Kensington, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Kensington VIC is 10,745 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Kensington is $1,246 per week ($64,792 per year). Median rent in Kensington is $416 per week ($1,803 per month). Kensington has a median age of 35 years, younger than the national median of 38. Kensington has a population density of 5,027 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Kensington is England. The most common religion is No religion (56.2% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Kensington is $2,162.

There were 1,346 recorded offences in Kensington in 2025-25, a rate of 125 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (680 offences).

Population
10,745
Census 2021
Median income
$1,246/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$416/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
35years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au), 2025-25.

Kensington vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Kensington is $1,246 a week, 62% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 29th of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $416 a week, $100 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 18.8% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 35, 8 years younger than in the typical VIC suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureKensingtonTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,246/wk$767/wk +62%$766/wk
Household income$2,216/wk$1,687/wk +31%$1,637/wk
Rent$416/wk$316/wk +32%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,162/mo$1,723/mo +25%$1,733/mo
Median age3543 −8 yrs42
Rent share of household income18.8%19.1% −0.3 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Kensington, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Kensington Population

10,745 residents at the 2021 Census.

Kensington Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,246/wk
$64,792 per year
Ranked 342 of 14,663
Median Rent
$416/wk
$1,803 per month
Ranked 1,660 of 14,663
Median Age
35years
3 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$2,162/mo
Avg household size: 2.1 · 0.9 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Kensington Rent Prices & Affordability

19% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,216/wk
Median rent $416/wk
Rent to income 18.8%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Kensington against your income

About $9,603 a month
Median rent $416/wk
Left after rent $1,800/wk
Rent share 18.8%

Kensington Schools

43
schools nearby
25
government
1070
avg ICSEA score
8,832
total students
Brunswick South West Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 430 students
1168
ICSEA
Kensington Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 427 students
1153
ICSEA
Holy Rosary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 242 students
1149
ICSEA
St Mary's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 374 students
1144
ICSEA
Ascot Vale Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 265 students
1140
ICSEA
Flemington Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 328 students
1140
ICSEA
North Melbourne Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 910 students
1136
ICSEA
Moonee Ponds West Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 289 students
1136
ICSEA
Docklands Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 616 students
1133
ICSEA
St Aloysius College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 673 students
1127
ICSEA
Footscray City Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 455 students
1125
ICSEA
St Michael's Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 236 students
1098
ICSEA
Mount Alexander 7-12 College Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 827 students
1069
ICSEA
Simonds Catholic College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 359 students
1053
ICSEA
St Monica's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 89 students
1051
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 43 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Kensington, with a map

Kensington Map

Kensington, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

People in Kensington

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.8% (5,239) Female 51.2% (5,505)

Population Density

5,027
people per km²
10,745 people · 2.1 km²

Households

2.1
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$3,063
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
3.2%
Vietnam
3.0%
China
2.8%
New Zealand
2.5%
India
1.6%
Malaysia
1.3%
Italy
0.8%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
3.3%
Cantonese
3.2%
Vietnamese
3.0%
Spanish
1.6%
Italian
1.2%
Arabic
1.0%
German
0.6%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
30.3%
Australian
25.8%
Irish
15.2%
Scottish
10.8%
Chinese
10.5%
Italian
6.0%
German
4.7%
Vietnamese
3.2%
Indian
2.4%
Dutch
1.8%
Greek
1.6%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
56.2%
Catholic
16.9%
Not stated
5.4%
Buddhism
4.1%
Islam
3.8%
Anglican
3.5%
Christian (other)
1.5%
Hinduism
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.6%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
32.1% 2,947
Separated
2.6% 238
Divorced
7.9% 727
Widowed
2.9% 268
Never married
54.5% 5,003

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
41.5%
Couple: no children
36.8%
Couple: no children under 15
9.5%
One parent: children under 15
6.1%
One parent: no children under 15
6.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
34.9%
2 persons
35.5%
3 persons
14.8%
4 persons
11.3%
5 persons
2.6%
6+ persons
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Kensington

Housing Tenure

Of the 4,727 occupied private dwellings in Kensington at the 2021 Census, 49.1% were rented, 18.1% owned outright and 30.6% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.2% 56 dwellings
Owned outright
18.1% 854 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
30.6% 1,446 dwellings
Rented
49.1% 2,323 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.0% 49 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Semi-detached (2+ storey)
56.8%
Separate house
24.3%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
18.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
16.5%
2 bedrooms
42.6%
3 bedrooms
30.9%
4 bedrooms
8.8%
5 bedrooms
1.1%
6+ bedrooms
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
5.7%
$300-$449/mo
1.8%
$450-$599/mo
1.1%
$600-$799/mo
2.3%
$800-$999/mo
3.3%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
11.3%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
18.7%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
24.1%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
15.3%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
16.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
16.9%
1 vehicle
54.5%
2 vehicles
23.8%
3 vehicles
3.8%
4+ vehicles
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Kensington

