-types of 'Single family household'. The sub-types are mutually exclusive and there is no double-counting of figures.
The table on the second page can show both types and all sub-types. These can be selected at bottom left. The selection slicer acts on the top and middle level types or classes.
On page 3 'Household composition type rankings' all of the sub-types are included in the selection slicer, which will only select one type or sub-type. The table lists the fourteen lower-tier local authorities in the Lancashire-14 area showing the percentage of households in that type and the ranking out of all 331 England and Wales authorities.
Page 4 compares selected sub-types with the England and Wales rate. The arrow icons help to indicate which areas have rates above, below or fairly similar to the England and Wales rate. You can click or tap on the header (or composition type) to sort the table in the order for that type. One feature this page reveals is the higher rates of cohabiting couple families with dependent children in Lancashire than is the national norm. Only Fylde has a rate appreciably below England and Wales. Rossendale has a high rate for this sub-type and especially in the broader 'Cohabiting couple family' sub-type for which it is ranked 25th. Although 'Married or civil partnership couple with dependent children' is one of the main sub-types, there are only four Lancashire local authorities which have appreciably higher rates than England and Wales, these being Blackburn with Darwen, Chorley, Ribble Valley and Pendle.