CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

41.63° N · 72.77° W · GEOID 0940150

Kensington

Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut · part of the Hartford, CT metro

ConnecticutKensington, CTKensingtonKensington

The short answer

Kensington is home to 9,962 people. Median household income is $109,447 a year and median rent is $1,351 a month, 14.8% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $330,400, about 3.0x annual median household income.

Kensington stands out on value for money. Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 97 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings. Also notable: 3.2% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 96% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 57 Connecticut places we track.

96OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Exceptional

Kensington scores better than 96% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 3rd of 65 in Connecticut.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%83
Economy 20%60
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%70
Education 10%66
Commute 10%79
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,351
1% below the median place
Median household income
$109,447
36% above the median place
Median home value
$330,400
3% above the median place
Unemployment
5.2%
7% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Kensington

Capitol Planning Region loses about 2.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in28,857
Moved out31,076
Net−2,219

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Connecticut, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within ConnecticutOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$75K
Leavers$83K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Capitol Planning Region; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.2% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Capitol Planning Region report $75,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $83,300, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$54,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,351 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,224 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $330,400.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 13.8% work from home; 2.7% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Chesterland, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
4.4%
24% below the median place
Income of households moving out6
$83,300
19% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people6
-2.8
367% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureKensingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.4%24% below
Moved from another state1County figure2.2%10% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure-2.8367% below
Income of households moving in6County figure$74,9956% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$83,30019% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeowners pay a median of about 1.9% of home value a year in property tax, more than in 89% of the 2,266 places under 10,000 people we track.

Kensington14.8%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$54,040
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
14.8%
27% below the median place
Home price to income
3.0x
21% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$91,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Kensington, $1,351 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Kensington, but easier on the budget

Places that match Kensington on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Chesterland, OH919.3% vs 14.8%$8,900Compare
Cheshire Village, CT8811.4% vs 14.8%$11,200Compare
Holbrook, MA8511.4% vs 14.8%$9,900Compare
Hamburg, NY8511.7% vs 14.8%$8,100Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Kensington.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Kensington? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
64.2%
27% above the median place
Property tax rate1
1.9%
112% above the median place
Homeownership1
84.9%
28% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureKensingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,3511% below
Rent to income114.8%27% below
Property tax rate11.9%112% above
Home price to income13.0x21% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure102.82% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,93320% above
Property tax paid (median)1$6,38596% above
Median home value1$330,4003% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure5.7%80% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure61.6%20% above
Homeownership184.9%28% above
Renters paying 30%+164.2%27% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,22419% above
Vacant homes1County figure6.1%13% below
Median year built119621% below
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 3.2%, 70% below the median place.

Poverty rate1
3.2%
70% below the median place
Mean commute1
20 min
18% below the median place
Median household income1
$109,447
36% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureKensingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$109,44736% above
Income per person1$52,97132% above
Unemployment1County figure5.2%7% above
Average annual pay5County figure$84,68028% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure2.2%41% below
Jobs5County figure531,855253% above
Poverty rate13.2%70% below
Mean commute120 min18% below
Works from home113.8%11% above
Commutes by transit1County figure2.7%222% above
04

Who lives here

The median resident is 48.7 years old, older than in 89% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 65 Connecticut places we track.

No health insurance1
2.0%
69% below the median place
Median age1
48.7
25% above the median place
Household size1
2.3
8% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher40.6% +27%
Homes with broadband94.2% +2%
Born abroad9.5% +8%
High school or higher92.3% −0%
All 8 people measures
MeasureKensingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population19,9624179th largest
Median age148.725% above
Bachelor's or higher140.6%27% above
High school or higher192.3%0% below
Household size12.38% below
Born abroad19.5%8% above
No health insurance12.0%69% below
Homes with broadband194.2%2% above
05

Life in Kensington

OpenStreetMap shows 4 libraries per 10,000 residents, more than in 93% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Hooker, Henry, House listed 1978

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents21.1 2.1×
Playgrounds per 10k18.1 +92%
Grocery stores per 10k1.0 −53%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k41.2 3.7×
Libraries per 10k4.0 4.6×
Named paths and bike trails2 km +5%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.7 3.2×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Weir Farm National Historical Park 44 miles
  • Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site 59 miles
  • Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site 61 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.9 +10%
Shops31.9 +5%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.1 +0%
Doctors' offices and clinics23.6 +17%
Child care centers2.4 +4%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools11
1
89% below the median place
Public school students11
513
90% below the median place
Students per teacher11
13.2
14% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureKensingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11189% below
Public school students1151390% below
Students per teacher1113.214% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure22.910% above
Shops per 10k7County figure31.95% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure4.10% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure23.617% above
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.44% above
Parks per 10k821.1107% above
Playgrounds per 10k818.192% above
Grocery stores per 10k81.053% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k841.2269% above
Libraries per 10k84.0362% above
Named paths and bike trails82.15% above
Transit stops per sq mi80.7219% above
Nearest National Park Service site943.842% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles920% above
National Register listings10192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 93.2, 32% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Kensington. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk12
93.2
32% above the median place
Natural hazard risk12
97.4
5% above the median place
Heat wave risk12
96.4
7% above the median place
All 7 weather and risk measures
MeasureKensingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Natural hazard risk12County figure97.45% above
Hurricane risk12County figure93.232% above
Tornado risk12County figure90.511% above
Wildfire risk12County figure56.97% below
Heat wave risk12County figure96.47% above
Median air quality index13Metro figure422% below
Good air days13Metro figure66.6%3% below
08

Kensington in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 15% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 15% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Kensington does better than 83% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 7%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,351/mo (2024)$1,710/mo$1,410 to $2,090/mo+4.0%
Median household income$109,447 (2024)$137,000$116,000 to $162,000+3.8%
Median home value$330,400 (2024)$457,000$332,000 to $629,000+5.5%

The median home would be worth 3.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.0 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Kensington

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Northford, CT$1,408$105,174Compare
Dyer, IN$1,225$107,159Compare
Tiverton, RI$1,342$99,158Compare
Hampstead, MD$1,309$97,871Compare
Hampstead, MDTiverton, RIDyer, INNorthford, CTKensington, CTKensingtonDyerTivertonHampsteadKensingtonDyerHampstead

Places built like Kensington

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Kensington performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Kensington, CT14.8%2.2%/yrn/a
Somerset, MA13.5%6.0%/yrn/aCompare
Kingston, MA12.7%10.7%/yrn/aCompare
Tiverton, RI16.2%7.8%/yrn/aCompare
Greenville, RI15.6%2.8%/yrn/aCompare
North Haven, CT15.6%6.6%/yrn/aCompare
Hazardville, CT22.4%-2.0%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Kensington a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 96 out of 100, better than 96% of the places we rate and 3rd of 65 in Connecticut. On cost, space and class size it scores 94 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Kensington expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 14.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $330,400.

What salary do you need to live in Kensington?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $54,040 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Kensington?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Northford, CT, Dyer, IN, Tiverton, RI and Hampstead, MD.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Kensington with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Kensington itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/kensington-connecticut

Citytistics. “Kensington, Connecticut.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/kensington-connecticut/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.