Kensington (Vic.)

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

As of Nov 2025, Kensington's population is estimated at around 11,793, reflecting an increase of 1,048 people since the 2021 Census. The suburb had a population of 10,745 in 2021. This growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 11,699 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release (June 2024) and an additional 60 validated new addresses since the Census date. The suburb's population density is approximately 5,510 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the top 10% nationally according to AreaSearch. Kensington's growth of 9.8% since the 2021 census exceeded both national (8.9%) and state averages, marking it as a growth leader regionally. Overseas migration contributed approximately 73.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in Kensington.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. 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, Kensington is expected to expand by 2,389 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 19.5% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Kensington among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Kensington has seen around 234 new homes approved each year. An estimated 1,170 homes have been approved over the past five financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25. As of FY-26446 homes have been approved so far.

On average, 0.1 new residents arrive per new home each year over these five years, indicating that new construction is matching or outpacing demand. The average value of new dwellings developed is $300,000, which is under regional levels, suggesting more accessible housing choices for buyers. In FY-26, there have been $77.0 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Kensington shows 55.0% higher construction activity per person, providing ample choice for buyers despite recent easing of construction activity. This activity is well above average nationally, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. Recent building activity consists entirely of attached dwellings, promoting higher-density living and creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a shift from Kensington's existing housing composition, which is currently 17.0% houses.

At around 63 people per approval, Kensington reflects a developing area with future projections showing an addition of 2,295 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Given current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Kensington has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 37 projects that could affect this region. Notable initiatives include Younghusband Kensington, Flemington Housing Precinct Renewal (Various Sites), Assemble 402-444 Macaulay Road Build-to-Rent, and Holland Court Flemington Housing Development. The following list details those most likely to be 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.

Employment conditions in Kensington remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Kensington's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 6.5% as of the past year.

Employment growth over this period was estimated at 6.3%. As of June 2025, 7,802 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.9% higher than Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation in Kensington was 74.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical (1.7 times the regional level), health care & social assistance, and education & training sectors.

Construction employs only 4.3% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's 9.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending in Sep-22, employment increased by 6.3% while the labour force grew by 7.1%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne saw employment rise by 3.5%, labour force grow by 4.0%, and unemployment increase by 0.5 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kensington's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Kensington has extremely high incomes nationally, with a median of $64,507 and an average of $81,585. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne's median income of $54,892 and average income of $73,761. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Kensington would be approximately $72,351 (median) and $91,506 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Kensington rank highly nationally, between the 79th and 93rd percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 31.5% of locals (3,714 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, similar to the metropolitan region where 32.8% fall into this range. Notably, 36.0% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 16.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 77th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Kensington's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 17.2% houses and 82.8% other dwellings. In comparison, Melbourne metro had 2.2% houses and 97.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kensington was at 18.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.2% and rented ones at 50.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Kensington was $2,162, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $1,962. Median weekly rent in Kensington was $416, compared to Melbourne metro's $396. Nationally, Kensington's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,162 against the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 56.3% of all households, including 20.1% couples with children, 27.1% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 43.7%, comprising 34.9% lone person households and 8.8% group households. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 1.8.

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 59.1% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This exceeds national (30.4%) and Victorian (33.4%) averages, indicating a substantial educational advantage for the area. Bachelor degrees are most common at 35.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%). Vocational pathways account for 17.3% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 8.5% and certificates 8.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in tertiary education, 6.9% in primary education, and 4.8% pursuing secondary education. Kensington's four schools have a combined enrollment reaching 793 students as of the latest data available. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1097. Educational provision is split between two primary and two secondary institutions, following conventional lines. Note: for schools showing 'n/a' in enrollments, please refer to their parent campus.

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

Kensington has 24 active public transport stops. They offer a mix of train, light rail, and bus services. These stops are served by five different routes that together facilitate 4,047 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of these transport options is rated as excellent, with residents on average being located just 197 meters from the nearest stop. On a daily basis, there are an average of 578 trips across all routes, which equates to approximately 168 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Kensington is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Kensington shows better-than-average health outcomes with lower prevalence of common conditions among its general population compared to national averages. However, older and at-risk cohorts have a higher prevalence.

Approximately 59% of Kensington's total population (6,959 people) has private health cover, which is higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 56.0%. Mental health issues affect 10.6% of residents, while asthma impacts 8.9%. About 71.7% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 79.8% in Greater Melbourne. Kensington has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 10.7% (1,261 people), compared to Greater Melbourne's 6.8%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Kensington 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's population was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 32.2% born overseas and 25.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Kensington, making up 29.0%. However, Judaism was notably overrepresented at 0.3%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 0.4%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (21.6%), Australian (18.4%), and Other (11.7%). Notably, Irish ethnicity was higher than the regional average at 10.9% in Kensington versus 6.6% regionally. Vietnamese (2.3%) and Sri Lankan (0.5%) ethnicities were also slightly overrepresented compared to their respective regional averages of 2.0% and 0.4%.

Kensington's population is younger than the national pattern

Kensington's median age of 35 years is slightly younger than Greater Melbourne's 37 and somewhat younger than the national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group comprises 24.4%, higher than Greater Melbourne, while the 5-14 cohort stands at 8.1%. This 25-34 concentration is well above the national average of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 10.4% to 11.7%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 12.4% to 11.4%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Kensington. The 45-54 age group is projected to rise significantly, increasing by 726 people (54%) from 1,344 to 2,071. Meanwhile, the 15-24 cohort grows modestly by 2% (23 people).