Calculate residential housing density in units per acre, hectare or square mile from housing units and land area, or solve for land area or unit count.

Use gross (whole site) or net (residential land only) area, matching any density you compare with.

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Housing Density Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the Housing Density. 

HD = H / TA
  • Where HD is housing density (housing units/miles2 when TA is in square miles)
  • H is the total number of housing units 
  • TA is the total area (miles2) 

To calculate the housing density, divide the number of housing units by the total area.

How to Calculate Housing Density?

The following example problems outline how to calculate Housing Density.

Example Problem #1:

  1. First, determine the total number of housing units.
    1. The total number of housing units is given as 800.
  2. Next, determine the total area (miles2).
    1. The total area (miles2) is provided as 20.
  3. Finally, calculate the Housing Density using the equation above: 

HD = #H / TA

The values given above are inserted into the equation below:

HD = 800 / 20 = 40 housing units/miles2. Select square miles for land area and units per square mile for the density result.

Example Problem #2: 

For this problem, the variables needed are provided below:

total number of housing units = 2150

total area (miles2) = 594

This example problem is a test of your knowledge on the subject. Use the calculator above to check your answer. 

HD = #H / TA = ?