Norwood vs Kensington

Norwood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 43 in Kensington. In both, about half of households rent. In Norwood, about half of households are people living alone. In Kensington, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Norwood: a median of $1.51 million, against $1.21 million in Kensington, and rent is higher there too. Norwood is closer to the city centre: 3.4 km, against 4.6 km. On these figures, Kensington tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Norwood

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 4)
  • But Kensington carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 78/100)

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

  • Norwood has cheaper units ($631,750 vs $765,000)
  • Kensington has cheaper houses ($1,210,000 vs $1,510,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Kensington

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $390/wk)

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

  • Norwood has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • Kensington carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 78/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Norwood 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.

Norwood 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.

Norwood Kensington
Walkability 92 / 90
Norwood — Walkability: 92/100 Kensington — Walkability: 90/100
Safety 22 / 38
Norwood — Safety: 22/100 Kensington — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Norwood — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kensington — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 29 / 19
Norwood — Low flood risk: 29/100 Kensington — Low flood risk: 19/100

Demographics

Norwood has more residents (6,354 vs 1,808); Norwood rents higher ($390/wk vs $300/wk).

Norwood Kensington
Population 6,354
+72% vs other
 1,808
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.7% +2.2%
Median age 40 43
Median household income $91,104/yr
+23% vs other
 $70,460/yr
Median weekly rent $390/wk
+23% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Norwood Kensington
0-4 3.4% / 4.1%
Norwood — 0-4: 3.4% Kensington — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 8.5% / 8.8%
Norwood — 5-14: 8.5% Kensington — 5-14: 8.8%
15-19 4.0% / 5.9%
Norwood — 15-19: 4.0% Kensington — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 7.2% / 5.5%
Norwood — 20-24: 7.2% Kensington — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 18.3% / 15.2%
Norwood — 25-34: 18.3% Kensington — 25-34: 15.2%
35-44 13.9% / 12.6%
Norwood — 35-44: 13.9% Kensington — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 11.0% / 12.7%
Norwood — 45-54: 11.0% Kensington — 45-54: 12.7%
55-64 12.4% / 11.1%
Norwood — 55-64: 12.4% Kensington — 55-64: 11.1%
65-74 12.3% / 12.9%
Norwood — 65-74: 12.3% Kensington — 65-74: 12.9%
75-84 6.8% / 8.2%
Norwood — 75-84: 6.8% Kensington — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ 2.1% / 3.0%
Norwood — 85+: 2.1% Kensington — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Norwood 53.4% lone person
Norwood — Lone Person: 53.4% Norwood — Couple Families: 24.7% Norwood — One Parent Families: 10.4% Norwood — Group Household: 9.7% Norwood — Other Families: 1.9%
Kensington 57.0% lone person
Kensington — Lone Person: 57.0% Kensington — Couple Families: 24.3% Kensington — One Parent Families: 12.6% Kensington — Group Household: 5.0% Kensington — Other Families: 1.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Norwood 46.4% renting
Norwood — Owned Outright: 32.2% Norwood — Mortgage: 21.5% Norwood — Renting: 46.4%
Kensington 50.8% renting
Kensington — Owned Outright: 24.9% Kensington — Mortgage: 24.3% Kensington — Renting: 50.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Norwood Kensington
Bachelor Degree 26.4% / 23.6%
Norwood — Bachelor Degree: 26.4% Kensington — Bachelor Degree: 23.6%
Postgraduate Degree 12.8% / 10.1%
Norwood — Postgraduate Degree: 12.8% Kensington — Postgraduate Degree: 10.1%
Certificate III & IV 7.6% / 7.8%
Norwood — Certificate III & IV: 7.6% Kensington — Certificate III & IV: 7.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 7.3%
Norwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Kensington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 3.5%
Norwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% Kensington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.4%).

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.

Norwood Kensington
England 5.0% / 4.9%
Norwood — England: 5.0% Kensington — England: 4.9%
India 2.8% / 5.1%
Norwood — India: 2.8% Kensington — India: 5.1%
China 3.7% / 2.5%
Norwood — China: 3.7% Kensington — China: 2.5%
Italy 2.0% / 2.1%
Norwood — Italy: 2.0% Kensington — Italy: 2.1%
New Zealand 1.0% / 0.9%
Norwood — New Zealand: 1.0% Kensington — New Zealand: 0.9%
Malaysia 1.0% / 0.8%
Norwood — Malaysia: 1.0% Kensington — Malaysia: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Norwood 50.0% townhouses
Norwood — Townhouses: 50.0% Norwood — Houses: 34.5% Norwood — Flats / Apartments: 15.4%
Kensington 42.6% townhouses
Kensington — Townhouses: 42.6% Kensington — Houses: 29.9% Kensington — Flats / Apartments: 27.6%
Townhouses Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Norwood Kensington
Median house price $1,510,000 $1,210,000
Median unit price $631,750 $765,000
Median land price $1,502,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 71 sales
 20 days
from 16 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.

