Population Density Calculator

The Population Density Calculator converts a housing unit mix into gross and net density figures for site planning, using separate average household sizes for Single-Family, Townhouse, and Apartment units, since larger detached homes typically house more people than smaller multifamily units. Total Population sums each unit type's count multiplied by its own household size, so raising Single-Family Homes, Townhouse / Duplex Units, or Apartment / Condo Units each raises Total Population -- but Total Site Area and Non-Residential Land have no effect on Total Population at all, since those two inputs only describe how the same population is spread across land, not how many people there are. Net Density divides Total Population by Net Acres (site area after subtracting the Non-Residential Land percentage for streets, parks, and stormwater), while Net Unit Density does the same for unit counts instead of population; Total Site Area is the single largest driver of both density figures by a wide margin, since a fixed population or unit count spread across more acres always produces a proportionally lower density.

Household size assumptions (SF, Townhouse, Apartment) shift Total Population but never move Net Unit Density, which is purely a units-per-acre measure and doesn't care how many people live in each unit. Density Classification buckets the result from "Rural / Estate" through "Urban Core / High-Rise" based on Net Unit Density thresholds. What this does not account for: vacancy rates, accessory dwelling units, or mixed-use square footage that isn't purely residential.