Kensington, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

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 201, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Kensington is 2.0x higher than the national average.

  • Kensington ranks as the #574 cheapest in California out of 635.

  • Kensington ranks as the #6,313 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Kensington is $1,115,600.

  • The median income in Kensington is $167,500.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
201
Kensington's Overall Cost Of Living
2.0x
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 201, which is 2.0x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Kensington has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than California's index of 139.

The standard of living in Kensington ranks as #574 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Kensington ranks as the #61 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Kensington, check out:

574 out of 635
In California
6,313 out of 6,412
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 118.

  • The Groceries index in Kensington is 132.

  • The Health index in Kensington is 125.

  • The Housing index in Kensington is 366.

  • The Transportation index in Kensington is 144.

  • The Utilities index in Kensington is 136.

Living Expense Kensington California National Average
Overall 201 139 100
Services 118 110 100
Groceries 132 112 100
Health 125 109 100
Housing 366 204 100
Transportation 144 126 100
Utilities 136 124 100
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 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Kensington is $1,115,600.

  • The Median Rent in Kensington is $3,152.

  • The Median Income in Kensington is $167,500.

  • The Home Value To Income in Kensington is 6.7x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Kensington is 0.23x.

Statistic Kensington California United States
Median Home Value $1,115,600 $573,200 $244,900
Median Rent $3,152 $1,698 $1,163
Median Income $167,500 $84,097 $69,021
Home Value To Income 6.7x 6.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.23x 0.24x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Kensington, CA
$1,115,600
Median Home Value
$3,152
Median Rent
$167,500
Median Income

Kensington, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Kensington Services Costs Vs. California

Item Kensington California
Shampoo $1.39 $1.06
Movie $13.23 $10.68
Bowling $19.56 $14.67
Haircut $19.39 $18.62
Beauty Salon $67.86 $39.05

Detailed Kensington Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Kensington California
Ground Beef $3.73 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.89 $1.39
Milk $2.87 $2.05
Potatoes $3.35 $3.29
Pizza $12.66 $10.62
Beer $10.57 $9.38
Toothpaste $3.07 $2.34

Detailed Kensington Health Costs Vs. California

Item Kensington California
Optometrist $136.92 $108.57
Doctor $146.83 $116.17
Dentist $133.38 $99.13

Detailed Kensington Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Kensington California
Gasoline $3.38 $2.22
Tire Balancing $62.03 $50.07

Detailed Kensington Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Kensington California
All Electricity $269.4 $167.67
Phone $187.26 $175.64

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 194, 1.0x Kensington.

  • Richmond, CA has a cost of living index of 137, 0.7x Kensington.

  • Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 220, 1.1x Kensington.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Kensington
Berkeley, CA 119,607 194 1.0x
Richmond, CA 115,677 137 0.7x
Mountain View, CA 82,409 220 1.1x
South San Francisco, CA 66,331 182 0.9x
Danville, CA 43,673 218 1.1x
San Pablo, CA 31,975 126 0.6x
San Lorenzo, CA 30,420 151 0.8x
Hercules, CA 26,050 155 0.8x
El Cerrito, CA 25,898 177 0.9x
Lafayette, CA 25,384 236 1.2x

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