Kensington (SA), SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Kensington is a historic suburb just east of central Adelaide, in the City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters. Unusually, its streets are laid out on the diagonal, set at an angle to reduce crossings of Second Creek, and the suburb is rich in heritage buildings. Surveyed in 1838, it was named after Kensington Palace in London. Mary MacKillop, the Catholic nun who became Australia's first saint, lived and worked here from 1872, founding the Sisters of St Joseph; the precinct that bears her name now holds a museum, a chapel and a college. Some of Adelaide's earliest horse-drawn trams ran from Kensington into the city. The visual-effects studio Rising Sun Pictures, known for its work on major films, took its name from a local hotel where its founders first met.
More advantaged than the national average
Kensington (SA) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 69% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1021, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Kensington (SA) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 1,808
- Median age
- 43
- Median weekly household income
- $1,355
- SEIFA score
- 1021
- Coordinates
- -34.9238, 138.6456
Kensington (SA) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Kensington (SA) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 28%, 47% of homes are rented, and 34% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 235 | 13% |
| Youth (15–24) | 206 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 502 | 28% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 431 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 435 | 24% |
Share of the 1,809 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 197 | 23% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 192 | 22% |
| Rented | 402 | 47% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 257 | 30% |
| Townhouses & semis | 366 | 42% |
| Flats & apartments | 232 | 27% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 864 occupied private dwellings in Kensington (SA).
- Median weekly rent
- $300
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,817
- Average household size
- 2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,340
- Median weekly personal income
- $797
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 581 (34%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 403 (23%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 9 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,063 (71%)
- Labour-force participation
- 60.9%
- Unemployment rate
- 5%
- Employed full-time
- 513
- Employed part-time
- 350
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Kensington (SA)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Kensington (SA) is January (average daytime high around 29.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 14.4°C). The area receives roughly 732 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.7°C | 17°C | 34 mm |
| Feb | 28.2°C | 16.4°C | 32 mm |
| Mar | 26°C | 15.4°C | 23 mm |
| Apr | 22.1°C | 13.5°C | 54 mm |
| May | 17.7°C | 11.2°C | 83 mm |
| Jun | 15.1°C | 9.3°C | 91 mm |
| Jul | 14.4°C | 8.5°C | 102 mm |
| Aug | 15.3°C | 8.4°C | 91 mm |
| Sep | 18°C | 9.7°C | 69 mm |
| Oct | 21.9°C | 11.5°C | 59 mm |
| Nov | 24.1°C | 13°C | 57 mm |
| Dec | 27.3°C | 15°C | 37 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Kensington (SA)
Where is Kensington (SA)?
Kensington (SA) is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Kensington (SA)?
At the 2021 Census, Kensington (SA) had a population of about 1,808.
Is Kensington (SA) an advantaged area?
Kensington (SA) has an ABS SEIFA score of 1021, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 69 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 69% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Kensington (SA)?
Kensington (SA) has average daytime highs of about 21.7°C and overnight lows of about 12.4°C, with roughly 732 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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