SA 5068 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Kensington Park

At 1.1 square kilometres with only 2,627 residents, Kensington Park commands a median house price of $2,518,000, placing it among Adelaide's most expensive pockets. The education profile is striking: 60.7% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 30.6 percentage points above the national figure. Household income sits at the 77.2nd percentile nationally, yet monthly mortgage repayments average just $2,300 because the long-held ownership base carries little debt. The crime rate of 19.4 incidents per 1,000 residents is low, and 78.6% of residents stayed in the same dwelling over the prior five years, signalling that those who arrive rarely leave.

Kensington Park urban fabric map

Population

2,627

Median Age

42.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$2,058/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

42

Median House

$2.5M

Median 1Q 2026

1.1 km²· 2,385.1 people/km²· Family income $2,615/wk

The median house price of $2,518,000 in Q1 2026 reflects a 9.9% correction from the $2,795,000 peak reached in Q1 2025, so buyers entering now acquire at a notable discount to the recent high. Separate houses account for 68.4% of stock, higher than many inner-ring suburbs at this price point, with semi-detached dwellings at 25.5% and apartments at only 5.5%. The bedroom split favours families: 39.3% of dwellings have three bedrooms and 30.2% have four or more. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.8%, below the 30% stress threshold despite a premium price, because most buyers bring substantial equity. Outright owners account for 43.4% of households, well above the national average.

For Buyers

The median house price of $2,518,000 in Q1 2026 reflects a 9.9% correction from the $2,795,000 peak reached in Q1 2025, so buyers entering now acquire at a notable discount to the recent high. Separate houses account for 68.4% of stock, higher than many inner-ring suburbs at this price point, with semi-detached dwellings at 25.5% and apartments at only 5.5%. The bedroom split favours families: 39.3% of dwellings have three bedrooms and 30.2% have four or more. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.8%, below the 30% stress threshold despite a premium price, because most buyers bring substantial equity. Outright owners account for 43.4% of households, well above the national average.

For Investors

With weekly rent at $350 against a $2,518,000 median, the gross rental yield is below 1%, positioning Kensington Park as a capital-growth rather than income play. The renter share of 28.2% is moderate, and a vacancy rate of 6.4% indicates the rental pool is looser than the ownership market. Rent-to-income at 17% keeps tenants financially comfortable, reducing churn risk. Development activity recorded 36 applications in the past 12 months, moderate for a suburb this size, with recent examples including semi-detached land divisions. The overseas-born share of 33.6% is 12 percentage points above national, and Mandarin is the top non-English language, suggesting continued overseas buyer and tenant demand from that cohort.

Development Activity

Total DAs

190

Last 12 Months

42

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+35.5%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Renovation / Extension
21
Deck / Pergola / Patio
11
Tree Removal
11
New Dwelling
8
Garage / Carport / Shed
6
Fencing
5
Swimming Pool / Spa
4
Signage / Advertising
2

Schools in Kensington Park iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Pembroke School

ICSEA 1171 Combined Independent

R-12 · 1672 students

Demographics

The median age of 42 is 2 years above the national figure, reflecting an established, professionally mature population. University qualifications reach 60.7%, which is 30.6 percentage points above the national average, the highest-educated tier in practical terms. The overseas-born share of 33.6% is 12 percentage points above national, led by Chinese ancestry (343 residents) alongside English (872), Italian (266) and Irish (243). Mandarin is spoken by 105 residents. Average household size is 2.5, matching the national figure, but the family composition leans toward couples: 788 couples have children and 550 are couples without children, with 2,038 total families. The volunteering rate of 22% indicates strong community participation.

Age Distribution

0-14
14.9%
15-24
16.1%
25-44
21.6%
45-64
27.3%
65+
19.7%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
4.7%
2 bed
25.8%
3 bed
39.3%
4+ bed
30.2%

Dwelling Structure

68.4%

Houses

25.5%

Townhouse

5.5%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 43.4% Mortgage 28.5% Rent 28.2%

The price correction from $2,795,000 to $2,518,000 between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026, a fall of 9.9%, is the dominant market story. Despite that, the ownership base is deeply entrenched: 43.4% own outright, 28.5% carry a mortgage and 28.2% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders by a wide margin signals a suburb where most housing wealth is already paid off rather than leveraged. Three-bedroom homes account for 39.3% of stock and four-plus-bedroom for 30.2%, making it family-oriented at the stock level. The vacancy rate of 6.4% is elevated compared to tightly held inner-Adelaide suburbs, pointing to selective demand rather than a broad rental market. Rent at $350 per week is modest relative to the purchase price.

