Kingsford vs Kensington

In Kingsford, about half of households rent and about half of homes are flats or apartments. In Kensington, most households rent and most homes are flats or apartments. Kensington is closer to the city centre: 6.9 km, against 8 km.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Kensington

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (19 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (8 vs 5)
  • But Kingsford has more separate houses rather than flats (36% vs 21%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Kingsford has cheaper houses ($2,937,000 vs $3,480,888)
  • Kensington leaves households under less mortgage stress (30% vs 37%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Kingsford has more GPs (4 vs 2)
  • Kensington has more units and townhouses to downsize into (79% vs 64%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Kingsford

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (-12.9% vs -20.5%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (2.3% vs 1.7%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Kingsford and Kensington drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Kingsford Kensington
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Kingsford Kensington
Walkability 96 / 96
Kingsford — Walkability: 96/100 Kensington — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 33 / 37
Kingsford — Safety: 33/100 Kensington — Safety: 37/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Kingsford — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kensington — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Kensington has higher household incomes ($110,136 vs $98,384).

Kingsford Kensington
Population 13,492
+12% vs other
 11,927
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -12.9% -20.5%
Median age 33 32
Median household income $98,384/yr $110,136/yr
+12% vs other
Median weekly rent $475/wk $500/wk
+5% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kingsford Kensington
0-4 4.3% / 4.2%
Kingsford — 0-4: 4.3% Kensington — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 9.4% / 7.9%
Kingsford — 5-14: 9.4% Kensington — 5-14: 7.9%
15-19 5.0% / 6.3%
Kingsford — 15-19: 5.0% Kensington — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 12.3% / 14.9%
Kingsford — 20-24: 12.3% Kensington — 20-24: 14.9%
25-34 20.6% / 21.0%
Kingsford — 25-34: 20.6% Kensington — 25-34: 21.0%
35-44 13.6% / 14.0%
Kingsford — 35-44: 13.6% Kensington — 35-44: 14.0%
45-54 11.6% / 10.3%
Kingsford — 45-54: 11.6% Kensington — 45-54: 10.3%
55-64 9.3% / 8.5%
Kingsford — 55-64: 9.3% Kensington — 55-64: 8.5%
65-74 7.0% / 6.0%
Kingsford — 65-74: 7.0% Kensington — 65-74: 6.0%
75-84 4.5% / 4.4%
Kingsford — 75-84: 4.5% Kensington — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 2.4% / 2.4%
Kingsford — 85+: 2.4% Kensington — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kingsford 34.9% lone person
Kingsford — Lone Person: 34.9% Kingsford — Couple Families: 35.8% Kingsford — Group Household: 15.9% Kingsford — One Parent Families: 10.9% Kingsford — Other Families: 2.5%
Kensington 41.6% lone person
Kensington — Lone Person: 41.6% Kensington — Couple Families: 32.0% Kensington — Group Household: 13.2% Kensington — One Parent Families: 10.6% Kensington — Other Families: 2.6%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kingsford 52.4% renting
Kingsford — Owned Outright: 27.3% Kingsford — Mortgage: 20.3% Kingsford — Renting: 52.4%
Kensington 56.1% renting
Kensington — Owned Outright: 24.9% Kensington — Mortgage: 19.1% Kensington — Renting: 56.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Kingsford Kensington
China 8.3% / 6.1%
Kingsford — China: 8.3% Kensington — China: 6.1%
Indonesia 4.3% / 2.9%
Kingsford — Indonesia: 4.3% Kensington — Indonesia: 2.9%
India 2.8% / 2.9%
Kingsford — India: 2.8% Kensington — India: 2.9%
England 2.8% / 2.8%
Kingsford — England: 2.8% Kensington — England: 2.8%
Malaysia 2.5% / 1.8%
Kingsford — Malaysia: 2.5% Kensington — Malaysia: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.3%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Kingsford Kensington
Bachelor Degree 22.9% / 24.6%
Kingsford — Bachelor Degree: 22.9% Kensington — Bachelor Degree: 24.6%
Postgraduate Degree 13.6% / 12.6%
Kingsford — Postgraduate Degree: 13.6% Kensington — Postgraduate Degree: 12.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 7.4%
Kingsford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Kensington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Certificate III & IV 6.5% / 6.0%
Kingsford — Certificate III & IV: 6.5% Kensington — Certificate III & IV: 6.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 2.0%
Kingsford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Kensington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kingsford 51.3% flats / apartments
Kingsford — Flats / Apartments: 51.3% Kingsford — Houses: 35.8% Kingsford — Townhouses: 12.8%
Kensington 72.0% flats / apartments
Kensington — Flats / Apartments: 72.0% Kensington — Houses: 21.0% Kensington — Townhouses: 7.0%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Kingsford Kensington
Median house price $2,937,000 $3,480,888
Median unit price $997,500 $988,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 68 sales
 35 days
from 31 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Kingsford Kensington
3 bed $2.8M / $2.55M
Kingsford — 3 bed: $2.8M (40 sales) Kensington — 3 bed: $2.55M (17 sales)

