Kennington VIC 3550
Located in Victoria, Kennington sits 153 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 50 minutes by car. The suburb has 5,880 residents, a median age of 42, and a median household income of $71,292 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population grew 4.1% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $290 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,400. 6 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is Kennington a good suburb?
Kennington scores a C (35/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and prices, weaker on schools.
Below the state average
6 schools
Very walkable
Walkability 85/100 · 153.3 km · 112 min drive to Melbourne
Below the state median
Median $628K · Cheaper than 75% of VIC
Moderate bushfire risk
Fire 58/100 · Crime 58/100 · Flood 45/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 5/10 · median age 42 · 5,880 residents
Liveability Rating
35 / 100 · Ranked #658 in VICEach bar is Kennington's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Kennington?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
35 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataKennington's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $628,000, about 9% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$627,500
3% below its 6 neighbours (median $650,000)
Based on 216 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 39 days — median across 108 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 29 sales $470K
- 3 bed 116 sales $605K
- 4 bed 55 sales $750K
- 5 bed 13 sales $755K
Units
$400,000
8% below its 5 neighbours (median $435,000)
Based on 34 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 47 days — median across 15 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 31 sales $400K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Kennington are currently listed at around $725,000 on average. Based on 75 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$725K
75 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$419K
10 units listed in the last 6 months.
85 of the suburb's 2,402 dwellings (3.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Kennington rent for around $520 a week on average, based on 41 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$520/wk
7% below its 4 neighbours (median $560/wk)
41 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$495/wk
5 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
46 rentals advertised against an estimated 934 rented homes (4.9%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025104 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3550.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$520/week ($27,000 a year) on a $725,000 median
$495/week ($26,000 a year) on a $419,000 median
Based on a small sample (5 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Kennington safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Kennington sits in the moderate band, with 235 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 31% on the prior year.
235 offences
31.1% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202516 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Six schools serve Kennington, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 1,941 students across 3 schools (avg 647)
- • Sectors: 3 Government, 2 Independent, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 979-1077, median 1076 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Victory Christian College (900 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
3.4% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Kennington is very walkable on foot — at 85/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 3 supermarkets, 7 parks and 4 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Kennington.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 65.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 46.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 22.2 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 14.8 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Kennington.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 35%
- Premises covered
- 3,280
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Greater Bendigo: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 16 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Kennington is home to about 5,900 residents, with a median age of 42, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $71,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
5,880
Median Age
42
Median Household Income
$71,292/yr
Census Median Rent
$290/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,400/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$38,688/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
10.1%
Total Dwellings
2,402
Owner-Occupier Rate
61.1%
Houses
77.4%
Rental Stress
21.2%
Mortgage Stress
23.6%
Work From Home
16.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
56 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 23 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 906 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 85.4%
- Employment Rate
- 54.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 46.0%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
195 residents (3.3%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
7.7% of residents (433) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (363).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 5,620 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
2% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (42 of 2,728).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,949 a year through Greater Bendigo based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 70%
- Parks and recreation 15%
- Infrastructure and transport 10%
- Commercial 4%
- Other and special use 1%
Proposed rezonings
- Public Use Zone → General Residential Zone · C285gben, exhibited Oct 2025 0.5 ha
Land in this suburb moved from one zone to another by a planning scheme amendment (Vicmap Planning, CC BY 4.0). Exhibited amendments are proposals and can change or lapse.
