Kensington flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Kensington
(Melbourne, VIC) - 2.15 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is moderately constrained.
Profile updated 5 September 2026.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
2.15 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Kensington's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Kensington at a glance
How Kensington is zoned
Selling in Kensington? The zoning and planning overlays on this page are the controls a Section 32 vendor statement discloses - a $9 planning report pulls them at the lot level for any Kensington address.
Across its 2.15 km², Kensington is moderately constrained by planning overlays. About 26% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 113 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is General Residential Zone (GRZ1). The median lot measures about 271 m² across 6,656 parcels. These figures are suburb-wide - the overlays that actually apply to a given lot can differ block to block, which is what a property-level check tells you.
Who lives in Kensington
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Kensington suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.
Socio-economic standing
ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.
Score 1097, and decile 10 within Victoria. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Kensington's 10,745 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Kensington (Vic.), the wider ABS statistical area containing Kensington. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Kensington itself.
7,686 in 2001 to 12,423 in 2025, up 62%.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of Population and Housing 2021 (General Community Profile) and SEIFA 2021, both published at the Suburbs and Localities level; Regional Population (estimated resident population) at Statistical Area Level 2. Used under CC BY 4.0. Census counts of small populations are randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality, so figures for small suburbs are indicative.
Kensington data sources and coverage
Every figure below is an aggregate for the suburb boundary. “Not mapped” means LayeredGeo does not hold a source layer covering this suburb; it is never an all-clear for a particular property.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Mapped | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Zoning | Mapped | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services, Defence |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 5 September 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.
What a $9 report adds for a Kensington address
This page is the suburb; the report is your lot. For any Kensington address it resolves, on the lot boundary:
- The zone and every planning overlay that touches the lot, in the scheme's own labels
- Which flood overlay categories reach the lot
- Whether the lot is in bushfire-prone mapping, and what that triggers for a build
- Whether the lot, or a neighbour, is one of the 113 heritage-listed places on record
- Walking distance to the nearest station
- A coverage disclosure: exactly which layers were, and were not, assessed
The interactive map is free - check an address below.
Geotechnical desktop report for a Kensington lot
The planning report tells you what you may build. The geotechnical desktop report tells you what the ground under a Kensington address is likely to do - before you pay for a site investigation.
- Mapped geology and soil landscape on the lot
- Indicative AS 2870 site class, with the evidence behind it
- Nearby bore logs and groundwater records
- Acid sulfate soil and reactive clay screening
- Contours, slope and site elevation
- What the desktop evidence cannot tell you, stated plainly
Check a specific Kensington address
See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.
See what's in the $9 report →Kensington planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Kensington?
The schematic on this page is a Kensington flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 26% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Kensington address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Kensington flood-prone?
About 26% of Kensington falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 22%. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Kensington bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Kensington and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone. Always confirm for the exact lot, as mapping can change.
What is the zoning in Kensington?
The dominant planning zone in Kensington is General Residential Zone (GRZ1), though the suburb also includes Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ3) and Public Park and Recreation Zone (PPRZ). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Kensington have heritage-listed places?
Kensington has 113 heritage-listed places on record. Heritage listing affects what you can alter or demolish, so confirm whether a specific property is listed or near a heritage place.
What is the typical lot size in Kensington?
Across 6,656 surveyed parcels in Kensington, the median lot size is about 271 m². There are also 810 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.
Does Kensington have a train station?
Yes - Kensington has 2 train stations: Kensington Station, South Kensington Station. It is also served by 12 bus stops and 6 tram stops.
What is the population of Kensington?
At the 2021 Census Kensington had 10,745 usual residents, with a median age of 35 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Kensington (Vic.) statistical area, which contains Kensington, went from 7,686 people in 2001 to 12,423 in 2025, up 62%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Kensington alone.
Is Kensington an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Kensington scores 1097 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within Victoria - decile 1 being the most disadvantaged tenth of Australian suburbs and decile 10 the least. The national average score is 1000. SEIFA summarises income, education, occupation and housing across the whole suburb, so it describes the area, not any particular household in it.
What is the median household income in Kensington?
Median household income in Kensington was $2,216 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,926 for the typical suburb in Melbourne. Median rent was $416 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,162 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Kensington property?
A Kensington planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage, environmental and noise - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; the full PDF report is $9.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flemington Moonee Valley |
0.9 km | 41% | 0% |
| North Melbourne | 1.7 km | 29% | 0% |
| Ascot Vale Moonee Valley |
1.7 km | 23% | 0% |
| Travancore Moonee Valley |
1.7 km | 5% | 0% |
| West Melbourne | 1.8 km | 14% | 0% |
| Parkville | 2.4 km | 3% | 0% |
| Footscray Maribyrnong |
2.7 km | 18% | 0% |
| Docklands | 3.1 km | 48% | 0% |
| Seddon Maribyrnong |
3.2 km | 3% | 0% |
| Moonee Ponds Moonee Valley |
3.3 km | 3% | 0% |