Kensington Grove
Nearly 9 in 10 homes in Kensington Grove are owner-occupied, and 70.6% have four or more bedrooms, numbers that signal a deliberate choice to live here rather than a default. The suburb sits at a median age of 37, three years below the national figure, with household income in the 76th percentile nationally despite a low university qualification rate of 14.3%, which is 15.8 points below national. All 768 dwellings are essentially detached houses, 99.6% of the stock, making this one of the purest single-family suburbs in Queensland's Lockyer Valley corridor.
Population
2,050
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,042/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
19
Median House
$467K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated median house price of $467,000 is substantially lower than Brisbane metro benchmarks, giving families genuine purchasing power at this income level. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,690 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.1%, well below the 30% stress threshold, which explains why 63.5% of households carry a mortgage comfortably. The stock is overwhelmingly family-sized: 70.6% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 25.1% have three, compared to a national average where three-bedroom homes dominate. Outright ownership at 26% is solid for a mortgage-belt suburb, reflecting residents who bought early and paid down. With 99.6% detached houses and a 10.5% renter share, competition for established homes is among owner-occupiers rather than investors.
For Buyers
The estimated median house price of $467,000 is substantially lower than Brisbane metro benchmarks, giving families genuine purchasing power at this income level. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,690 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.1%, well below the 30% stress threshold, which explains why 63.5% of households carry a mortgage comfortably. The stock is overwhelmingly family-sized: 70.6% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 25.1% have three, compared to a national average where three-bedroom homes dominate. Outright ownership at 26% is solid for a mortgage-belt suburb, reflecting residents who bought early and paid down. With 99.6% detached houses and a 10.5% renter share, competition for established homes is among owner-occupiers rather than investors.
For Investors
A vacancy rate of 4.4% is above typical healthy-market levels of 2-3%, indicating the rental segment is softer than surrounding areas. Weekly rent of $368 against a $467,000 estimated median gives a gross yield near 4.1%, above the near-zero yields seen in premium city suburbs, though the thin renter pool at 10.5% of households limits demand depth. Only 14 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, mostly sheds and patios rather than new dwellings, so supply pressure is minimal. The employment base spans healthcare (16.6%), construction (13.1%) and education (11.8%), industries less exposed to economic downturns than finance or hospitality. Household incomes in the 76th percentile nationally suggest tenants can sustain current rents, but investors should price the lower population base of 2,050 and modest growth signals into their expectations.
Development Activity
Total DAs
19
Last 12 Months
19
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 37 sits three years below the national average, consistent with a suburb attracting young families rather than retirees. Overseas-born residents make up 12.3% of the population, which is 9.3 points below the national rate, reflecting the Anglo-leaning ancestry profile: English (866), Scottish (248), German (244) and Irish (231) are the four dominant ancestries. University qualifications reach only 14.3%, a gap of 15.8 percentage points below national, partly explained by the occupation mix favouring community and personal service (135 workers), labourers (134) and machinery operators (114). Average household size of 3.0 is 0.5 above the national figure, reinforcing the family-formation character. Christianity is the dominant religion (916 residents). Residential stability is high: 82.7% of residents stayed in the same address over the reference period.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.6%
Houses
0.4%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure structure is unusually skewed toward ownership: 26% own outright and 63.5% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at just 10.5%, compared to the national average where renters typically account for 30% or more. This is not a coincidence; the 99.6% detached-house stock and four-plus-bedroom dominance (70.6%) attract purchasers rather than renters. Rent-to-income at 18.0% and mortgage-to-income at 19.1% both sit comfortably below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are proportionate to incomes at the $2,042 weekly household level. The semi-detached and apartment share is virtually zero, so the market provides little choice for downsizers or singles, making it structurally oriented to families at the $467,000 price point.
Mortgage / mo
$1,690
Rent / wk
$368
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$797
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.4%
Unoccupied
32
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.1%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.9%
Couples, no children
1,818
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 16.6% of workers (104 people), followed by construction at 13.1% (82) and education at 11.8% (74), with public administration at 10.9% (68) and manufacturing at 9.9% (62) rounding out the top five. The occupation spread shows community and personal service (135), labourers (134), clerical and admin (119) and managers (116) all broadly level, indicating a diverse blue-collar and service workforce rather than a professional concentration. The full-time employment rate is 68.2%, in line with national norms, but unemployment runs at 6.8%, above typical metropolitan rates. Labour force participation of 61.4% leaves 474 residents outside the workforce. Household income in the 76th percentile nationally is notable given the low university qualification rate, suggesting trades and skilled-service roles provide solid earnings without requiring degrees.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.2%
Part-time
25.0%
Participation
61.4%
Employed
906
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.3%
Postgraduate
2.0%
Born Overseas
12.3%
Dwellings
680
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total: 94.1% of residents drive to work, with no recorded public transport or walk or cycle commute data, reflecting the suburb's position in the Lockyer Valley outside Brisbane's transit network. No schools are recorded within the Kensington Grove boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby centres for education. Housing stress indicators are low: rent-to-income at 18.0% and mortgage-to-income at 19.1% both sit below the 30% threshold, giving residents more financial headroom than most suburban markets. Volunteering rates reach 10.5%, in line with community-engaged outer suburbs nationally. With 7.1% (142 residents) needing daily assistance, the care burden is moderate relative to population. The 99.6% detached-house rate and 70.6% four-plus-bedroom share give families space, a trade-off for longer commutes compared to inner-city living.
Drive
94.1%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kensington Grove compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kensington Grove a good suburb to live in?
Kensington Grove suits families who prioritise space and ownership over commute time. Household incomes sit in the 76th percentile nationally, and mortgage-to-income at 19.1% is well below the 30% stress threshold. The 99.6% detached-house stock and average household size of 3.0 people make it better suited to families than singles or renters, who make up only 10.5% of households.
What is the median house price in Kensington Grove?
The estimated median house price is $467,000 (2025 estimate based on rental data). Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,690, and with household incomes in the 76th percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at a comfortable 19.1%. Weekly rent averages $368 for those who lease.
What schools are in Kensington Grove?
No schools are recorded within the Kensington Grove boundary in this dataset. Families typically access schools in nearby Lockyer Valley towns. The suburb's university qualification rate is 14.3%, which is 15.8 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a workforce concentrated in trades, healthcare and community services rather than graduate professions.
Is Kensington Grove safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Kensington Grove in this dataset. The suburb has strong residential stability, with 82.7% of residents remaining at the same address, which is associated with lower crime in comparable communities. Household incomes in the 76th percentile nationally and low housing stress (mortgage-to-income 19.1%) are indirect indicators of socioeconomic stability.
Is Kensington Grove good for property investment?
The investment case is modest but yield-positive. Weekly rent of $368 against a $467,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.1%, higher than inner-city comparisons. However, vacancy sits at 4.4%, above healthy-market levels of 2-3%, and the renter pool is thin at only 10.5% of households. Fourteen development applications in 12 months were infrastructure additions rather than new dwellings, so supply is contained.
How is Kensington Grove's population changing?
The suburb's current population is approximately 2,050 people across 9.65 square kilometres, a density of 212.4 per square kilometre well below suburban saturation. Residential stability is high at 82.7% staying put. No formal growth forecasts are available, but the family-formation profile with an average household size of 3.0, compared to 2.5 nationally, supports organic growth through new families rather than inward migration.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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