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Greater Bendigo
In the year to August 2026, 885 new dwellings were approved across Greater Bendigo. That mix is 797 houses and 88 units. Approvals are up 28.0% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 31 homes
- Lots in approved subdivisions, not yet titled 31 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Climate & Setting
from Redesdale, 33.7 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 259 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Near high-voltage lines
- 1.9% of addresses
- 70 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 553 mm
- 72 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 29.6°C
- 18 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 3.1°C
- 23 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
8 facilities within 5 km- 2.0 kmRail Passenger TransportTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene) · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers)
- 2.2 kmTextile Floor Covering ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 2.8 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 3.2 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 3.4 kmOther Polymer Product ManufacturingTop reported: Zinc and compounds · Antimony & compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 3550, 256 of 35,281 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.9% (1,011 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3550, 6,359 rooftop-solar systems totalling 41.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 18,930 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 369 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
2 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3550 in 2025-26, rank 176 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 440, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
23 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 3550.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $627,500 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Lisa Chesters Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lisa Chesters | 51.4% | 48.6% | +51.4 |
| 2022 | Lisa Chesters | 62.1% | 37.9% | -3.3 |
| 2019 | Lisa Chesters | 59.0% | 41.0% | -5.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Jacinta Allan Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jacinta Allan ALP | 50.0% | 60.9% | 39.1% |
| 2018 | Jacinta Allan ALP | 50.4% | 62.1% | 37.9% |
| 2014 | Jacinta Allan ALP | 55.0% | 55.0% | 45.0% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Kennington?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 5,880 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
- #1 in Best Bendigo suburbs for good public primary schools
- #1 in Best Bendigo suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #1 in Highest-yielding Bendigo suburbs (units)
- #1 in Sportiest Bendigo suburbs
- #2 in Bendigo suburbs with the highest EV adoption today
- #2 in Best Bendigo suburbs for good private primary schools
- #2 in Best Bendigo suburbs for good private high schools
- #2 in Most walkable suburbs in Bendigo
- #2 in Bendigo suburbs where seniors live
- #3 in Bendigo suburbs with the fastest EV adoption growth
- #4 in Bendigo's most educated suburbs
- #4 in Bendigo suburbs with the most rooftop solar
- #6 in Bendigo suburbs with the deepest rental markets
- #7 in Best Bendigo suburbs to rent in
- #7 in Bendigo suburbs where the most residents moved from a capital city
- #7 in Bendigo suburbs where the most homes are owned outright
- #7 in Bendigo suburbs with the largest Sikh community
- #9 in Bendigo suburbs with the most parkland nearby
- #9 in The safest suburbs in Bendigo
- #9 in Bendigo suburbs that suit young professionals
- #11 in Bendigo suburbs that added the most residents, 2016-2021
- #12 in Best Bendigo suburbs for first-home buyers (houses)
- #12 in Bendigo's highest-income suburbs
- #13 in The most liveable suburbs in Bendigo
- #14 in Bendigo suburbs with the biggest house blocks
- #14 in Bendigo suburbs with the best public transport
- #15 in Bendigo suburbs that grew fastest, 2016-2021
Nearby suburbs
Strathfieldsaye VIC 3551
Strathdale VIC 3550
Bendigo VIC 3550
Flora Hill VIC 3550
Quarry Hill VIC 3550
East Bendigo VIC 3550
Compare Kennington to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Kennington
Is Kennington a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Kennington is moderate (58/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Kennington?
Kennington has a moderate recorded bushfire history (58/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (45/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Kennington a good place to live?
Kennington has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (35/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Kennington?
Kennington, VIC had a population of 5,880 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Kennington, VIC?
The postcode for Kennington, VIC is 3550.
How far is Kennington from Melbourne?
Kennington is 153 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 112 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Kennington?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Kennington was $71,292 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Kennington?
The median advertised rent in Kennington is $520 a week for houses (41 listings) and $495 a week for units (5 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Kennington?
The median age of residents in Kennington was 42 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Kennington at risk of bushfire?
Kennington has a moderate recorded bushfire history (58/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Kennington?
There are 6 schools inside the Kennington boundary: 3 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Kennington walkable?
Kennington scores 85/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Kennington?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Kennington, Redesdale (33.7 km away), summer days average 29.6°C, winter nights 3.1°C, 553 mm of rain a year over 72 rainy days, and 18 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Kennington?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Kennington belong to?
Kennington sits within the Greater Bendigo local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Kennington?
The average residential rates bill through Greater Bendigo is $1,949 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Kennington?
Across Greater Bendigo, 885 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 28.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Kennington in?
Kennington sits within the federal Division of Bendigo, currently held by Lisa Chesters (Australian Labor Party).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.