Of Yokohama's 1,753,081 households, 699,171 are one-person households, giving the city a one-person household rate of 39.9%. That is below the 53.4% rate in Tokyo's 23 wards, but it still means roughly four out of every ten households consist of one person. The figure includes older people as well as younger residents and is a basic condition shaping Yokohama's housing and service infrastructure.
Household composition in Yokohama (2020 Census)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Total households | 1,753,081 |
| One-person households | 699,171 |
| Share of one-person households | 39.9% |
| Total population | 3,777,491 |
| Average household size | About 2.16 people per household |
Share of one-person households in 6 major Kanto cities
| City | Total households | One-person households | Share of one-person households |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo special wards | 5,215,850 | 2,786,593 | 53.4% |
| Yokohama | 1,753,081 | 699,171 | 39.9% |
| Chiba City | 447,982 | 175,696 | 39.2% |
| Kawasaki | 747,452 | 340,715 | 45.6% |
| Saitama City | 582,475 | 211,174 | 36.2% |
| Sagamihara | 332,770 | 132,680 | 39.9% |
Nearly 700,000 people live alone; Yokohama's rate is in the middle of the six cities
Yokohama's one-person household rate of 39.9% is the same as Sagamihara's. It is lower than Tokyo's 53.4% and Kawasaki's 45.6%, but higher than Chiba City's 39.2% and Saitama City's 36.2%.
The absolute number is about 700,000 households, so scale matters as much as the percentage. This table does not reveal the age or employment status of people living alone and should not be read as referring only to young office workers.
Two kinds of single-person living: younger commuters and older suburban residents
Areas around Yokohama Station, Kannai, Shin-Yokohama, and major rail corridors contain many small rental units convenient for commuting and studying, attracting younger residents who work in Tokyo or within Yokohama. Meanwhile, in suburban residential areas developed during the high-growth era, more older people live alone after children leave home or a spouse dies.
The services needed by these households differ even though both are counted as one-person households: small rental housing, late-night transportation, social-isolation prevention, monitoring services, and home medical care may all matter in different ways. The 39.9% figure reflects an overlap between urban single living and older people living alone, not simply “a high share of unmarried residents.”
How to read these figures
Population and labor statistics are available only for specific reference years and may not reflect later economic conditions or changes in employment.
The article is organized primarily around published statistical figures. Numerical values directly observable in the statistical tables should be distinguished from interpretations of background factors.
Summary: Yokohama's 40% share of single-person households is a basic condition for housing and welfare policy
About 700,000 households in Yokohama consist of one person, so housing policy and local services cannot be designed only around family households. Younger single residents and older people living alone need to be considered separately.
- One-person households: 699,171
- Share of one-person households: 39.9%
- Lower than Tokyo's 53.4% and Kawasaki's 45.6%
- Older and younger single-person households require different forms of support
Source: Published statistics listed in the Analysis notes at the end of this article
📊 Analysis notes
This article is based on the following statistical data.
- Statistics used: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Social and Demographic Statistics System (Population and Households) (Table ID: 0000020101, view on e-Stat)
- Area: Yokohama
- Year: 2020
- Data retrieved: June 6, 2026
- Notes: The article is organized primarily around figures from published statistics. Because population composition, employment practices, and other factors outside the article also matter, numerical values directly observable in the statistical tables should be distinguished from interpretation.
Chart and table values have been independently aggregated and visualized from the statistical data above.
Table values have been organized from the statistical data above.