Canada›Ontario›Toronto

Kensington-ChinatownToronto

18,597 people call this neighbourhood in Toronto home. Toronto is split into 158 neighbourhoods, and this is one.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: bobistraveling · CC BY 2.0

Population

18,597

people, Census 2021

Median age

35.2

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

62%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

73%

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

TownGrade

#1,961 of 2,556

Is Kensington-Chinatown a good place to live?

Kensington-Chinatown’s grades pull in different directions. Prices are high against local incomes (D−). The neighbourhood grades C overall and ranks #704 of 858 in Ontario. Nationally, it does better than 28% of Canadian towns. It lags on safety as well (D). Health outcomes beat most towns (A). Add walkability to its strengths (A+). Jobs & income is weaker too (D).

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety uses the city's Crime Severity Index, scaled by this neighbourhood's own violent and property crime rates. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁺Walkability AHealth A⁻Hazard riskWeakestD⁻Cost of living DJobs & income

What makes Kensington-Chinatown stand out

The 3 things Kensington-Chinatown does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

73% walk, cycle or take transit

For the middle of Canadian towns, 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

14.5 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $900,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Walkability

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A+.

How Kensington-Chinatown grades

Each subject compares Kensington-Chinatown with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.

How grading works

WalkabilityAmong the best of the towns comparedA⁺Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnD⁻Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedDOpen →SafetyAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesAOpen →Hazard riskLess exposed to natural hazards than mostA⁻Open →SchoolsAbove the middle of the towns comparedA⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Art Gallery of Ontario and 132 more in and around Kensington-Chinatown

A first look at Kensington-Chinatown’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.

All attractions →

Big drawArt galleryArt Gallery of Ontarioin town · 873K visitors a year (2016)

MuseumRoyal Canadian Military Institutein town

Big drawAttractionCN Tower900 m outside town, to the southeast · 1.5M visitors a year

Big drawMuseumRoyal Ontario Museum1 km outside town, to the north · 281.4M visitors a year (2025)

Historic houseCasa Loma2.4 km outside town, to the northwest

MuseumBata Shoe Museum1 km outside town, to the northwest

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (6)

Art Gallery of Ontario: Owen Byrne from Ottawa, Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Royal Canadian Military Institute: SimonP, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
CN Tower: Chris Woodrich, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Royal Ontario Museum: Staka, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Casa Loma: Evelyncyuzu, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Bata Shoe Museum: Gisling, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kensington-Chinatown.

HousingCost of living D⁻

Fewer households own their home in Kensington-Chinatown than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 32%

Shared with the rest of the Toronto metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Rent took 40% of household income, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 42% of households, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

$900,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Kensington-Chinatown$900,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Kensington-Chinatown	Ontario	Canada
Rent as a share of income	40%	22%	20%
Households owning their home	32%	76%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	42%	22%	18%

$2,045

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters32% own their home Cost of living14.5 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $900,000, against the median household income Renting$2,045 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.

Work & commuteJobs & income D

Fewer of Kensington-Chinatown’s 15-to-64s are in work than in 93% of Canadian towns

The average trip to work took 27 min, lower than Ontario’s towns (29 min) and near Canadian towns (26 min).

73%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Walk44%

Public transit24%

Car or van23%

Bicycle5%

Census 2021	Kensington-Chinatown	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	27 min	29 min	26 min

$62,200

median household income, 2020

50%

worked from home, May 2021

91%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment18% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work73% walk, cycle or take transit

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

SafetySafety D

Kensington-Chinatown’s grade for safety: a D

The violent index for its police area came to 93, above Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Property crime in its police area ran at 34.4 per 1,000 residents a year, above Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. Behind Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 sits data gathered across the Toronto service area, with Kensington-Chinatown one part of it.

66Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202369

202469

202560

2023–2025	Kensington-Chinatown	Ontario	Canada
Violent Crime Severity Index	93	76	86
Property crime per 1,000	34.4	30.5	31.2

23.8

violent incidents per 1,000 in the neighbourhood itself, a year

non-violent Crime Severity Index

31%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety66 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Kensington-Chinatown’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Kensington-Chinatown safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

HealthHealth A

Kensington-Chinatown scores better for health than nine in ten Canadian towns

The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the City of Toronto Health Unit

The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 16% of adults, close to both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). Women in the region live to 87.2 and men to 82.0, 84.7 years taken together (2022/2024). Across the region, half of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Ontario (51%). The region has fewer smokers than Ontario, nearly one in ten adults to 11%.

50%very good or excellent healthAHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Kensington-Chinatown50%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Kensington-Chinatown	Ontario	Canada
Life expectancy at birth	84.7	82.8	81.5
Smokers	9.2%	10%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	16%	17%	17%
Very good or excellent health	50%	51%	52%

84.7

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

0.4 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

9.2%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.2 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey50% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care0.4 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.2 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 87.2, men 82.0 Conditions and habits16% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁻

Kensington-Chinatown faces few natural hazards: little fire nearby, low seismic risk, radon over the guideline in 2.7% of tested homes

Shaking is about as much of a worry in Kensington-Chinatown as in most places, at $0.043 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). No one has filed a flood map for Kensington-Chinatown on the national inventory. Kensington-Chinatown doesn’t get its own earthquake risk figures; the ones here come from the city of Toronto.

Lowwildfire bandA⁻Hazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Kensington-Chinatown2.7%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Kensington-Chinatown	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	2.7%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.043	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon2.7% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.043 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

SchoolsSchools A⁻

English or French, public or Catholic: Kensington-Chinatown’s schools come under 4 boards

9 of the 95 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario. Results are mixed: 31 of 73 schools above the middle in Ontario, 23 below it.

