Soldier's monument, 1913
Kensington’s story
186 years in pictures
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1913 and a map from 1892 on.
- 1840Kensington is settled
KensingtonCT
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
9,962
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$330K
Census ACS
Household income
$109K
median
Median age
48.7
years
Jobs based here
4,027
Balanced
Is Kensington a good place to live?
Kensington’s average commute is 20 minutes, against 27 minutes in Connecticut’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Hungerford Park, 81 acres with 1.6 miles of trail. We don’t grade Kensington yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes Kensington stand out
Where Kensington beats most towns.
A growing town
Kensington has grown 18% from 2010 to 2020
8,459 counted in 2010 and 9,962 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Nearby attractions
All 159 attractions →Lake Compounce and 80 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kensington. Close and well known come first.
8 mi Theme parkLake Compounce
11 mi Stadium & arenaPeoplesBank Arena
35 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
12 mi Stadium & arenaPratt & Whitney Stadium
24 mi Stadium & arenaYale Bowl
30 mi Theme parkSix Flags New EnglandSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Compounce: Wildcat1 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · PeoplesBank Arena: PeoplesBank Arena, CC BY 2.5 · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Pratt & Whitney Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Yale Bowl: Kenneth Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Six Flags New England: Canadaolympic989, Public domain
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Getting set up
Moving to Kensington: who provides what
Kensington is unincorporated, so Hartford County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerFarmington River Power CompanyEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterKensington Fire DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHartford CountyHartford County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Connecticut you can register online until 18 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 18 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBerlin Town ClerkTown of Berlin; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code0603706037 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Kensington.
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Kensington’s year
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 19° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–39°
Spring38–60°
Summer60–82°
Fall43–64°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 17
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: high risk in Kensington, mostly inland flooding
In Kensington, the risk rating from FEMA is 67 of 100, above both the Connecticut town median (57 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). 85% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Kensington’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.9 jobs for each of them
Jobs based in Kensington fell to 4,027 in 2023, 1,352 fewer than in 2013. Most working residents leave Kensington for work: only 7% work in town. Among residents here, 3.2% live below the poverty line. Half the trips to work are shorter than 9 miles.
7%work in town
| Kensington | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 5.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $109,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.1% | 11% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Kensington7%
Hartford12%
Berlin12%
New Britain8%
Farmington5%
9 mi
median commute distance
4,027
jobs based in Kensington
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Older than Connecticut overall
In Kensington, just over two in five adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. People 65 and older are a quarter of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide). The age of the median resident here is 48.7 years.
48.7median age · CT 41.1
| Kensington | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.7 years | 44.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 45% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 20% | 19% | 22% |
KensingtonConnecticutUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school23%
Some college16%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate19%
Women and men · all residents
45% women, 55% men
About 123 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.3 points). Across Connecticut, 50.9% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 61% are men (CT 49%).
| Kensington | CT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.9% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.7% | 9.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.6% | 14.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.9% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.9% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.7% | 8.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.1% | 25.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.1% | 16.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.5% | 7.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.8% | 23.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.8% | 19.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Health
How healthy Kensington is
For adults in Kensington, the share who smoke cigarettes is 10%. Against the Connecticut average, Kensington comes out ahead on 11 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 2. In Kensington, 29% of adults have obesity, and 14% say their health is fair or poor.
| Kensington | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 81% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Connecticut
11 better19 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Kensington | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.9% | 10% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.2% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 8.5% |
The Hospital of Central Connecticut
In New Britain · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Open space protected for good: 8.6% of Kensington
Across 14 parks and preserves: 3.0 miles of trail. For Kensington, the trail density is 0.5 miles per square mile.
8.6%conserved
| Kensington | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 8.6% | 14% | 4.3% |
8.6%
conserved · 338 of 3,918 acres
3.0 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hungerford Park | 1.6 mi | 81 |
| 2. Veterans Memorial Park | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 3. Willow Brook Park | 0.2 mi | 34 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
The median home in Kensington sells for about $350K
Homes sold in Kensington spent a median 29 days on the market. 85% of Kensington households live in a home they own. Its going rate for rent is $1,351 a month.
$350Kmedian sale price
| Kensington | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,351 a month | $1,450 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
29
days on market
102.7%
sale-to-list price
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kensington
17pages on Kensington
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
12 within 15 miles of the center of Kensington
Central Connecticut State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · New Britain4.6 mi$13,050 in-state tuitionHoly Apostles College and SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Cromwell6.4 mi$9,580 tuitionConnecticut State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · New Britain11 mi$5,338 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Kensington residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.
About Kensington
Census-designated place in Connecticut, United States
Kensington is a census-designated place (CDP) and section of the town of Berlin in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The Berlin town offices are located in Kensington. As of the 2020 census, Kensington had a population of 9,962. The Henry Hooker House is a historic home in Kensington.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 84 ft
Kensington’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Kensington.
BerlinNew BritainKensington
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Berlin | #72 | B+ | C− | B− | B | A |
| New Britain | #149 | D− | D− | C− | D− | C− |
Kensington isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Kensington with a neighbor →
Questions about Kensington
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kensington, CT a good place to live?
We don’t grade Kensington yet; the figures below are still real.
What is Kensington, CT known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Austin Stowell and Bob Hart.