Moving to Kensington VIC 3031
What the official numbers say about living in Kensington — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $1,097,000 for a median house or $529,500 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 49% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $416 a week, against a median household income of $2,216 a week.
About 49% of homes are owner-occupied and 50% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the townhouse.
Who you'll be living with
Kensington grew 11% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (9,719 → 10,745 people).
Around 56% of households are families, averaging 2.1 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, Vietnam, China; most spoken languages besides English: Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Kensington sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 10 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (29% of workers), while 55% work from home.
Nearest train station: Kensington, 300 m east.
Nearest tram stop: Stop 26: Newmarket Station, 650 m north.
Nearest bus interchange: Southern Cross Coach Terminal, 3.3 km south-east.
Nearest ferry wharf: Port Phillip Ferries Docklands Terminal, 3 km south-east.
Nearest airport: Essendon Fields Airport, 8 km north.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 4 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 80 schools · 341 cafes & restaurants · 32 supermarkets · 116 parks — see them all on the Kensington profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Kensington Primary School 100 m · Holy Rosary Primary School 250 m · Kensington Community High School 650 m · St Brendan's Primary School 1.1 km · Debney Meadows Primary School 1.1 km · St Aloysius College 1.4 km · Mount Alexander College 1.4 km · Flemington Primary School 1.6 km
Groceries: Foodworks 250 m · Cheaper Buy Miles 650 m · KFL Supermarkets 650 m · IGA 750 m · Woolworths 750 m · Ballbayan Groceries 800 m · IGA 1.3 km · Tiem Tap Hoa Asian Grocer 1.3 km
Parks and reserves: Bayswater Road Park 300 m · Escarpment Reserve 350 m · Warun Biik 350 m · Skinny Park 350 m · Women's Peace Garden 400 m · Peppercorn Park 450 m · Robertson Street Reserve 450 m · Liddy Street Reserve 450 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Kensington, most often seen first: Common Myna · Rock Dove · Silver Gull · Rainbow Lorikeet · Magpie-lark · Little Raven.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Kensington, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington here | 10,745 | $1,097,000 | 10/10 | 7% |
| Flemington | 7,025 | $1,085,000 | 5/10 | 5% |
| Travancore | 2,116 | $1,811,000 | 9/10 | 11% |
| Ascot Vale | 15,197 | $1,300,000 | 9/10 | 5% |
| North Melbourne | 14,953 | $1,311,000 | 9/10 | 7% |
| Parkville | 7,074 | $1,745,000 | 10/10 | 18% |
| West Melbourne | 8,025 | $1,231,000 | 10/10 | 2% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Melbourne — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Maribyrnong — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3031 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Kensington profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Kensington has a median sale price of $1,097,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $529,500. Renters pay a median $416 a week, and about 50% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 11% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 9,719 people to 10,745. It sits about 4 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Kensington station is roughly 0.3 km away. Local government is Melbourne council, and the federal seat is Maribyrnong.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Kensington vs Flemington · Kensington vs Ascot Vale.
Nearby guides: Flemington · Travancore · Ascot Vale · North Melbourne · Parkville · West Melbourne.
Keep an eye on Kensington
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