Norwood Kensington
2 bed $1M / $1.11M
Norwood — 2 bed: $1M (31 sales) Kensington — 2 bed: $1.11M (8 sales)

31 vs 8 sales

3 bed $1.45M / $1.21M
Norwood — 3 bed: $1.45M (66 sales) Kensington — 3 bed: $1.21M (15 sales)

66 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

Norwood has more commercially zoned land (24% vs 3%).

Norwood Kensington
Residential 72% 87%
Commercial 24% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 10%
Parks and recreation 2% 0%
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

Norwood Kensington
New dwellings approved 227
across Norwood Payneham and St Peters
same for both
Approvals change year on year +141%
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.

Norwood Kensington
Houses 3.4%
$802/wk on $1.23M
 3.8%
$760/wk on $1.05M
Units 4.4%
$685/wk on $810K
 —

Ranking within SA

Norwood Kensington
House price Higher than 85% of SA Higher than 64% of SA
Income Higher than 70% of SA —
Schools Higher than 96% of SA Higher than 25% of SA
Walkability Higher than 99% of SA
same for both
Affordability Higher than 16% of SA —
EV adoption Higher than 94% of SA Higher than 93% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 93% of SA Higher than 87% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 27% of SA Higher than 40% of SA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 37% of SA —

Liveability

Norwood scores higher overall (78 vs 56).

Norwood Kensington
Grade A B
Score 78/100 56/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Norwood carries more crime risk (78 vs 62); Kensington carries more flood risk (81 vs 71).

Norwood Kensington
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
78/100
 Moderate
62/100
Flood High
71/100
 High
81/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Norwood Kensington
Inside the suburb 3
same for both
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 2.9 km
 3
Adelaide University, Magill Campus, 3.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.0% 3.0%

Schools in Norwood

  • Norwood Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Joseph's Memorial School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Saint Ignatius' College - Junior School Campus Catholic · Combined

Schools in Kensington

  • Marryatville Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Mary MacKillop College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • St Joseph's Memorial School - Junior Primary Campus Catholic · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Norwood Kensington
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 44 2
Parks & reserves 9 4
Childcare 6 4
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 5 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 8 0
Fuel stations 1
same for both
EV chargers 2 0
Waterways 30 2

Mobility

Norwood Kensington
Walkability score 92/100 90/100
Distance to Adelaide 3.4 km 4.6 km
+35% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 8 min 10 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 212.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 50.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.0%
postcode 5067
 1.9%
postcode 5068
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 37
postcode 5067
 45
postcode 5068

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.

Norwood Kensington
Car (driver) 55.1% / 60.5%
Norwood — Car (driver): 55.1% Kensington — Car (driver): 60.5%
Worked from Home 16.9% / 17.2%
Norwood — Worked from Home: 16.9% Kensington — Worked from Home: 17.2%
Bus 9.4% / 8.8%
Norwood — Bus: 9.4% Kensington — Bus: 8.8%
Walked Only 8.6% / 5.3%
Norwood — Walked Only: 8.6% Kensington — Walked Only: 5.3%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 4.2%
Norwood — Car (passenger): 4.5% Kensington — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Bicycle 5.1% / 3.4%
Norwood — Bicycle: 5.1% Kensington — Bicycle: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.5%).

Setting

Norwood Kensington
Elevation 62 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 80 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.2 km 13.3 km

NBN connectivity

Norwood Kensington
Connectivity score 81/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 21%
4,602 premises
 0%
1,063 premises

Climate

Norwood Kensington
Annual rainfall 457 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Norwood Kensington
PM2.5 6.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 1.12 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Norwood Kensington
Average residential rate $1,995/yr
same for both
Council Norwood Payneham and St Peters
same for both

Federal electorate

Norwood Kensington
Division Sturt
same for both
Member Claire Clutterham
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Norwood Kensington
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Norwood

Cafe Culture Inner Parks Professionals River Townhouses

Kensington

Cafe Culture Inner Parks Professionals River Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Norwood

Norwood vs Toorak Gardens Norwood vs Beulah Park Norwood vs Maylands Norwood vs Kent Town Norwood vs Rose Park Norwood vs Trinity Gardens

Other comparisons with Kensington

Kensington vs Kensington Park Kensington vs Toorak Gardens Kensington vs Leabrook Kensington vs Beulah Park Kensington vs Marryatville
Full data on Norwood Full data on Kensington
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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