Cost of living in Kensington, California
Simple answer
Typical rent is $3,501 a month.
Kensington is a Census community, not a separate city government in California. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $237,130 a year.
- People
- 5,179
- Census average, 2020–2024
- Typical rent
- $3,501
- Median gross rent, includes utilities
- Typical pay
- $237,130
- Median household income, yearly
- Typical home
- $1,539,000
- Median home value
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $2,805
- Oakland-Fremont, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
Kensington, California has about 5,179 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.
A typical home is worth about $1,539,000.
HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Contra Costa County is $2,805 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Kensington. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.
In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, prices sit at 115.6 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.
California taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 9.0% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Kensington's exact store tax.
In July 2026, a typical California home paid 33.61¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Kensington's bill.
In 2025, all-grades gas in California averaged $4.53 a gallon. EIA prints this yearly price for only some states.
Among 982 places we list in California with a rent figure, 0 have higher typical rent than Kensington.
Nearby places
- El Cerrito
Typical rent $2,548
Compare with Kensington - Albany
Typical rent $2,445
Compare with Kensington - Berkeley
Typical rent $2,133
Compare with Kensington - East Richmond Heights
Typical rent $2,071
Compare with Kensington - Emeryville
Typical rent $2,936
Compare with Kensington - El Sobrante
Typical rent $2,216
Compare with Kensington - Rollingwood
Typical rent $1,836
- San Pablo
Typical rent $2,018
EBT nearby
USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.
Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.
Food stamps (SNAP) tools in California
Bigger places in California
Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.