Jobs–Housing Balance Calculator
The jobs–housing balance of an area — jobs per dwelling and jobs per resident worker — and what the ratio says about commuting in and out.
Divide the jobs located in an area by its dwellings for the jobs–housing ratio; a balanced area sits around 1.
How the jobs–housing balance calculator works
Divide the jobs located in an area by its dwellings for the jobs–housing ratio; a balanced area sits around 1.3–1.7, because each household has more than one worker on average. Dividing by resident workers instead gives jobs per worker, where 1.0 is the balance point: below it the area exports commuters, above it imports them. Balance reduces commuting only if the jobs match the residents’ skills and wages, which the ratio cannot see.
Formula: jobs–housing ratio = jobs ÷ dwellings; jobs per worker = jobs ÷ (dwellings × workers per dwelling)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Jobs per dwelling | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 42,000 jobs, 35,000 dwellings, 1.4 workers each | 1.2 | 1.2 per dwelling, 0.86 per worker — balanced |
| A dormitory suburb | 0.4 | 0.27 per worker — commutes out |
| A CBD | 15 | 12.5 per worker — a major hub |
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is a balanced ratio?
About 1.5 jobs per dwelling, or 1.0 per resident worker, allowing for the fact that households average 1.3–1.5 workers. Planning literature treats 0.75–1.25 jobs per worker as balanced.
Does balance actually cut commuting?
Only partly: people choose jobs across a whole region, and two-worker households cannot both live next to work. Studies find balance reduces commute distance by a modest amount, most where the jobs match local skills and housing costs.
Where does the workers-per-dwelling figure come from?
The census: employed residents divided by occupied dwellings. It ranges from about 1.0 in retirement areas to 1.6 in young family suburbs; use the local figure.
What about self-containment?
That is the share of resident workers who work within the area — the better measure of actual behaviour, but it needs journey-to-work data. The ratio is the quick planning check that says whether self-containment is even possible.
Where these figures come from
- UN-Habitat — Urban Indicators Guidelines — density, green space and public space benchmarks
- World Health Organization — Urban green spaces — the 9 m² per person minimum
- ITE — Parking Generation Manual — parking demand rates by land use
- Office for National Statistics — Population estimates — the UK's national statistics agency
Last checked: September 2026. Default per-capita rates are mid-range figures from national statistical agencies and utility reports; every one is an input you should replace with the local figure.