Living in Kensington and Chelsea

Is Kensington and Chelsea a good place to live?

Kensington and Chelsea scores 58 out of 100 on our Liveability index, 6th of London's 33 boroughs. It does best on transport (93) and shops and services (89), and least well on safety (10). The highest-scoring wards are Campden, Norland and Abingdon.

Each part compares Kensington and Chelsea with the rest of London, where 100 is the best. The score uses our default weights; on the map you can set your own.

Is Kensington and Chelsea safe?

Police recorded about 2,255 crimes a month in Kensington and Chelsea from June to August 2026, about 185 per square kilometre, above the London borough median of 63. The most common were violence and sexual offences (21%), anti-social behaviour (20%) and shoplifting (16%).

Recorded crime follows footfall: busy town centres and transport hubs record more, which says little about quiet residential streets. Check the exact street with an area report.

Does Kensington and Chelsea flood?

About 8% of Kensington and Chelsea's land is in Flood Zone 2 or 3, the Environment Agency's zones for flooding from rivers or the sea, against 13% across London. About 2% sits in Flood Zone 3, the highest risk band. The zones ignore flood defences and do not cover surface water flooding.

Are there good schools in Kensington and Chelsea?

Kensington and Chelsea has 26 state primary and 6 state secondary schools, plus 29 independent schools. Of the state schools with a current single Ofsted grade, 95% are good or outstanding and 36% are outstanding, against a London borough median of 24% outstanding. Outstanding schools include Colville Primary School, Fox Primary School and Thomas Jones Primary School.

Ofsted stopped giving a single overall grade in September 2024, so recently inspected schools have none. Always check admissions and catchment rules with the school or council.

How good is public transport in Kensington and Chelsea?

Kensington and Chelsea has 10 Underground, Overground, Elizabeth line, DLR or tram stations on the District, Piccadilly, Circle, Central, Hammersmith & City and Mildmay (Overground), in fare zones 1 and 2. About 82% of the borough has good or better access (TfL PTAL 4 to 6b), against 15% of London.

How much does it cost to live in Kensington and Chelsea?

The average home in Kensington and Chelsea cost £1,256,680 in March 2026 (HM Land Registry), down 5.7% over five years. The average private rent was £3,597 a month (ONS, May 2026 release), a gross yield of about 3.4%. Homes cost 26 times average local earnings.

What is the air quality like in Kensington and Chelsea?

Nitrogen dioxide averaged 27 µg/m³ across Kensington and Chelsea in 2022 (London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory), against a London median of 20 and a World Health Organization guideline of 10. Fine particles (PM2.5) averaged 10 µg/m³ against a guideline of 5. Air is usually worst beside main roads.

What are the shops, parks and GPs like in Kensington and Chelsea?

OpenStreetMap lists 26 supermarkets, 41 GP surgeries and 43 pharmacies in Kensington and Chelsea, and 23 public parks covering about 39 hectares. About 72% of the borough is in a conservation area, where outside changes usually need permission.

How deprived is Kensington and Chelsea?

The typical neighbourhood in Kensington and Chelsea is in decile 6 of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 1 is the most deprived tenth of England and 10 the least. About 12% of the borough is in the most deprived fifth.

Which parts of Kensington and Chelsea score best?

The highest Liveability scores in Kensington and Chelsea are in Campden, Norland and Abingdon, and the lowest in Chelsea Riverside and Earl's Court. Every ward is below, with its scores for safety, transport, shops, green space and schools out of 100.

Nearby areas