The Town Files

Kensington, New Hampshire

Town in Rockingham County · population 2,095 (2020 Census)

Map: where Kensington is in New HampshireKensington
Median home
$657,700
Household income
$165,083
Jan low / Jul high
14° / 82°
Snow a year
63 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
43.3

Kensington is a town of 2,095 people in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. The median home is worth $657,700, above the typical New Hampshire town ($357,650). It ranks better for families than 96% of New Hampshire towns, more upscale than 93% of New Hampshire towns, more of a college town than 92% of New Hampshire towns.

Kensington in our rankings:

How Kensington ranks

Percentile among New Hampshire towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Hampshire towns.

Kensington lifestyle rankings vs other New Hampshire townsRetirement74th pctFamilies96th pctQuiet50th pctWalkability53rd pctFirst-time buyers90th pctYoung professionals72nd pctVibrancy63rd pctHip & trendy47th pctCollege town92nd pctUpscale93rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling88th pctTransit75th pctDriving30th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Kensington is worth $657,700, above the typical New Hampshire town ($357,650). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $165,083, which is more affordable than 39% of New Hampshire towns. Median rent is $1,813 a month. 92.9% of households own their home.

Kensington vs Rockingham County vs typical New Hampshire townKensingtonRockingham CountyTypical New Hampshire townHome value$657,700$497,500$357,650Household income$165,083$118,331$94,107Monthly rent$1,813$1,687$1,285
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Hampshire towns with 500+ people.
HousingKensingtonTypical New Hampshire town
Median home value$657,700$357,650
Median rent$1,813$1,285
Median household income$165,083$94,107
Home value ÷ income4.0×3.8×
Homeownership92.9%82.1%
Median year built19871978
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Kensington

PeopleKensingtonTypical New Hampshire town
Median age43.346.3
Age 65 and over18.8%22.3%
Under 1817.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher48.5%36.8%
Below the poverty line1.9%7.2%
Veterans6.7%—
Born outside the U.S.7.8%—
Work from home19.2%14.2%
Average commute28.6 min27.1 min
Homes with broadband91.9%92.5%

Weather in Kensington

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 14.3°F. About 46.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 62.6 inches of snow (typical New Hampshire town: 67.7 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 154 nights at or below freezing.

Kensington monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing33°14°Jan36°16°Feb44°24°Mar57°34°Apr68°44°May76°54°Jun82°59°Jul81°57°Aug73°50°Sep61°38°Oct49°30°Nov38°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.118.63.320.54.210.94.21.43.84.03.53.54.04.70.23.70.84.310.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Epping station (9.1 mi away); snow from N Hampton (7.4 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kensington since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New Hampshire town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 9, 1953 about 2.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 21, 2006.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Kensington by decade31950s21960s11970s01980s01990s12000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 48 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 3, 2014.

Severe weather in Rockingham County since 1996

Storm events in Rockingham County since 1996 by typeHail162Flood28Drought46High Wind47Lightning56Heavy Snow197Strong Wind64Winter Storm53
NOAA Storm Events Database, Rockingham County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Rockingham County has been included in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 10, 2024Winter StormDR-4799: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding
April 19, 2024Severe StormDR-4771: Severe Storms And Flooding
September 14, 2023FloodDR-4740: Severe Storms And Flooding
April 3, 2020BiologicalDR-4516: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3445: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Rockingham County

Rockingham County had 157,028 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $73,537 a year. Unemployment was 2.3% in 2023; in Kensington itself the ACS puts it at 3.6%.

Largest industries in Rockingham CountyRetail24,289 jobs · $44,546Health care & social assistan…18,810 jobs · $69,748Manufacturing16,214 jobs · $89,913Hotels & restaurants16,080 jobs · $31,039Professional & technical serv…11,299 jobs · $118,584Administrative & support9,050 jobs · $77,950
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Rockingham County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Rockingham 2.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Kensington

1 public school with 143 students, about 8.4 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Kensington Elementary SchoolPK-51438.4

Towns near Kensington

Kensington questions

Is Kensington, New Hampshire a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kensington scores better for retirees than 74% of New Hampshire towns and quieter than 50%. 18.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.3).

How much does a house cost in Kensington?

The median owner-occupied home in Kensington is valued at $657,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $165,083, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,813 a month.

What is the weather like in Kensington?

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 14.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.3 inches of precipitation a year and 62.6 inches of snow.

Does Kensington get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kensington since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 9, 1953. The typical New Hampshire town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Kensington's Census boundary (GEOID 3301539780). Comparisons use the median of New Hampshire towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.