Kensington (WA)

Kensington is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

According to investigations of ABS demographic updates for the broader region alongside new addresses verified by AreaSearch since the Census, the resident count of the suburb of Kensington (WA) is calculated at approximately 5,029 in May 2026. This represents a rise of 402 individuals (8.7%) from the 2021 Census, which documented a population of 4,627 people. The variation is deduced from the resident count of 5,026, calculated by AreaSearch following analysis of the latest ABS ERP release (June 2025) and an additional 9 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level translates to a density ratio of 1,934 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the average across national sites analyzed by AreaSearch. The 8.7% growth since census recorded in the suburb of Kensington (WA) puts it within 0.6 percentage points of the national benchmark (9.3%), indicating competitive growth trends. Population expansion in the locality was mostly driven by overseas migration, which accounted for approximately 91.0% of total demographic gains in recent times.

AreaSearch implements ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 territory, published in 2024 with 2022 as the baseline year. For SA2 territories lacking this data, and to project trends beyond 2032, AreaSearch applies age cohort growth rates from the latest Greater Capital Region projections by the ABS (published in 2023, utilizing 2022 data). Looking at demographic patterns, a population rise slightly under the median of national statistical districts is anticipated, with the suburb of Kensington (WA) projected to grow by 316 persons by 2041 using consolidated SA2-level forecasts, showing a total increase of 6.2% over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Kensington, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Analysis of building approval statistics from the ABS, distributed from statistical area data, reveals Kensington averaging roughly 13 dwellings receiving development approval annually, with an estimated 69 residences approved during the last 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 17 during the current FY-26. Benefiting from a mean addition of 2.3 new residents per year for each built dwelling over the last 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), demonstrating strong demand that supports property values, new residences are constructed at a mean cost of $1,419,000, indicating developers are targeting the high-end sector with upscale projects. Additionally, commercial approvals worth $5.3 million have been logged this financial year, pointing to the residential nature of the locality.

Relative to Greater Perth, Kensington registers significantly reduced construction activity (55.0% below the regional per capita benchmark). This undersupply of fresh dwellings generally bolsters demand and valuations for pre-existing properties. This construction rate also falls below the national average, highlighting the mature state of the suburb and implying potential planning constraints. New projects comprise 22.0% detached houses and 78.0% semi-detached properties or apartments. This preference for higher density provides affordable entry paths and suits downsizers, investors, and first-time buyers. This represents a distinct shift from historical housing patterns (currently 82.0% houses), indicating a decline in developable land and responding to changing lifestyle choices and housing affordability pressures. With approximately 1665 people per approval, Kensington presents as a mature, developed neighborhood.

Looking forward, Kensington is projected to expand by 313 residents by 2041 (calculated from the most recent AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current construction volumes, incoming housing supply is expected to align well with demand, creating favorable circumstances for buyers and potentially bolstering expansion above current population projections.

Kensington has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally

Few elements impact local real estate performance as much as changes to regional infrastructure, key development projects, and zoning strategies. In total, 11 projects have been flagged by AreaSearch as having a potential impact on the neighborhood. Principal projects include the Edward Millen Adaptive Heritage and Landscape Redevelopment, the 167-169 Bank Street Development, the Australian Hockey Centre, and Woolworths East Victoria Park, with the following index listing the most significant undertakings.

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 performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Kensington features a highly qualified labor force, marked by a strong presence of professional services, a jobless rate of only 1.4%, and an estimated 1.3% growth in employment over the prior year, compiled from statistical area data by AreaSearch. In March 2026, 2,970 citizens are employed, while the jobless rate is 2.8% lower than the Greater Perth benchmark of 4.2%, and labor force participation is typical (73.7% compared to Greater Perth's 70.2%). According to Census responses, a low 11.9% of citizens worked from home, though the influence of Covid-19 restrictions should be kept in mind.

Resident employment is primarily clustered in health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The neighborhood displays a pronounced concentration in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional average. Conversely, manufacturing has a minimal footprint at 2.9% employment compared to 5.5% across the region. With 1.1 workers for each resident at the time of the Census, the locality serves as a employment destination, containing more jobs than working residents and drawing staff from nearby areas.

Based on AreaSearch assessments of SALM and ABS statistics, aggregated from broader statistical regions, the 12-month timeframe saw jobs grow by 1.3% while the labor force expanded by 1.2%, keeping the jobless rate stable. By comparison, Greater Perth experienced job growth of 2.0% and labor force growth of 2.5%, with a 0.4 percentage point increase. The national employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia published in May-25 offer additional perspective on prospective demand trends in Kensington. These projections, spanning five and ten-year horizons, have been matched to the local occupational profile to estimate growth trajectories. Although national employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, expansion rates vary widely by industry. Applying these sector-specific forecasts to the employment structure of Kensington suggests local employment will rise by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years (note that this is a basic weighted projection for visualization and does not integrate localized population forecasts).

