Kensington (NSW)

An assessment of population growth drivers in Kensington reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Kensington's population is around 14,305 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 2,496 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,809 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,318 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 5 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 5,418 persons per square kilometer, making Kensington one of the most densely populated areas in Australia. Kensington's growth rate of 21.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the state's growth rate of 6.7%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 96.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering these projections, Kensington is forecasted to experience significant population increase, with an expected growth of 4,422 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 31.0% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Kensington according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Kensington has recorded approximately 37 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 188 homes were approved, with none yet approved in FY26 as of now. Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

New properties are constructed at an average value of $504,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. This year has seen $44.9 million in commercial approvals, reflecting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Sydney, Kensington shows moderately higher development activity, 13.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, while still being below national average, suggesting possible planning constraints. Recent construction comprises 8.0% standalone homes and 92.0% townhouses or apartments, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. The area has approximately 423 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its established nature.

By 2041, Kensington is projected to grow by 4,435 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Kensington has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 56 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include Meriton's Green Square Epsom Road development, TOGA's The Kensington project, Anson Group's Anzac Parade residential development, and UNSW's G25 education building. The following list details those expected to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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The employment environment in Kensington shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Kensington has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.4%.

Over the past year, estimated employment growth was 3.8%. As of September 2025, 8,812 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.8% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Kensington is similar to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment among residents is concentrated in professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Notably, employment in education & training is at 1.5 times the regional average, while manufacturing shows lower representation at 2.7% compared to the regional average of 5.7%. The ratio of 0.8 workers per resident indicates local employment opportunities above the norm. Over the year to September 2025, employment in Kensington increased by 3.8%, and labour force increased by 3.4%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.1% and an increase in unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data as of 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, favourable to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Kensington's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

In financial year 2022, Kensington SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $57,559 and an average income of $88,129. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $64,817 (median) and $99,242 (average), based on a 12.61% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, Kensington's household, family, and personal incomes cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 32.2% of individuals earn between $1,500 - 2,999 per week (4,606 individuals), similar to the region where 30.9% fall into this bracket. The district exhibits affluence with 32.9% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 19.1% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 68th percentile nationally. Kensington's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Kensington features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Kensington, as per the latest Census, consisted of 20.5% houses and 79.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 26.9% houses and 73.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kensington was at 24.6%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (19.0%) or rented (56.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Kensington was $2,800, below Sydney metro's average of $3,033. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $500, compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, Kensington's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Kensington features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 59.7% of all households, including 23.0% couples with children, 27.1% couples without children, and 7.6% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 40.3%, with lone person households at 30.6% and group households making up 9.7%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.4.

Kensington shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Kensington's educational attainment is notably high, with 51.0% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This compares favourably to the national average of 30.4% and the NSW average of 32.2%. The area's most common university-level qualification is bachelor degrees (32.0%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Among vocational pathways, advanced diplomas account for 9.7%, while certificates make up 10.1% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above.

Educational participation is high in Kensington, with 39.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 21.9% in tertiary education, 6.3% in primary education, and 4.5% pursuing secondary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Kensington has 40 active public transport stops offering a mix of lightrail and bus services. These stops are served by 25 different routes that collectively facilitate 10,236 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 120 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 1,462 daily trips across all routes, equating to about 255 weekly trips per individual stop.

Kensington's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Kensington's health outcomes show excellent results across all age groups, with very low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 64%, covering 9,126 people, which is higher than Greater Sydney's 70.6% and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in Kensington, affecting 7.0% and 6.1% of residents respectively.

A total of 77.2% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Sydney's 76.0%. Kensington has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 10.7%, with 1,533 people falling into this age group, compared to Greater Sydney's 15.1%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Kensington are strong and largely align with the general population's health profile.

Kensington is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Kensington's population shows high linguistic diversity, with 41.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Born overseas, 47.7% of Kensington residents were born outside Australia. Christianity is the predominant religion in Kensington, accounting for 43.7%.

Notably, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, comprising 3.6% versus 4.4%. The top three ancestry groups are Other (16.5%), English (16.0%), and Australian (14.6%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: Russian (1.0% vs regional 1.1%), Spanish (1.0% vs 0.9%), and Greek (4.8% vs 4.0%) are notably overrepresented in Kensington.

Kensington hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Kensington's median age is 30 years, which is younger than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and Australia's median of 38. Kensington has a higher percentage of 15-24 year-olds (30.3%) compared to Greater Sydney but fewer 5-14 year-olds (6.3%). This concentration of 15-24 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 12.5%. Data from the 2021 Census shows a shift in median age down by 2.5 years to 30, with notable changes including an increase in the 15-24 age group from 21.3% to 30.3%, and decreases in the 45-54 cohort from 10.3% to 8.4% and the 55-64 group from 8.5% to 6.7%. Population forecasts for Kensington by 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes, with the strongest projected growth in the 25-34 age cohort at 32%, adding 981 residents to reach a total of 4,091.