Number of Households in Kenya by County

A household consists of a person or a group of people who live together under one roof. It also includes individuals residing within a homestead or compound and answering to the same head. Furthermore, these individuals need to share the same cooking arrangement to be members of one household.^[1]

Individuals do not necessarily need to live in the same dwelling unit to be household members. Polygamous unions, where wives live in different dwelling units but answer to the same head and also share the same cooking arrangement, are considered a single household.^[1]

Similarly, children living in different dwelling units but eating in their parent's homes are considered members of that household.

Number of households

According to the 2019 census, households are defined based on whether they answer to the same head and whether they share cooking arrangements. Based on these criteria, the 2019 census found that out of a total enumerated population of 47,564,296, the number of households in Kenya was 12,143,913. The average household size in the country was 3.9 people per household.^[2]

Counties with the highest number of households in Kenya were Nairobi, with 1,506,888 households, Kiambu 795,241, Nakuru 616,046, Kakamega 433,207, Meru 426,360, and Machakos 402,466.

The counties with the lowest number of households were Lamu, 37,963; Isiolo, 58,072; Samburu, 65,910; Tana River, 68,242; Marsabit, 77,495, and Taita Taveta, 96,429.

Large populations but fewer households

Often, more populous counties have a higher number of households, as is the case with Nairobi, Kiambu, and Nakuru. However, that is not always the case. Regions with large families, including those with higher fertility rates, tend to have large populations but fewer households.

For instance, the map below shows the average household size by county. Mandera County, with a resident population of 862,079 people, had 125,762 households. This gives an average household size of 6.9 people per household.

On the other hand, Kirinyaga County, with a resident population of 605,630 people, had 204,188 households. The average household size in Kirinyaga County was three people per household. 

Why regions with higher populations could have fewer households

In Kenya, these dynamics could be accounted for by factors such as the age structure within a specific county and other demographic factors such as fertility rates and the prevalence of polygamy.

In counties with higher fertility rates and polygamy, such as Mandera, where a woman is expected to have at least eight children in her childbearing years, or Wajir, with a fertility rate of 6.7 births per woman, the household will be large.^[3] The population growth rate will also be faster.

In counties like Kirinyaga, populations are less youthful, and fertility rates are low. As a result, many households will be smaller, leading to the county having a low overall population but a higher number of households.

Household data by county

The table below shows the households in Kenya by County in 2019.

*Excludes the special population (travellers, outdoor sleepers, individuals in hotels and lodges, and persons in institutions).

See Also

1. Average household size by county
2. The population of Kenya 2024
3. Population density by county
4. The population of Kenya 2019

References 

1. KNBS (June 2019). 24th/25th August enumerator's instruction manual & census CAPI user guide (DataCollectApp). 
2. KNBS. (2022). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Population by county and subcounty (Vol. I, p. 9).
3. KNBS. (2022). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Analytical report on fertility and nuptiality (Vol. VI, p. 40).