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

The suburb of Kensington's income bracket ranks in the top percentile nationwide based on the latest ATO statistics compiled by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The suburb of Kensington's median taxpayer earnings are $61,629 with average earnings of $100,780, compared to Greater Perth figures of $60,748 and $80,248 respectively. Adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 10.93% since financial year 2023, current projections indicate values of approximately $68,365 (median) and $111,795 (average) as of March 2026. Census figures show household, family, and individual incomes are all highly placed in Kensington, between the 84th and 90th percentiles nationally. Regarding distribution, the largest segment contains 30.4% of residents (1,528 people) in the $4000+ bracket, whereas the $1,500 - 2,999 category leads regionally at 32.0%. High earners are highly visible, with 43.5% earning above $3,000 weekly, showing robust purchasing power in the population. Housing payments consume 14.4% of earnings, while strong incomes place local residents in the 90th percentile for disposable funds, and the area's SEIFA income metric sits in the 9th decile.

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

Residential structures in Kensington, as of the most recent Census, consisted of 81.8% detached houses and 18.2% alternative dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, and other dwellings), compared to the Perth metro distribution of 77.8% houses and 22.1% alternative dwellings. Meanwhile, the home ownership rate in Kensington aligned with the Perth metro benchmark at 29.8%, with the remaining properties being mortgaged (42.4%) or rented (27.9%). The median monthly home loan repayment was significantly higher than the Perth metro average at $2,600, while the median weekly rental cost was recorded at $375, compared to Perth metro figures of $1,907 and $350. Nationwide, Kensington's mortgage costs are substantially above the Australian average of $1,863, while weekly rents match the national level of $375.

Kensington features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family units constitute the majority of households at 72.7%, consisting of 38.5% couples with children, 23.6% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family living arrangements account for the remaining 27.3%, with single occupant households at 22.5% and shared households representing 4.5% of the total. The median household occupancy of 2.6 people is identical to the Greater Perth average.

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

Academic achievement in Kensington significantly exceeds broader regional figures, with 49.2% of citizens aged 15+ holding tertiary degrees compared to 27.9% in WA and 29.9% in the SA4 region. This high concentration of degrees positions the population well for knowledge-intensive sectors. Bachelor degrees represent the largest share at 32.9%, followed by postgraduate degrees (11.2%) and graduate diplomas (5.1%). Technical and vocational education accounts for 22.7% of qualifications among residents aged 15+ – advanced diplomas (9.4%) and certificates (13.3%).

Academic enrollment is notably high, with 34.5% of citizens currently participating in structured study. This includes 10.5% in high schools, 10.1% in primary schools, and 8.8% enrolled in universities or tertiary programs.

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

Public transport analysis identifies 43 active transit stops situated within Kensington, comprising a selection of bus services. These stops are linked to 12 distinct routes, which combine to support 1,946 weekly passenger journeys. Commuter convenience is classified as excellent, with residents living a mean distance of 152 meters from the closest transit point. Being primarily residential, most workers travel out of the area - private cars remain the primary transit mode at 79%, with 11% using bus services and 3% cycling. Household vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per residence. A relatively low 11.9% of workers perform their duties from home (2021 Census; potentially reflecting COVID-19 dynamics).

Transit frequency averages 278 runs per day across all routes, which corresponds to approximately 45 weekly services per individual stop.

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

Health metric statistics show superb outcomes throughout Kensington, based on AreaSearch evaluations of mortality statistics and chronic disease trends, with very low rates of common illnesses across all age cohorts, and the private health coverage rate is exceptionally high at roughly 67% of the total population (3,379 people). This compares to 59.0% across Greater Perth and a national average of 55.7%.

The most frequent diagnoses in the neighborhood are mental health conditions and asthma, affecting 8.6 and 7.7% of residents, respectively, while 72.6% reported having no medical conditions at all, compared to 71.9% across Greater Perth. The population aged under 65 exhibits better than average health profiles. The locality has 14.8% of its population aged 65 and over (744 people), which is below the 16.1% average for Greater Perth. Health profiles among retirees are especially strong, with national comparisons ranking higher than the general population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Kensington records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Kensington exhibits above-average levels of cultural diversity, with 10.3% of the community speaking a non-English language at home and 24.6% of residents born abroad. The primary religious affiliation in Kensington is Christianity, representing 45.4% of the population. The most prominent divergence was in the Other category, which represents 0.8% of residents, compared to 1.4% across Greater Perth.

Concerning family lineage (parental country of birth), the primary ancestral lines in Kensington are English, representing 29.8% of the population, Australian, representing 25.4% of the population, and Irish, representing 8.3% of the population. There are also specific differences in other ancestries: Polish background is higher at 1.0% of Kensington (compared to 0.7% regionally), South Australian background is at 0.9% (compared to 1.0%), and Croatian ancestry is at 0.9% (compared to 0.8%).

Kensington's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age of 38 years in Kensington is similar to the Greater Perth average of 37 and matches the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Perth, Kensington has a larger proportion of residents aged 45 - 54 (14.5%) but a smaller share of individuals aged 25 - 34 (12.9%). Since the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 cohort has expanded from 3.3% to 5.1% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has contracted from 15.9% to 14.5%. By 2041, Kensington is projected to experience major changes in its age distribution. Driven by this demographic shift, the 75 to 84 cohort will expand by 58% (148 people), rising from 256 to 405. The trend toward an older demographic is clear, with individuals aged 65+ making up 69% of the projected growth. In contrast, population contractions are projected for the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 brackets.