Kennington

Kennington has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Kennington's population, as of November 2025, is estimated at around 6,024 people. This reflects an increase of 144 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,880 people in the suburb. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 5,921 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), and an additional 58 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,502 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was primarily responsible for driving population growth in the suburb during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to expand by 1,217 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 18.5% in total over the 17-year period.

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

Kennington has averaged approximately 17 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 86 homes. As of FY26, there have been three approvals recorded. The average number of new residents arriving per new home in Kennington between FY21 and FY25 is around 0.6 persons per year. New construction values are averaging $437,000.

In FY26, commercial approvals amount to $2.6 million, indicating limited commercial development focus. Compared to the Rest of Vic., Kennington has significantly less development activity, being 59.0% below the regional average per person. This area is primarily residential, with new development consisting of 65.0% detached houses and 35.0% townhouses or apartments. There are approximately 251 people per dwelling approval in Kennington, indicating a low density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Kennington is expected to grow by 1,112 residents through to 2041.

If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Kennington has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified ten projects potentially impacting the area. Notable projects include St Aidans Road Kennington Social Housing, Marnie Place Estate, Kennington Reservoir Dam Wall Rehabilitation, and Flora Hill. The following list details those likely most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The employment landscape in Kennington shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Kennington's workforce is well-educated with notable representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 4.0% as of an unspecified past year, with estimated employment growth at 0.7%.

As of June 2025, 2,756 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.8%, 0.3% higher than Rest of Vic.'s rate. Workforce participation was on par with Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Employment was concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade, with a particularly strong specialization in health care & social assistance (1.3 times the regional level) but under-representation in agriculture, forestry & fishing (1.2% vs Rest of Vic.'s 7.5%). The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 0.7%, labour force by 1.4%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage points. By comparison, Rest of Vic. saw employment decline of 0.9%, labour force decline of 0.4%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest Kennington's employment could increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to Kennington's employment mix.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Kennington's median income among taxpayers is $49,451, with an average of $64,681. This aligns with national averages, compared to Rest of Vic.'s median of $48,741 and average of $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Kennington's median income are approximately $55,464 and average income is around $72,546 as of September 2025. Census data indicates household, family and personal incomes in Kennington rank modestly, between the 25th and 37th percentiles. Income distribution shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 28.6% of Kennington's community (1,722 individuals), similar to the broader area where this cohort represents 30.3%. After housing costs, 85.9% of income remains, ranking at the 28th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Kennington is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Kennington, as per the latest Census evaluation, 77.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 22.4% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Non-Metro Vic., which had 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kennington stood at 36.1%, with mortgaged properties at 24.9% and rented dwellings at 38.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,400, lower than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,408. Weekly rent in Kennington averaged $290, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $295. Nationally, Kennington's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,400 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 58.5% of all households, including 20.2% couples with children, 26.1% couples without children, and 11.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 41.5%, with lone person households at 35.7% and group households comprising 5.7%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Kennington exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's university qualification rates are high at 30.1% of residents aged 15+, exceeding both the Rest of Vic average of 21.7% and the SA3 area average of 23.6%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 19.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.3%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 31.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 11.2% and certificates for 20.7%. Educational participation is notable, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 8.4% in primary education, 7.1% in tertiary education, and 6.7% pursuing secondary education. Kennington has a robust network of 6 schools educating approximately 1,913 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1046) offering balanced educational opportunities. The area functions as an education hub with 31.8 school places per 100 residents – significantly above the regional average of 17.9 – attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Kennington has 27 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that together facilitate 729 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents typically located approximately 252 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 104 trips per day across all routes, which equates to around 27 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Kennington is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates significant health issues in Kennington.

Both younger and older age groups experience high rates of common health conditions. Approximately 52% (~3,157 people) have private health cover, slightly higher than the average SA2 area. Mental health issues affect 11.6% of residents, while arthritis impacts 10.0%. About 60.9% report no medical ailments, compared to 62.0% in Rest of Vic.. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.7% (1,427 people), compared to 18.9% in Rest of Vic.. Senior health outcomes face challenges similar to the general population's health profile.

Kennington ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Kennington's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 89.2% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (87.1%), and speaking English only at home (89.9%). Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 48.7% of Kennington's population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented, making up 0.1% of Kennington's population compared to 0.1% across Rest of Vic..

The top three ancestry groups were English (31.6%), Australian (27.3%), and Irish (11.1%). Other ethnic groups showed notable divergences: Scottish was overrepresented at 9.4% in Kennington versus 8.7% regionally, Sri Lankan at 0.4% versus 0.1%, and French at 0.5% versus 0.3%.

Kennington hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Kennington's median age is 41 years, which is lower than the Rest of Vic. average of 43 but exceeds the national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group comprises 14.9% of Kennington's population, higher than the Rest of Vic., while the 55-64 cohort makes up 10.5%. Post-2021 Census data indicates that the 25 to 34 age group has increased from 13.0% to 14.9%, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 11.1% to 9.6%, and the 55 to 64 group has dropped from 11.6% to 10.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Kennington's age profile. The 25 to 34 cohort is projected to grow by 57%, adding 510 residents to reach 1,408. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 15 to 24 and 55 to 64 cohorts.