Population 11,723 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Kensington
Household size in Kensington
| Period | Kensington | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.41 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.39 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.61 | 2.33 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.33 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.10 | −0.08 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The average household in Kensington has 2.49 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Even so, the typical household here is bigger than in the wider Buffalo area, where it has 2.33 people. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.39, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Kensington
| Period | Kensington | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.7 | 40.4 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 32.4 | 41.2 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 29.9 | 41.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.4 | 42.0 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.3 | +1.6 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
Kensington is young: half of its residents are under 34.4, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has dropped from 35.7 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Kensington
| Period | Kensington | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.5% | 11.7% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.9% | 12.1% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 24.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 21.2% | 11.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −0.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in five households in Kensington (21.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 6.3 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Kensington
Renters in Kensington
| Period | Kensington | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.7% | 32.9% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 56.6% | 33.8% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 54.2% | 34.3% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 50.7% | 33.2% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | +0.3 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Kensington: 50.7% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 42.2% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the northeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 1.0 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Kensington
| Period | Kensington | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.7% | 10.6% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 10.3% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 10.0% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 8.4% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −12.8 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Kensington: 7.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy is down 12.8 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of Buffalo's 38 neighborhoods, only three have a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Kensington
| Period | Kensington | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1940 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1939 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1941 | 1958 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1943 | 1960 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +5 | +6 |
Kensington is a place of older homes: half were built before 1943, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the west has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Kensington
| Period | Kensington | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $770 | $728 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $827 | $783 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $881 | $873 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,284 | $1,126 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$513 | +$398 | +$698 | +$606 |
The median renter in Kensington pays $1,284 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in the wider Buffalo area ($1,126). Rent has climbed $513 a month since 2006–10, up 67%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 37.6% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Kensington
Bachelor's degrees in Kensington
| Period | Kensington | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.2% | 27.6% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 29.6% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.0% | 32.3% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.4% | 35.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +8.0 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Kensington have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.4%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 5.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the southwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Kensington
| Period | Kensington | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.7% | 88.2% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.3% | 89.8% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.7% | 91.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.5% | 91.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +3.7 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Kensington have finished high school as nationally: 89.5%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the Buffalo area overall (91.9%). The share with a diploma is up 2.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Kensington
| Period | Kensington | Buffalo area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 8.0% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 4.8% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 5.4% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Kensington: 7.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.2 points, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Kensington compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington | 2.49 | 34.4 | 21.2% | 50.7% | 7.9% | 1943 | $1,284 | 22.4% | 89.5% | 7.5% |
| Lasalle | 2.68 | 30.8 | 19.2% | 65.0% | 12.5% | 1939 | $1,260 | 29.8% | 87.4% | 7.8% |
| Kenfield | 2.61 | 29.5 | 32.2% | 59.2% | 14.4% | 1945 | $824 | 16.9% | 83.0% | 7.1% |
| University | 2.45 | 28.4 | 10.2% | 63.0% | 9.5% | 1946 | $1,263 | 45.1% | 95.3% | 4.9% |
| Leroy | 2.67 | 35.0 | 26.7% | 59.7% | 15.2% | 1944 | $949 | 18.6% | 83.9% | 11.2% |
| Starin Central | 2.25 | 43.5 | 11.9% | 40.6% | 12.7% | 1950 | $1,142 | 53.3% | 91.2% | 9.5% |
| Grider | 2.25 | 39.9 | 21.0% | 47.2% | 17.8% | 1942 | $1,010 | 8.4% | 91.6% | 12.7% |
| Schiller Park | 2.76 | 31.3 | 31.9% | 57.4% | 13.4% | 1941 | $1,057 | 12.5% | 85.8% | 9.8% |
| Genesee Moselle | 2.47 | 35.1 | 27.9% | 49.3% | 14.5% | 1939 | $1,172 | 18.0% | 86.4% | 9.3% |
| Hamlin Park | 2.55 | 32.0 | 25.3% | 44.0% | 10.9% | 1939 | $1,192 | 28.6% | 86.8% | 7.3% |
| Mlk Park | 2.33 | 36.1 | 25.6% | 57.5% | 20.8% | 1938 | $740 | 14.0% | 78.8% | 9.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Airport-Pines Road, Shreveport, LA · South 48th Street, Lincoln, NE · Shawnee, Louisville, KY · Prospect Park, Minneapolis, MN · Oceanway, Jacksonville, FL · Northwest Akron, Akron, OH · North Deering, Portland, ME · McMurray-Huntingdon, Nashville, TN · Lawndale, Philadelphia, PA · La Homa, Mission, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Kensington. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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