Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 400, founded in 1887.
Kensington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 497 in 1910, a peak of 681 in 1980, 399 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1893 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kensington, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Kensington.
84% of Kensington households live in a home they own, above both Kansas’ towns (72%) and U.S. towns (73%). Home values are up 6% over the year to September 2026.
| Kensington | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $554 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Kensington’s age of the median resident stands at 47.9 years, where Kansas’ towns sit at 38.1 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. 28% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 36% across Kansas.
| Kensington | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 47.9 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.8 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Kensington | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.4% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.2% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.4% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.9% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.1% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.9% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.2% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.1% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.3% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.1% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.5% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.6% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.8% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.7% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Households in Kensington have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2013. Compared with 70% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher. FEMA puts just over two fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to hail, and 17% to inland flooding.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The range runs from 16° on a January night to 92° on a July afternoon, with about 18 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 7% of working residents stay in Kensington for work; the rest commute out. The average commute for Kensington comes to 14 minutes. The top destinations are Smith Center (26%), Phillipsburg (11%) and Hays (3%). For half of commuters, work is under 15 miles away.
| Kensington | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.6% | 15% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Kensington, two in five adults have high blood pressure, and 19% have been diagnosed with depression. Against the Kansas average, Kensington comes out ahead on 9 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 5. Also worth knowing: 14% of Kensington adults report frequent mental distress. Only 4 of the 151 Kansas towns we compare have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Kensington.
| Kensington | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| What stands out | Kensington | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.1% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.2% | 11.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Kensington; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Kensington residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
City in Smith County, Kansas
Kensington is a city in Smith County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 399.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Kensington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.