# Kensington, Whangārei

Kensington (Māori: Tawatawhiti) is a suburb of Whangārei, in Northland Region, New Zealand. It is about 2 kilometres north of the city centre. State Highway 1 runs through Kensington, The Western Hills form a boundary on the west, and Hātea River on the east.
The area includes Whangarei Quarry Gardens, a 24 hectare public garden set around an artificial lake.

## History

In 2018, Whangarei District Council completed improvements to the Kensington Avenue and Kamo Road intersection, following delays since 2014 in acquiring properties.
In April 2020, Police investigated the death of a five-month-old baby at a home in Kensington.
The following month, Police recovered a stolen vehicle with a baby inside from a property in Kensington. The vehicle had been stolen from a nearby petrol station before being abandoned.
A major storm struck Kensington in July 2018. It caused extensive damage to the Whangarei Quarry Gardens, and at least one home was evacuated.
In August 2020, the first stage of a $15.5 million development opened in Kensington. The complex includes a medical centre, gym, physio, food outlets and an early childhood centre. The property was owned by Northland Regional Council, and was previously the site of a Woolworths and Countdown supermarket, but had been vacant since 2014.

## Demographics

Kensington covers 3.11 km$^2$ (1.20 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 3,340 as of June 2024, with a population density of 1,074 people per km$^2$.
Kensington had a population of 3,339 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 99 people (3.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 327 people (10.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,497 males, 1,833 females and 9 people of other genders in 1,422 dwellings. 4.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 45.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 528 people (15.8%) aged under 15 years, 549 (16.4%) aged 15 to 29, 1,467 (43.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 792 (23.7%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 72.3% European (Pākehā); 29.9% Māori; 5.5% Pasifika; 11.9% Asian; 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.4%, Māori language by 6.9%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 12.3%. No language could be spoken by 2.2% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 22.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 35.6% Christian, 2.0% Hindu, 0.6% Islam, 2.3% Māori religious beliefs, 1.1% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, and 1.9% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 48.2%, and 7.9% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 444 (15.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,479 (52.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 759 (27.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $34,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 222 people (7.9%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,266 (45.0%) people were employed full-time, 357 (12.7%) were part-time, and 93 (3.3%) were unemployed.