Employment

Employed full-time
51.2% 4,326 people
Employed part-time
22.0% 1,861 people
Unemployed
3.5% 294 people
Not in labour force
23.3% 1,965 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
50.1%
Managers
17.9%
Clerical & Administrative
10.9%
Community & Personal Service
6.7%
Technicians & Trade Workers
6.5%
Sales Workers
3.8%
Labourers
2.5%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.8%
$1-$149/wk
0.5%
$150-$299/wk
1.9%
$300-$399/wk
3.0%
$400-$499/wk
4.5%
$500-$649/wk
2.6%
$650-$799/wk
3.7%
$800-$999/wk
3.6%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
5.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
5.4%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.8%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.2%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
12.8%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
6.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.5%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.6%
$4,000+/wk
22.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
6.8%
$1-$149/wk
2.8%
$150-$299/wk
4.5%
$300-$399/wk
3.1%
$400-$499/wk
2.7%
$500-$649/wk
2.9%
$650-$799/wk
6.2%
$800-$999/wk
6.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.3%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
9.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
8.1%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
16.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.7%
$3,500+/wk
8.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
45.0%
Did not go to work
23.0%
Train
9.7%
Bicycle
7.7%
Walked only
6.2%
Car (passenger)
2.9%
Bus
1.7%
Tram/Light Rail
1.2%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.9%
Other
0.8%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.6%
Truck
0.3%
Ferry
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
89.0%
Year 10 or equivalent
4.8%
Year 11 or equivalent
4.7%
Year 9 or equivalent
1.5%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
47.1%
Postgraduate Degree
24.2%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
11.3%
Certificate III/IV
9.7%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
7.0%
Certificate I/II
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
22.4%
Society & Culture
17.3%
Health
12.8%
Creative Arts
10.6%
Engineering
10.0%
Education
6.9%
Natural & Physical Sciences
6.0%
Information Technology
5.5%
Architecture & Building
4.4%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.7%
Agriculture & Environment
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
24.8%
Vocational Education
15.4%
Pre-school
14.1%
Secondary: Government
14.1%
Primary: Catholic
13.2%
Secondary: Catholic
7.5%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
7.2%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
91.5%
Has need for assistance
4.5%
Need for assistance not stated
4.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,242
Asthma
473
Arthritis
209
Diabetes
164
Heart disease
148
Lung condition
116
Cancer
103
Kidney disease
87
Stroke
63
Dementia
20

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
10.8% 947
Did not provide
89.2% 7,852

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
16.9% 1,487
Not a volunteer
83.1% 7,330

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.0% 3
Current ADF: Reserves
0.2% 14
Previously served
1.2% 109
Never served
98.6% 8,713

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
59.9%
1 child
13.8%
2 children
18.2%
3 children
6.0%
4 children
1.6%
5+ children
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
17
1951: 1960
75
1961: 1970
169
1971: 1980
260
1981: 1990
433
1991: 2000
521
2001: 2010
733
2011: 2015
493
2016
110
2017
122
2018
121
2019
140
2020
71
2021
24

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

21.9%
moved in the last year
51.2%
moved in the last 5 years
4.3%
unemployment rate (Census)
74.7%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
7,963
Moved from VIC
1,417
Moved: same area (SA2)
493
Moved from overseas
127
Moved from NSW
65
Moved from QLD
46
Moved from SA
24
Moved from ACT
18
Moved from WA
14
Moved from TAS
8
Moved from NT
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
26.5%
5: 14 hours
37.7%
15: 29 hours
11.0%
30+ hours
5.2%
Did not do domestic work
19.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
95.9%
Step family: no other children
3.6%
Blended family: no other children
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Kensington Crime Statistics

1,346 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
680
Assault
158
Property Damage
120
Break & Enter
106
Justice Procedures
106
Drug Offences
56
Fraud
55
Weapons
29
Public Order
24
Robbery
7
Other
5

Total offences by year

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Kensington

The closest suburb to Kensington is Flemington, 0.9 km away.

Flemington
0.9 km away · income $890/wk · rent $300/wk
Travancore
1.7 km away · income $1,027/wk · rent $351/wk
West Melbourne
1.8 km away · income $1,058/wk · rent $388/wk
Ascot Vale
1.8 km away · income $1,080/wk · rent $370/wk
North Melbourne
1.9 km away · income $943/wk · rent $381/wk
Parkville (Vic.)
2.4 km away · income $586/wk · rent $396/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Kensington

What is the population of Kensington VIC?

The population of Kensington VIC is 10,745 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 5,027 people per km². Kensington is ranked #564 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Kensington?

The median personal income in Kensington VIC is $1,246 per week, or $64,792 per year. The median household income is $2,216 per week. Family income is $3,063 per week. Kensington is ranked #342 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Kensington?

Median rent in Kensington VIC is $416 per week ($1,803 per month). Rent represents 18.8% of household income, which is considered affordable. Kensington ranks #1,660 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Kensington?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Kensington VIC is $2,162. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Kensington?

The median age in Kensington VIC is 35 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Kensington a good suburb to live in?

Kensington is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 10,745. The median income is $1,246/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (18.8% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 21327. All dollar figures in AUD.