Australia Yearbook - 2001

308 Year Book Australia 2001
Life cycle groups
Households can vary considerably in terms of
their size and composition, as well as their
housing tenure and the type of dwelling they
occupy. All of these factors, along with location of
the dwelling, influence their housing costs.
Households may be small, as with young single
person households and those comprising young
childless couples. They tend to grow in size as the
couples get older and have children. Household
size usually reaches its peak when parents and
their dependent and adult children share the
same dwelling. As children leave home,
household size again declines.
The tenure of the dwelling tends to follow a similar
progression to the life cycle of the occupants. This
cycle follows a pattern of renting accommodation
in early adulthood, moving to home purchase and
mortgages while raising a family, and owning the
accommodation outright without any mortgage in
older age. Other factors that affect housing
payments, such as income, are similarly related to
life cycle stages. Housing payments and tenure are
examined below, and illustrated in table 8.13, in
terms of life cycle progression.
Selected life cycle groups
8.13 HOUSING COSTS, By Tenure Type and Selected Life Cycle Groups—1997–98
Renter
Owner
without a
mortgage
Owner with a
mortgage
State
housing
authority
Private
landlord Total(a) Total
MEAN WEEKLY HOUSING COSTS ($)
Lone person only, under 35 (b)14 202 (b)45 124 113 133
Couple only, reference person under 35 (b)22 261 n.p. 173 171 212
Couple with dependent children only 27 214 99 181 161 157
One parent with dependent children 21 162 62 136 107 107
Couple with non-dependent children only 22 165 (b)109 (b)173 126 71
Couple only, reference person 55 to 64 21 156 (b)64 (b)123 102 49
Couple only, reference person 65 and over 18 68 57 125 94 25
Lone person only, 65 and over 15 (b)84 39 111 58 26
MEAN WEEKLY INCOME ($)
Lone person only, under 35 (b)606 681 (b)193 477 454 527
Couple only, reference person under 35 (b)1 132 1 220 n.p. 1 023 1 017 1 130
Couple with dependent children only 1 165 1 134 679 886 860 1 083
One parent with dependent children 653 680 361 432 417 515
Couple with non-dependent children only 1 395 1 575 (b)901 (b)1 901 1 469 1 452
Couple only, reference person 55 to 64 703 850 (b)297 (b)553 557 718
Couple only, reference person 65 and over 464 610 279 420 359 461
Lone person only, 65 and over 271 (b)220 189 228 203 254
MEAN HOUSING COSTS AS A PROPORTION OF INCOME (%)
Lone person only, under 35 (b)2 30 (b)23 26 25 25
Couple only, reference person under 35 (b)2 21 n.p. 17 17 19
Couple with dependent children only 2 19 15 20 19 14
One parent with dependent children 3 24 17 32 26 21
Couple with non-dependent children only 2 10 (b)12 (b)9 9 5
Couple only, reference person 55 to 64 3 18 (b)22 (b)22 18 7
Couple only, reference person 65 and over 4 11 21 30 26 5
Lone person only, 65 and over 6 (b)38 21 49 29 10
HOUSEHOLDS (’000)
Lone person only, under 35 (b)18.7 94.1 (b)16.2 191.0 221.5 334.3
Couple only, reference person under 35 (b)15.8 189.0 n.p. 139.9 148.4 353.1
Couple with dependent children only 404.2 890.7 49.6 274.0 351.8 1 646.8
One parent with dependent children 60.3 96.1 89.0 148.7 248.8 405.3
Couple with non-dependent children only 269.3 122.3 (b)10.2 (b)13.9 29.1 420.7
Couple only, reference person 55 to 64 282.8 61.9 (b)4.6 (b)16.9 24.7 369.4
Couple only, reference person 65 and over 477.8 16.0 14.6 19.8 37.7 531.4
Lone person only, 65 and over 460.8 (b)14.4 86.0 35.1 139.3 614.5
(a) Includes other renters. (b) The estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50%.
Source: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (4130.0).