Work out density (dwelling units per hectare) instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
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.
Density
Dwellings per hectare = units / site area in hectares
Population density
Persons per hectare = dwellings per hectare x household size
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.
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.
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.