40 vs 17 sales

4 bed $3.18M / $3.65M
Kingsford — 4 bed: $3.18M (28 sales) Kensington — 4 bed: $3.65M (16 sales)

28 vs 16 sales

5 bed $3.67M / $4.5M
Kingsford — 5 bed: $3.67M (21 sales) Kensington — 5 bed: $4.5M (11 sales)

21 vs 11 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Kingsford Kensington
1 bed $700K / $742K
Kingsford — 1 bed: $700K (11 sales) Kensington — 1 bed: $742K (50 sales)

11 vs 50 sales

2 bed $990K / $1.04M
Kingsford — 2 bed: $990K (68 sales) Kensington — 2 bed: $1.04M (107 sales)

68 vs 107 sales

3 bed $1.4M / $1.49M
Kingsford — 3 bed: $1.4M (14 sales) Kensington — 3 bed: $1.49M (20 sales)

14 vs 20 sales

Zoning mix

Kingsford Kensington
Residential 85% 49%
Parks and recreation 1% 25%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 23%
Commercial 5% 3%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Kingsford Kensington
New dwellings approved 455
across Randwick
same for both
Approvals change year on year -26%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Kingsford Kensington
Houses 2.3%
$1,250/wk on $2.88M
 1.7%
$1,175/wk on $3.5M
Units 4.3%
$790/wk on $962K
 4.7%
$842/wk on $926K

Ranking within NSW

Kingsford Kensington
House price Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
Income Higher than 67% of NSW —
Schools — Higher than 88% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 6% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 4% of NSW Higher than 1% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW

Liveability

Kensington scores higher overall (85 vs 80).

Kingsford Kensington
Grade A
same for both
Score 80/100 85/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Kingsford Kensington
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
67/100
 Moderate
63/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 21
within 5 km
 16
within 5 km

Schools

Kingsford Kensington
Inside the suburb 1 4
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
The University of New South Wales, 1.5 km
 3
The University of New South Wales, 0.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 8.0% 12.8%

Schools in Kingsford

  • St Spyridon College, Junior School Campus Independent · Primary

Schools in Kensington

  • Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Kensington Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Joseph's Rosebery, Kensington Campus Catholic · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Kingsford Kensington
Supermarkets 6 4
Cafes & restaurants 40 29
Parks & reserves 2 19
Childcare 5 8
GPs 4 2
Pharmacies 2
same for both
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 1
Fuel stations 3
same for both
EV chargers 0 1

Mobility

Kingsford Kensington
Walkability score 96/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 8 km
+14% vs other
 6.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 17 min 14 min
Public transport score 94/100
Tram · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 454.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 393.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.8%
postcode 2032
 2.2%
postcode 2033
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 12
postcode 2032
 8
postcode 2033

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Kingsford Kensington
Worked from Home 47.6% / 53.0%
Kingsford — Worked from Home: 47.6% Kensington — Worked from Home: 53.0%
Car (driver) 30.9% / 27.5%
Kingsford — Car (driver): 30.9% Kensington — Car (driver): 27.5%
Bus 6.7% / 5.9%
Kingsford — Bus: 6.7% Kensington — Bus: 5.9%
Walked Only 6.5% / 5.2%
Kingsford — Walked Only: 6.5% Kensington — Walked Only: 5.2%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 2.6%
Kingsford — Car (passenger): 3.6% Kensington — Car (passenger): 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.0%).

Setting

Kingsford Kensington
Elevation 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 41 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.7 km
2.8 km to a named beach
 3.5 km
3.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Kingsford Kensington
Connectivity score 72/100 74/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
6,636 premises
 10%
6,069 premises

Climate

Kingsford Kensington
Annual rainfall 1,129 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Kingsford Kensington
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³ 5.3 µg/m³
PM10 16.8 µg/m³ 12.9 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.64 pphm 0.73 pphm

Council rates

Kingsford Kensington
Average residential rate $1,641/yr
same for both
Council Randwick
same for both

Federal electorate

Kingsford Kensington
Division Kingsford Smith
same for both
Member Matt Thistlethwaite
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kingsford Kensington
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kingsford

Apartments Cafe Culture Coastal Easy Commute Inner Multicultural Parks Premium Professionals Transport Hub Urban

Kensington

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Multicultural Parks Professionals Students Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kingsford

Kingsford vs Maroubra Kingsford vs Randwick Kingsford vs Eastlakes Kingsford vs Pagewood Kingsford vs Daceyville

Other comparisons with Kensington

Kensington vs Randwick Kensington vs Waterloo Kensington vs Rosebery Kensington vs Zetland Kensington vs Eastlakes Kensington vs Centennial Park
Full data on Kingsford Full data on Kensington
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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