Kensington SA 5068

Located in South Australia, Kensington sits 5 km from Adelaide CBD, around 10 minutes by car. The suburb has 1,808 residents, a median age of 43, and a median household income of $70,460 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The suburb grew 2.2% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $300 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,817. Kensington is characterised by high flood risk and high crime risk. 3 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.

Is Kensington a good suburb?

Kensington scores a B (56/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on schools and safety.

Schools

Below the state average

3 schools · Bottom 25% in SA

Transit

Walkable and central

Walkability 90/100 · 4.6 km · 10 min drive to Adelaide

Prices

Around the state median

Median $1.21M

Safety

High flood risk

Fire 0/100 · Crime 62/100 · Flood 81/100

Community

Advantaged

SEIFA decile 7/10 · median age 43 · 1,808 residents

B

Liveability Rating

56 / 100 · Ranked #200 in SA

Each bar is Kensington's rank among SA suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).

Schools quality
19
Few above similar
Bottom 25% in SA
Safety
39
Bushfire None · Crime Moderate · Flood High
Socio-economic
69
Advantaged
Walkability
95
Very walkable
CBD access
94
4.6 km · 10 min drive to Adelaide
How it's calculated: Schools rank 19 × 25% + Safety rank 39 × 25% + Socio-economic rank 69 × 25% + Walkability rank 95 × 15% + CBD access rank 94 × 10% = 56 / 100. Missing components rebalance the remaining weights.

How do you rate the liveability in Kensington?

Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.

Our score

56 / 100

From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.

Residents say

…

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Median House Price

Public listings data

Kensington's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.21 million, roughly 19% above where it sat a year earlier.

Houses

$1,210,000

last 5 quarters

22% below its 6 neighbours (median $1,555,000)

↑ +18.8% year-on-year

Based on 27 recorded sales in the last 24 months.

Typically sold in 20 days — median across 16 sales that recorded a listing period

By bedrooms

  • 2 bed 8 sales $1.11M
  • 3 bed 15 sales $1.21M

Units

$765,000

last 2 quarters

21% above its 4 neighbours (median $631,750)

↑ +8.5% year-on-year

Based on 11 recorded sales in the last 24 months.

Typically sold in 25 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period

By bedrooms

  • 2 bed 9 sales $640K

Currently for Sale

Last 6 months

Houses in Kensington are currently listed at around $1.05 million on average. Based on 3 houses listed in the past six months.

$1.05M

3 houses listed in the last 6 months.

4 of the suburb's 860 dwellings (0.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.

Rental Market

Advertised rents · last 6 months

Houses in Kensington rent for around $760 a week on average, based on 11 houses listed for rent in the past six months.

Houses

$760/wk

last 2 months
↑ +8.6% vs previous 6 months from $700/wk
Since 2021: $482/wk → $714/wk (+48%)

11 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.

Units

$510/wk

Since 2021: $340/wk → $475/wk (+40%)

3 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.

14 rentals advertised against an estimated 437 rented homes (3.2%) in the last 6 months.

Rent agreed on new leases

Apr–Jun 2026
2-bed units
$490/wk
10 bonds
+53% since 2021

Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.

Rental affordability

June quarter 2025

102 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 5068.

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
House
3.8% around the typical range

$760/week ($40,000 a year) on a $1.05 million median

Based on a small sample (3 listings) — indicative only.

Not enough unit sales and rentals in the window to calculate a yield.

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 Kensington safe? Crime statistics

2026

Crime in Kensington sits in the moderate band, with 71 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 11% on the prior year.

71 offences

10.9% since 2025
Theft 31 (43.7%)
Property Damage 17 (23.9%)
Break & Enter 13 (18.3%)
Assault 10 (14.1%)

Crime Trend

Serious Road Crashes

2021–2025

1 crash

where someone was killed or admitted to hospital

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. This state’s crash data does not name the road.

Schools

Three schools serve Kensington, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.