95schools within 3 kmA⁻Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Dr. Rita Cox – Kina Minogok Public School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	820	English public
Central Technical School VocationalLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	985	English public
École élémentaire Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6	Elementary · Grades JK–6	380	French public
Bloor Collegiate Institute Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	820	English public

See all 95 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public63

English Catholic23

French public6

French Catholic3

Schools within 3 km	Kensington-Chinatown	Ontario	Canada
School boards	4	4	3

27,925

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

0.2 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards4 school boards · Toronto DSB Every school95 schools within 3 km · 68 elementary schools, 23 secondary schools and 4 alternative or adult schools Results31 of 73 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language9 of 95 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Kensington-Chinatown?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Climate

Kensington-Chinatown has milder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −6.7°C

The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 27.0°C in Kensington-Chinatown. There are 101 days of frost in a typical year, below Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Frost usually lifts by 11 April and returns around 6 November: 208 days without it. A normal June brings 82 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.

27.0°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter1.0°C

Spring11.9°C

Summer25.8°C

Autumn14.9°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Kensington-Chinatown	Ontario	Canada
Days with frost a year	101	139	159
January night low	−6.7°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	27.0°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	115 cm	146 cm	141 cm

115 cm

of snow a year

101

days with frost a year

208

frost-free days, 11 Apr to 6 Nov

104

days with precipitation a year

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 27.0°C, January lows −6.7°C Rain and snow823 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow115 cm of snow a year Weather station1.9 km to the station · Toronto (City)

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Toronto (City))

Who lives here

Children make up only 6.8% of Kensington-Chinatown, fewer than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns

63% of residents belong to a visible minority, above Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. The 65-and-over age group makes up 16% of residents.

35.2median age

Kensington-ChinatownOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

16%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree15%

Postsecondary qualification62%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.7% of Kensington-Chinatown

Here the census found 9,165 men and 9,420 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Kensington-Chinatown
	Kensington-Chinatown	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	6.8%	15%	16%
15 to 64	77%	65%	64%
65+	16%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	15%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	62%	56%	56%

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages35.2 median age · 16% are 65 or over Households9,515 households English and French10% speak both · 0.1% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Weather

In Kensington-Chinatown, November normally means 8°C afternoons and 2°C nights

Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Toronto forecast, on the Weather page. November normally sees 71 mm of precipitation. Into December, the normals move to 3°C and −3°C. About 9 cm of snow falls in a normal November.

8°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November8°C

December3°C

January0°C

February1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	1°C	−5°C	176 mm
Spring	12°C	4°C	207 mm
Summer	26°C	17°C	230 mm
Autumn	15°C	8°C	209 mm

2°C

a normal November night

71 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Toronto (City)); the forecast is on the Weather page

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

3 public library branches serve Kensington-Chinatown

Kensington-Chinatown is served by Toronto Public Library, the library of all of Toronto, so the figures here are the city’s, for 3,110,984 people.

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

A year at the library4.5 visits per person served Places to belong1.8 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Within 24 km of Kensington-Chinatown: Rouge National Urban Park

For a provincial park, Bronte Creek Provincial Park lies 39 km off. E.T. Seton Park (130 ha) is the biggest, 5.7 km from town. 29 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest HTO Beach. OpenStreetMap shows 8 walking routes nearby, including the PATH and Uptown Toronto Discovery Walk.

2.2%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Kensington-Chinatown2.2%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Kensington-Chinatown	Ontario	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	5	4	4
Protected land within 10 km	2.2%	2.3%	2.3%

24 km

to Rouge National Urban Park

39 km

to Bronte Creek Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas12 protected areas within 10 km · E.T. Seton Park National & provincial parks24 km to a national park · Rouge National Urban Park Footpaths & routes8 named routes · PATH

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

History

Kensington-Chinatown: 3 historic places, every one with the highest designation

Just over a quarter of its homes were built before 1961, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Kensington Market, begun in 1815, is the oldest by its record.

3historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations3

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

1815

oldest construction date on the record

26%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Kensington-Chinatown	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	26%	22%	18%

Full pageKensington-Chinatown’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers3 historic places inside the town Highest designations3 top designations · Kensington Market Older homes26% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Kensington-Chinatown have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Kensington-Chinatown

15pages on Kensington-Chinatown

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 66 Housing & costD⁻Homes 14.5 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁻95 schools within 3 km HealthALife expectancy 84.7 in its region Work & commuteD52% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors2.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 35.2 History3 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Kensington-Chinatown’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Wellington PlaceYonge-Bay CorridorUniversityHarbourfront-CityPlaceBay-CloverhillDowntown Yonge EastKensington-Chinatown

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Kensington-Chinatown	18,597	—	C	D⁻	D	A
Wellington Place	25,729	0.7	B	D⁻	C	A
Yonge-Bay Corridor	12,888	1.1	C	D⁻	D	A
University	7,595	1.3	C	D⁻	D	A
Harbourfront-CityPlace	28,199	1.5	B⁺	D⁻	B	A
Bay-Cloverhill	17,591	1.6	B⁻	D⁻	B	A
Downtown Yonge East	18,251	1.6	C	D⁻	D	A

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

About Kensington-Chinatown

Neighbourhood in Toronto

Where Kensington-Chinatown begins and ends inside Toronto is TownRatings’s line, traced along census dissemination areas and named after the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 18,597 (people, 2021 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
City: Toronto
Census subdivision: 3520005

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.

Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).