Kensington, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Kensington, CA Summary

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.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
228
Kensington's Overall Cost Of Living
2.3x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Kensington, CA?

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:

572 out of 634
In California
6,403 out of 6,489
In America

Kensington Cost Of Living Vs. California

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
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Kensington Cost of Living Vs. CA

Kensington, CA Housing Cost Breakdown

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
$1,410,384
Median Home Value
$3,501
Median Rent
$209,137
Median Income

Kensington, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Kensington Services Costs Vs. California

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

Detailed Kensington Groceries Costs Vs. California

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

Detailed Kensington Health Costs Vs. California

Item Kensington California
Optometrist $137.4 $125.68
Doctor $110.0 $135.78
Dentist $118.27 $113.29

Detailed Kensington Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Kensington California
Gasoline $4.6 $3.46
Tire Balancing $60.97 $59.92

Detailed Kensington Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Kensington California
All Electricity $182.51 $193.99
Phone $180.31 $192.25

Kensington SnackAbility

7
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
9/10
Housing
10
Affordability
5
Diversity
8.5
Safety
8
Amenities
8.5
Education
10
Commute
3

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Kensington

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

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