50
out of 100
Average
3 schools in this suburb
2 at similar · 1 unrated
  • • 797 students across 2 schools (avg 398)
  • • Sectors: 2 Catholic, 1 Government
  • • ICSEA 1077-1127, median 1102 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
  • • Largest: Marryatville Primary School (506 students)

Primary

Government · R-6 · 506 students
ICSEA 1127 (higher than 91% of Australian schools) · 52% top-SEA students
At similar
St Joseph's Memorial School - Junior Primary Campus
Catholic

Secondary

Catholic · 7-12 · 291 students
ICSEA 1077 (higher than 78% of Australian schools) · 29% top-SEA students
At similar

Universities nearby

3.0% 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

Kensington is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 90/100, daily errands don't require a car at all.

90
out of 100
Exceptionally walkable
Top 1% in SA
Public Transport within 1 km 67
Schools within 1.5 km 100
Parks within 800 m 100
Supermarkets within 1 km 100
GPs within 1 km 100
Pharmacies within 1 km 100
Childcare within 1 km 100
Hospitals within 5 km 100

Public transport

Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Kensington.

79
out of 100
Bus
Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
50.0 arrivals/hr
Off-peak weekday
24.1 arrivals/hr
Saturday
11.8 arrivals/hr
Median peak wait
1 min
Span of service
18.1 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 Kensington.

75
connectivity score / 100
Top 13% in SA
Most common
Hybrid fibre-coaxial (cable)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share
0%
Premises covered
1,063
Technology mix
Hybrid fibre-coaxial (cable) (HFC) 100%
Fibre to the premises (FTTP) 0%

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

Supermarkets
None
Shopping Centres
None
Cafes & Restaurants
2 in suburb
Parks & Reserves
4 in suburb
Sport & Recreation
1 in suburb
Beaches
None
Waterways
2 in suburb
Childcare
4 in suburb
GPs
None
Pharmacies
None
Hospitals
None
Police Stations
None
Banks & Bank@Post
None
Fuel Stations
1 in suburb
EV Chargers
None
Pubs & Bars
2 in suburb
Arts & Culture
None
Places of Worship
None

Norwood Payneham and St Peters: council population

The whole council area, not just Kensington · estimated residents
at 30 June 2025
Residents
40,845
+1.6% in a year
Change
+661
people since 2024
Density
2,704
people per km² across the council area
What drove the change
Natural increase
+18
births minus deaths
Net internal migration
-210
moves within Australia
Net overseas migration
+853
arrivals minus departures

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

ABS SEIFA · ranked against every suburb in Australia, and within the state
2021 census
Advantage and disadvantage
7/10
8/10 within SA
income, education, jobs and housing together
Economic resources
1/10
1/10 within SA
income against housing cost and household size
Education and occupation
10/10
10/10 within SA
qualifications and job type, income excluded
How evenly that is spread

The ABS scores 4 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.

Kensington is home to about 1,800 residents, with a median age of 43, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $70,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.0%.

2021 Census · change since 2016

Population

1,808

2.2% since 2016

Median Age

43

2.4% since 2016

Median Household Income

$70,460/yr

44.5% since 2016

Census Median Rent

$300/wk

8.3% since 2016

Census Median Mortgage

$1,817/mo

4.8% since 2016

Avg Household Size

2.0

5.3% since 2016

Median Personal Income

$41,444/yr

27.7% since 2016

Unemployment Rate

5.0%

35.1% since 2016

Unoccupied Dwellings

12.1%

no change since 2016

Total Dwellings

860

1.7% since 2016

Owner-Occupier Rate

49.2%

7.9% since 2016

Houses

29.9%

4.2% since 2016

Rental Stress

22.1%

25.1% since 2016

Mortgage Stress

30.9%

27.5% since 2016

Work From Home

17.2%

218.5% since 2016

Dwelling Types

Townhouses 366 (42.6%)
Houses 257 (29.9%)
Flats / Apartments 237 (27.6%)

Property Ownership

Renting 402 (50.8%)
Owned Outright 197 (24.9%)
Mortgage 192 (24.3%)
Of those rentals, social housing 120 (29.9%)

67 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 53 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 402 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.

