Kensington
Sitting just 4km south of Perth's CBD across the Swan River, Kensington pairs a relatively accessible $557,000 median house price with household incomes in the 92.3rd percentile nationally, a combination that explains why 42.0% of dwellings carry a mortgage rather than being owned outright. The 4,627 residents skew younger than most affluent pockets, with a median age of 38, two years below the national figure. University qualifications reach 55.4%, which is 25.3 points above national, and the suburb scores decile 10 on the SEIFA education and occupation index. Detached houses dominate at 81.8% of stock across a compact 2.6 km2 footprint, leaving apartments at just 5.8%.
Population
4,627
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,496/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
62
Median House
$557K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $557,000 median house price keeps Kensington within reach for professional buyers despite incomes in the 92.3rd percentile, which is why mortgage holders at 42.0% outnumber outright owners at 29.7%. The stock favours families: 81.8% are separate houses, 40.3% have three bedrooms and 36.6% carry four or more, while apartments sit at only 5.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,600, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and well under what high-income inner-city suburbs typically demand. That affordability headroom, combined with a younger median age of 38 versus 40 nationally, points to a market drawing in established couples and families rather than downsizers, with 1,741 of the area's families being couples with children.
For Buyers
The $557,000 median house price keeps Kensington within reach for professional buyers despite incomes in the 92.3rd percentile, which is why mortgage holders at 42.0% outnumber outright owners at 29.7%. The stock favours families: 81.8% are separate houses, 40.3% have three bedrooms and 36.6% carry four or more, while apartments sit at only 5.8%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,600, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and well under what high-income inner-city suburbs typically demand. That affordability headroom, combined with a younger median age of 38 versus 40 nationally, points to a market drawing in established couples and families rather than downsizers, with 1,741 of the area's families being couples with children.
For Investors
Renters make up 28.2% of households and weekly rent averages $375, giving landlords a steady but modest tenant base against the $557,000 median, which implies a gross yield near 3.5%, stronger than the sub-2% returns common in Perth's premium river suburbs. The 8.5% vacancy rate is elevated and signals some softness in available stock, so tenant selection matters. Development activity is moderate at 58 applications over 12 months, mostly single-dwelling approvals rather than large infill, which limits new supply pressure. Demand support comes from the suburb's proximity to Perth's CBD and its decile 10 education-and-occupation profile, traits that anchor rental demand. With rent-to-income at just 15.0% locally, tenants have room to absorb increases, which favours rent escalation over volume-driven returns.
Development Activity
Total DAs
157
Last 12 Months
62
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+26.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Kensington iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Kensington Primary School
K-6 · 447 students
Kent Street Senior High School
7-12 · 1215 students
Demographics
The median age of 38 runs 2.0 years below the national figure, a younger profile than the suburb's high household income (92.3rd percentile) would suggest, reflecting an intake of working-age professionals rather than retirees. University qualifications reach 55.4%, fully 25.3 points above national, while overseas-born residents at 24.6% sit only 3.0 points above national, marking this as a predominantly Australian-born, Anglo-leaning area. Ancestry is led by English (1,969), Irish (547) and Scottish (499), and the largest non-English languages are Mandarin (23 speakers), Italian (13) and Arabic (12), small counts that confirm limited linguistic diversity. Average household size is 2.6, just 0.1 above national, and couples with children (1,741 families) outnumber couples without children (773), consistent with the family-oriented, detached-housing character.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.8%
Houses
12.4%
Townhouse
5.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward recent buyers: 42.0% of households carry a mortgage, 29.7% own outright and 28.2% rent, so mortgage holders outnumber debt-free owners, a sign of an area still attracting purchasers rather than holding long-settled wealth. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 81.8%, with semi-detached at 12.4% and apartments only 5.8%, and bedroom counts skew large: 40.3% have three bedrooms and 36.6% have four or more, against just 2.6% in the studio-to-one-bedroom range. The $557,000 median house price sits well below Perth's affluent river-front suburbs yet pairs with 92.3rd-percentile incomes, which keeps the mortgage-to-income ratio at a manageable 24.1%. Rent-to-income is lower still at 15.0%, a divergence showing that ownership, not renting, is the stretch in this market.
Mortgage / mo
$2,600
Rent / wk
$375
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,072
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.5%
Unoccupied
152
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
21.3%
Couples, no children
3,621
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in stable, knowledge-driven sectors: Healthcare leads at 17.2% (329 workers), Professional/Tech follows at 15.1% (288) and Education at 14.1% (270), with Public Admin at 8.4% and Mining at 8.2% reflecting WA's resource economy. By occupation, Professionals (939) and Managers (442) dominate, which aligns with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.9% and the participation rate reads 67.0%, with 1,454 residents in full-time work. The SEIFA picture is strong but uneven: IRSAD and IRSD both sit at decile 9 and IEO at decile 10, yet the economic-resources index (IER) drops to decile 7, because the 42.0% mortgage share and 28.2% renter base depress aggregate household wealth measures relative to the area's high incomes.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.0%
Part-time
35.1%
Participation
67.0%
Employed
2,385
Occupations
Top Industries
University
55.4%
Postgraduate
14.1%
Born Overseas
24.6%
Dwellings
1,635
Transport to Work
Car dependence is the norm: 78.3% of residents drive to work while only 9.7% use public transport and 5.3% walk or cycle, a reliance typical for a low-density suburb at 1,778 residents per km2 yet offset by the 4km distance to Perth's CBD. The suburb scores decile 9 on IRSAD and IRSD, near the top advantage tier nationally, meaning few residents face relative disadvantage, and only 3.5% (156 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 25.2%, above the national norm, a marker of an engaged residential base. No schools are recorded inside the 2.6 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off given the area's strongly residential, detached-housing character and its 81.8% separate-house stock.
Drive
78.3%
Public Transport
9.7%
Walk / Cycle
5.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kensington compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kensington a good suburb to live in?
Kensington scores decile 9 on the SEIFA IRSAD and IRSD indexes and decile 10 for education and occupation, near the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 92.3rd percentile. University qualifications reach 55.4%, which is 25.3 points above national. It suits families, with 81.8% of dwellings being separate houses.
What is the median house price in Kensington?
The estimated median house price is $557,000, accessible relative to incomes in the 92.3rd percentile. Weekly rent averages $375 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,600, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Kensington?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.6 km2 Kensington boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 55.4%, which is 25.3 points above the national figure.
Is Kensington safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Kensington in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 9 on the SEIFA IRSD index of relative disadvantage, near the highest tier, and only 3.5% of its 4,627 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Kensington good for property investment?
Rent of $375 a week against a $557,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.5%, stronger than the sub-2% returns of premium Perth river suburbs. The 8.5% vacancy rate is elevated, and renters make up 28.2% of households, so returns favour rent escalation over volume given the family-oriented stock.
How is Kensington's population changing?
Kensington is settled and slow-turnover, with 79.5% of its 4,627 residents having stayed put and a turnover rate of just 20.5%, below newer estates. Development is moderate at 58 applications in 12 months, mostly single dwellings, so the population is consolidating rather than expanding rapidly.
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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