Is Kensington a good place to live?
Among 274 Minnesota towns, just one has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Kensington. Kensington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
270 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Kensington: who provides what
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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Kensington.
The schools Kensington’s kids attend
The West Central Area school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Kensington’s only public school teaches 138 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Central Area S. El.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 138 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
The biggest natural risk in Kensington is inland flooding, at a low overall level
The FEMA hazard score for Kensington comes to 26 of 100, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 40 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 51% come from inland flooding and 21% from cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in nearly three quarters of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes in Kensington are worth about $278K, by Zillow’s estimate
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 5.1%. Among households in Kensington, 79% are owner-occupiers, close to Minnesota’s towns (75%) and above U.S. towns (73%).
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The median household income in Kensington is lower than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
Most working residents leave Kensington for work: only 4% work in town. Among residents locally, 16% live below the poverty line. The town had 177 jobs in 2023, up 70 from 2013. For half of commuters, work is under 17 miles away.
| Kensington | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
How healthy Kensington is
The share of adults in Kensington who have been diagnosed with depression: 25%. In Kensington, 30% of adults feel lonely, and 74% had a checkup this year.
| Kensington | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | Kensington | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.3% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Kensington
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kensington; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Kensington residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Kensington
City in Minnesota, United States
Kensington is a city in Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 266 at the 2020 census. The city is notable in Minnesota history for being the place where the Kensington Runestone was first displayed. It is now at a museum in nearby Alexandria, Minnesota.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,309 ft
- ZIP code
- 56343
- Area code
- 320
Questions about Kensington
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kensington, MN a good place to live?
Kensington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.