Demographics

Born in Australia
62.8%
English Spoken at Home
72.7%
Employment Rate
57.8%
9.3% since 2016
Completed Year 12
59.0%

Occupations

Professionals 328 (36.0%)
Managers 111 (12.2%)
Community & Personal Service 107 (11.7%)
Clerical & Administrative 106 (11.6%)
Technicians & Trades 85 (9.3%)
Sales 69 (7.6%)
Labourers 57 (6.3%)
Machinery Operators & Drivers 20 (2.2%)

Religion

No Religion 821 (45.4%)
Christianity 677 (37.4%)
Hinduism 85 (4.7%)
Islam 30 (1.7%)
Other Religions 30 (1.7%)
Buddhism 17 (0.9%)
Sikhism 17 (0.9%)

Country of Birth (overseas)

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.

India 92 (5.1%)
England 89 (4.9%)
China 46 (2.5%)
Italy 38 (2.1%)
New Zealand 17 (0.9%)
South Africa 14 (0.8%)
Malaysia 14 (0.8%)
Germany 14 (0.8%)

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.

2016-2021 205 (11.3%)
2011-2015 81 (4.5%)
2001-2010 86 (4.8%)
1991-2000 25 (1.4%)
1981-1990 38 (2.1%)
Before 1981 143 (7.9%)

205 residents (11.3%) 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.

Overseas 183 (10.6%)
Adelaide - North 51 (2.9%)
Adelaide - South 48 (2.8%)

Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,733 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.

Mandarin 38 (2.1%)
Italian 23 (1.3%)
Korean 20 (1.1%)
Spanish 14 (0.8%)
Hindi 9 (0.5%)
Cantonese 8 (0.4%)
Arabic 6 (0.3%)
Vietnamese 5 (0.3%)

Age Distribution

0-4 75 (4.1%)
5-14 160 (8.8%)
15-19 107 (5.9%)
20-24 99 (5.5%)
25-34 275 (15.2%)
35-44 227 (12.6%)
45-54 230 (12.7%)
55-64 201 (11.1%)
65-74 233 (12.9%)
75-84 148 (8.2%)
85+ 54 (3.0%)

Family & Household Composition

Lone Person 401 (57.0%)
Couple Families 171 (24.3%)
One Parent Families 89 (12.6%)
Group Household 35 (5.0%)
Other Families 8 (1.1%)

Commute to Work

Car (driver) 481 (60.5%)
Worked from Home 137 (17.2%)
Bus 70 (8.8%)
Walked Only 42 (5.3%)
Car (passenger) 33 (4.2%)
Bicycle 27 (3.4%)
Train 5 (0.6%)

32% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (289 of 911).

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.

Local Jobs

People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.

About 1,072 people work here; 911 employed residents live here.

Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.2 per resident). At least 15% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.

Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.

Education

Bachelor Degree 426 (23.6%)
Postgraduate Degree 183 (10.1%)
Certificate III & IV 141 (7.8%)
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 132 (7.3%)
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 63 (3.5%)

Cars per Dwelling

0 cars 110 (12.9%)
1 car 446 (52.3%)
2 cars 228 (26.8%)
3 cars 49 (5.8%)
4+ cars 19 (2.2%)

Council Rates

Norwood Payneham and St Peters
FY 2024-25

Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,995 a year through Norwood Payneham and St Peters based on 2024 figures.

Avg residential rate
$1,995/yr
7% above the SA average of $1,863 · median of 68 councils
Valuation basis
Capital Value
land + buildings

How this land is zoned

Share of Kensington's area by planning zone
2026-09
  • Residential 87%
  • Infrastructure and transport 10%
  • Commercial 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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.

Building Approvals: Norwood Payneham and St Peters

The whole council area, not just Kensington · new residential dwellings
to 2026-08

In the year to August 2026, 227 new dwellings were approved across Norwood Payneham and St Peters. That mix is 121 houses and 106 units. Approvals are up 141.4% on the same period a year earlier.

Trailing 12 months
227dwellings
+141.4% YoY
Houses
121
detached dwellings
Units
106
townhouses + apartments

Air Quality

MODERATE

PM2.5 averaged 6 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³).

PM10 averaged 17.8 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 1.12 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0.

From the Adelaide CBD monitoring station, 4.1 km away.

Climate & Setting

from Adelaide (West Terrace / Ngayirdapira), 5.7 km

Dry climate — hot summers, mild winters.

