3 The shrinking proportion of detached homes in Sydney Detached homes were 68% of the dwellings in Sydney in 1991, when the population was 3.1 million people. 21% of homes were apartments with 9% as townhouses. 60% of the detached homes were for families with children, with another 22% occupied by couples without children. Of the apartments, 41% were occupied by a single person, followed by 23% families with children and couples with no children (21%). Population growth was 1% a year. The median personal income for NSW was $14,395. Detached homes had dropped to 55% of all Sydney homes, with a population of 4.4 million and growing at 2% per year. Apartments had grown to 30% of all homes and median personal income for NSW had grown to $34,528. 35% of all homes were rental with 29% owned outright and 33% owned with a mortgage. Detached homes are expected to have dropped to 49%, becoming smaller in number than higher density homes of apartments and townhouses. Apartments will have reached 34% of all homes and townhouses will occupy 17%. 40 years on from today McCrindle predict that Sydney will have become an apartment city, with 50% of all homes being apartments. The once dominant detached house is expected to have dropped to being only 25% of the total, with the remaining 25% being townhouses. Clearly Sydney in 40 years time will be a dramatically different city. 68% Detached Homes 9% Townhomes 21% Apartments 1991 9% 21% 68% 49% Detached Homes 17% Townhomes 34% Apartments 25% Detached Homes 25% Townhomes 50% Apartments 2024 49% 34% 17% 2057 25% 50% 25% 55% Detached Homes 14% Townhomes 30% Apartments 2016 14% 30% 55%