Median House Price Trend

Source: State Valuer-General

Mortgage / mo

$2,300

Rent / wk

$350

HH Size

2.5

Personal Income / wk

$888

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

6.4%

Unoccupied

67

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

17.0%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

25.8%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Mandarin
105
Italian
35
Canton
26
Greek
13
Sinhal
12
Punjabi
11

Ancestry

English
872
Chinese
343
Other
280
Italian
266
Irish
243
Scottish
217

Household Composition

27.0%

Couples, no children

2,038

Total families

Economy & Employment

Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 22.2% of workers (224 residents), followed by Education at 15.2% (154) and Professional/Technical services at 14.3% (145), a knowledge-economy cluster that explains why 60.7% of residents hold university qualifications. By occupation, Professionals dominate with 490 workers, and Managers number 207, consistent with a suburb whose household income ranks at the 77.2nd percentile nationally. Public Administration accounts for 7% of employment. The unemployment rate is 5.4% and full-time employment reaches 59% of those employed, with 515 part-time workers. SEIFA decile data is not available for this suburb at the SA2 level in this dataset, but income and occupation structure point to mid-to-high advantage.

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Full-time

59.0%

Part-time

35.6%

Participation

59.5%

Employed

1,257

Occupations

Professionals 490
Managers 207
Clerical/Admin 153
Community/Personal 138
Sales 101
Labourers 66
Machinery/Drivers 25

Top Industries

Healthcare 22.2%
Education 15.2%
Professional/Tech 14.3%
Public Admin 7.0%
Retail 5.9%

University

60.7%

Postgraduate

20.6%

Born Overseas

33.6%

Dwellings

987

Transport to Work

Car use is high at 77.1% of commuters using a vehicle, while public transport accounts for 8.4% and walking or cycling 8%, which is reasonable for an inner-Adelaide suburb at this density. The crime rate of 19.4 incidents per 1,000 residents is notably low. Only 4.4% of residents (112 people) need daily assistance with core activities, a figure well below national rates typically found in lower-decile suburbs. Rent-to-income at 17% is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, keeping the renter cohort stable. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby institutions in neighbouring Kensington, Norwood and surrounding suburbs. The 22% volunteering rate is above average nationally.

Drive

77.1%

Public Transport

8.4%

Walk / Cycle

8.0%

Work from Home

N/A

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

51

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

19.4

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Kensington Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 19%
Household Income
Top 23%
Rent Level
Top 28%
Apartments
Top 42%
Renters
Top 32%
Uni Educated
Top 4%
Public Transport
Top 16%
Born Overseas
Top 10%
Density
Top 6%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kensington Park a good suburb to live in?

Kensington Park scores well across multiple indicators. The crime rate of 19.4 per 1,000 residents is low, household income sits at the 77.2nd percentile nationally, and 60.7% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 30.6 percentage points above national. The main trade-off is the $2,518,000 median house price, which limits accessibility for buyers without substantial equity.

What is the median house price in Kensington Park?

The median house price is $2,518,000 as of Q1 2026, down 9.9% from the Q1 2025 peak of $2,795,000. Weekly rent averages $350 and monthly mortgage repayments are approximately $2,300, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.8%.

What schools are in Kensington Park?

No schools are recorded within the Kensington Park boundary in this dataset. Families typically access schools in neighbouring suburbs including Kensington, Norwood and Burnside. The local population is highly educated, with 60.7% of residents holding university qualifications, which is 30.6 percentage points above the national average.

Is Kensington Park safe?

Kensington Park has a crime rate of 19.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is low by Adelaide inner-ring standards. The suburb's low-crime identity is reinforced by an affluent, stable population: 78.6% of residents remained in the same dwelling over the five-year census period and only 4.4% require daily assistance.

Is Kensington Park good for property investment?

The rental yield is modest, with $350 weekly rent against a $2,518,000 median implying a gross yield below 1%. Vacancy sits at 6.4%, above tightly held inner-suburb norms. The case for investment rests on capital preservation in a low-turnover suburb and long-term demand from the 33.6% overseas-born population, which is 12 percentage points above national.

How is Kensington Park's population changing?

The population of 2,627 is stable and slow-moving. A turnover rate of just 21.4% over five years indicates that 78.6% of residents stayed put, well above the national churn rate. Development activity of 36 applications in 12 months is measured, focused on incremental infill such as semi-detached land divisions rather than large-scale densification.

What languages are spoken in Kensington Park?

About 33.6% of residents were born overseas, which is 12 percentage points above the national figure. Mandarin is the most common non-English language with 105 speakers, followed by Italian (35), Cantonese (26) and Greek (13), reflecting the suburb's Chinese and Southern European heritage communities.

How much development is happening in Kensington Park?

There were 36 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, a moderate level for a 1.1 square kilometre suburb. Recent applications include semi-detached land divisions and single-dwelling additions, rather than high-density apartment projects, consistent with a suburb that is densifying gradually through infill.

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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