Cost of living in Kensington research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Kensington is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Kensington is 228, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Kensington is 2.3x higher than the national average.
Kensington ranks as the #572 cheapest in California out of 634.
Kensington ranks as the #6,403 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Kensington is $1,410,384.
The median income in Kensington is $209,137.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Kensington has an overall cost of living index of 228, which is 2.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Kensington has a cost of living index that's 1.6x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Kensington ranks as #572 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Kensington ranks as the #62 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Kensington, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Kensington. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Kensington is 115.
The Groceries index in Kensington is 118.
The Health index in Kensington is 123.
The Housing index in Kensington is 476.
The Transportation index in Kensington is 130.
The Utilities index in Kensington is 136.
| Living Expense | Kensington | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 228 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 115 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 118 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 123 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 476 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 130 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 136 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Kensington is $1,410,384.
The Median Rent in Kensington is $3,501.
The Median Income in Kensington is $209,137.
The Home Value To Income in Kensington is 6.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Kensington is 0.2x.
| Statistic | Kensington | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,410,384 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,501 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $209,137 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.7x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Kensington | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.45 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $27.22 | $18 |
| Haircut | $25.0 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $76.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | Kensington | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.7 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.43 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.91 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.87 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.18 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.64 | $3.7 |
| Item | Kensington | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $137.4 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $110.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $118.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Kensington | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.6 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $60.97 | $59.92 |
| Item | Kensington | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $182.51 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Kensington. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Berkeley, CA has a cost of living index of 223, 1.0x Kensington.
Richmond, CA has a cost of living index of 158, 0.7x Kensington.
Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 283, 1.2x Kensington.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Kensington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley, CA | 120,223 | 223 | 1.0x |
| Richmond, CA | 115,396 | 158 | 0.7x |
| Mountain View, CA | 82,363 | 283 | 1.2x |
| South San Francisco, CA | 64,487 | 213 | 0.9x |
| Danville, CA | 43,426 | 240 | 1.1x |
| San Pablo, CA | 31,771 | 143 | 0.6x |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 29,453 | 170 | 0.7x |
| Hercules, CA | 26,245 | 173 | 0.8x |
| El Cerrito, CA | 25,781 | 199 | 0.9x |
| Lafayette, CA | 25,277 | 284 | 1.2x |