Elevation
80 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean
13.3 km
Annual rainfall
457 mm
77 rainy days
Summer max (Jan)
29.1°C
21 days ≥ 35°C
Winter min (Jul)
8.5°C
0 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

5 facilities within 5 km

EV adoption

1.9%
of light vehicles are electric
Up from 0.10% in 2021
+0.6 points this year
Top 7% in SA

In postcode 5068, 184 of 9,878 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.4% (335 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.3%.

Electric share, year by year
2021
0.10%
2022
0.34%
2023
0.70%
2024
1.29%
2025
1.86%

Rooftop solar

45
systems per 100 dwellings
Averaging 7.4 kW each

In postcode 5068, 2,598 rooftop-solar systems totalling 19.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 5,720 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 191 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.

Systems installed, year by year
2019
134
2020
215
2021
212
2022
175
2023
139
2024
120
2025
148
2026
121

2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.

First Home Owner Grant

FY2026-27

$15,000 for new homes.

No purchase-price cap. Stamp duty is fully exempted for eligible first-home buyers as a separate concession.

Verify eligibility with RevenueSA

Mortgage repayments

I'm looking for
Deposit
$
%
Monthly repayment
$6,311
Loan amount
$968,000
Total interest over 30 years
$1,303,829

7 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 11 across postcode 5068.

Deposit
$242,000
Stamp duty
$60,380
Cash needed at settlement
$302,380

Conveyance 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 RevenueSA

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 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.

Federal Electorate

Division of Sturt

Currently held by Claire Clutterham Australian Labor Party

Year Winner 2PP ALP 2PP LNP Swing
2025 Claire Clutterham 56.6% 43.4% +7.1
2022 James Stevens 49.5% 50.5% -6.4
2019 James Stevens 43.1% 56.9% +1.5

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

Dunstan District

Currently held by Cressida O'Hanlon Australian Labor Party

Next state election: 16 March 2030.

Year Winner Won with
2026 Cressida O'Hanlon ALP 58.1%
2022 Steven Marshall LP 50.5%

Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2024, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of South Australia.

Looking at a specific address in Kensington?

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.

Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.

Checking the whole city?

Suburbs to avoid in Adelaide There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Adelaide suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.

Nearby suburbs

Compare Kensington to another suburb

Side-by-side stats for any other SA suburb — type a name and pick one.

Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:

Common questions about Kensington

Is Kensington a safe place to live?

Recorded crime in Kensington is moderate (62/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).

What natural hazards affect Kensington?

Kensington has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a high share of it (81/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.

Is Kensington a good place to live?

Kensington has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (56/100), ranked against other SA 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 Kensington?

Kensington, SA had a population of 1,808 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.

What is the postcode for Kensington, SA?

The postcode for Kensington, SA is 5068.

How far is Kensington from Adelaide?

Kensington is 5 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 10 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.

What is the median household income in Kensington?

At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Kensington was $70,460 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 Kensington?

The median advertised rent in Kensington is $760 a week for houses (11 listings) and $510 a week for units (3 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.

What is the median age in Kensington?

The median age of residents in Kensington was 43 at the 2021 ABS Census.

How are the schools in Kensington?

There are 3 schools inside the Kensington boundary: 2 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).

Is Kensington walkable?

Kensington scores 90/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it exceptionally walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.

What is the air quality in Kensington?

The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Kensington (Adelaide CBD) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.0 µg/m³ and PM10 of 17.8 µg/m³. That puts Kensington below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

What is the weather like in Kensington?

At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Kensington, Adelaide (West Terrace / Ngayirdapira) (5.7 km away), summer days average 29.1°C, winter nights 8.5°C, 457 mm of rain a year over 77 rainy days, and 21 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.

Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Kensington?

First-home buyers in SA may be eligible for $15,000 towards new homes. The grant is administered by RevenueSA; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.

What council does Kensington belong to?

Kensington sits within the Norwood Payneham and St Peters local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.

How much are council rates in Kensington?

The average residential rates bill through Norwood Payneham and St Peters is $1,995 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.

How much is being built near Kensington?

Across Norwood Payneham and St Peters, 227 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 141.4% 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 Kensington in?

Kensington sits within the federal Division of Sturt, currently held by Claire Clutterham (Australian Labor Party).

Search another suburb or address

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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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