Density (Dwelling Units Per Hectare) Calculator

Work out density (dwelling units per hectare) instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Density (Dwelling Units Per Hectare) Calculator

Dwellings per hectare is the standard planning density measure, but population density is what infrastructure has to serve, so household size converts between them. Around 30 dwellings per hectare is suburban, 50 to 75 supports frequent bus service, and above 100 is needed for rail-based transit to be viable.

Formulas

Density

Dwellings per hectare = units / site area in hectares

Population density

Persons per hectare = dwellings per hectare x household size

Worked example

With the default values below, Density (Dwelling Units Per Hectare) Calculator returns Density of 50.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Dwelling unitsminimum 1: 400
Site areaminimum 0.01 ha: 8 ha
Average household sizeminimum 1 persons: 4.2 persons

Results

Density: 50.00 dwellings/ha
Density per acre: 20.23 dwellings/acre
Population density: 210.0 persons/ha
Site area per dwelling: 200.0 m²

Step by step

1Values used
2Density
3Population density
4Density= 50.00 dwellings/ha
5Density per acre= 20.23 dwellings/acre
6Population density= 210.0 persons/ha
7Site area per dwelling= 200.0 m²

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Density (Dwelling Units Per Hectare) figure worked out?

Dwellings per hectare = units / site area in hectares. Dwellings per hectare is the standard planning density measure, but population density is what infrastructure has to serve, so household size converts between them.

Is net or gross density being measured?

This is whatever the site area represents. Net density excludes roads and open space and is always higher; comparisons between schemes are meaningless unless the basis is the same.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 3 inputs: Dwelling units, Site area, Average household size. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.