Kensington Gardens

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Kensington Gardens is around 2,713. This figure reflects an increase of 215 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 2,498. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 2,669 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and validation of five new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,489 persons per square kilometer, placing Kensington Gardens in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's population growth of 8.6% since the 2021 Census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 4.9%, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth for the area.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted, based on 2021 data and released in 2023, with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation methods from LGA to SA2 levels. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to increase its population by just below the median of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, expanding by 240 persons to reach a total of 3,153 by 2041, reflecting a gain of 5.7% over the 17-year period.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Kensington Gardens has averaged around 10 new dwelling approvals each year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 53 homes. So far in FY-26, 7 approvals have been recorded. Between FY-21 and FY-25, there was an average of 1.9 people moving to the area for each dwelling built. However, this figure has intensified to 9.4 people per dwelling over the past two financial years. New properties are constructed at an average value of $838,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments.

This year, there have been $9.0 million in commercial approvals, suggesting limited commercial development focus compared to residential activity. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Kensington Gardens records about three-quarters the building activity per person and places among the 35th percentile of areas assessed nationally, indicating somewhat limited buyer options while strengthening demand for established dwellings. New building activity shows 83.0% standalone homes and 17.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's suburban nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers.

Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (46.0% at Census), indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. The location has approximately 475 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established area. Future projections show Kensington Gardens adding 154 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Kensington Gardens has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 23rdth percentile nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. A total of one project has been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Hamilton Hill (former Youth Training Centre, Magill/Woodforde), UniSA Magill Campus Redevelopment (Magill Project), Magill Campus Renewal Project, and Magill Campus Redevelopment. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Kensington Gardens performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Kensington Gardens has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 2.1% as of September 2025, lower than Greater Adelaide's 3.9%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.0%, based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data.

In September 2025, 1,421 residents were employed with an unemployment rate of 1.9% below Greater Adelaide's rate. Workforce participation was somewhat lower at 62.6%. According to Census responses, 14.8% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries of employment include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

Notably, professional & technical services have a high concentration with employment levels at 1.8 times the regional average. Manufacturing is under-represented, with only 3.4% of Kensington Gardens' workforce compared to Greater Adelaide's 7.0%. Local employment opportunities appear limited, as indicated by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 3.0%, while labour force grew by 3.2%, leading to a slight unemployment rise of 0.1 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Adelaide saw similar employment growth (3.0%) but a slightly lower labour force growth (2.9%), with unemployment falling by 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kensington Gardens' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

The median taxpayer income in Kensington Gardens is $56,090, with an average of $86,668, according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is significantly higher than Greater Adelaide's median income of $54,808 and average income of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $61,026 (median) and $94,295 (average). In Kensington Gardens, personal income ranks at the 69th percentile ($915 weekly), while household income sits at the 39th percentile. The predominant income cohort spans 26.1% of locals (708 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, reflecting patterns seen in the metropolitan region where 31.8% similarly occupy this range. After housing costs, 85.0% of income remains for other expenses. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Kensington Gardens displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Kensington Gardens, as per the latest Census, consisted of 46.0% houses and 54.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Adelaide metro's 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kensington Gardens stood at 41.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.1% and rented ones at 30.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. The median weekly rent figure in Kensington Gardens was $346, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Kensington Gardens' mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 60.3% of all households, including 23.5% couples with children, 26.3% couples without children, and 9.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 39.7%, with lone person households at 36.7% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.2 people, smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

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

Kensington Gardens has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 49.4% holding university qualifications. This exceeds the state average of 25.7% and the Greater Adelaide average of 28.9%, indicating a significant educational advantage for the area. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Vocational pathways make up 22.1% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas accounting for 9.2% and certificates for 12.9%.

Educational participation is notably high in Kensington Gardens, with 27.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.5% in primary education, 8.4% in tertiary education, and 6.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Kensington Gardens has 13 operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 20 different routes, offering a total of 1,357 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 173 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode at 84%, followed by buses at 11% and cycling at 3%. On average, there are 1.1 vehicles per dwelling, below the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 14.8% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 193 trips per day, equating to around 104 weekly trips per stop.

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

Kensington Gardens' health outcomes show excellent results based on AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 61% of Kensington Gardens residents have private health cover, compared to 52.7% in Greater Adelaide and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (8.2%) and mental health issues (6.6%). 68.6% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's 67.9%. Kensington Gardens has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 28.3%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 19.3%. Health outcomes among seniors in Kensington Gardens are strong, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

Kensington Gardens was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Kensington Gardens was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 32.6% of its population born overseas and 26.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Kensington Gardens, comprising 48.2% of the population. Notably, Buddhism is overrepresented in Kensington Gardens at 4.0%, compared to 2.4% across Greater Adelaide.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.9%), Australian (19.2%), and Other (8.8%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Polish is slightly overrepresented at 1.1% versus 1.0% regionally, Italian is more prominent at 7.3% compared to 5.2%, and Hungarian is also slightly higher at 0.4% versus 0.3%.

Kensington Gardens hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Kensington Gardens has a median age of 45 years, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The 75-84 age group comprises 10.1% of Kensington Gardens' population, compared to Greater Adelaide, while the 5-14 cohort makes up 8.8%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 15 to 24 age group grew from 11.2% to 12.7%, and the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 9.0% to 10.1%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort decreased from 12.4% to 11.1%, and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 9.9% to 8.8%. Demographic modeling indicates that Kensington Gardens' age profile will significantly change by 2041, with the 85+ cohort projected to grow by 78%, adding 115 residents to reach 265. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 79% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups.