Kensington

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Kensington, MD Area Guide

Small-town charm in the DC suburbs

Suburb Public Transportation MTA Rail Service Safe Low Crime

Kensington is a small suburban community located about ten miles north of Washington, D.C., and four miles from Bethesda. The terrific location makes Kensington a popular choice among commuters who work in the nation’s capital and the surrounding areas but prefer a quieter home environment. The town center features a charming assortment of locally-owned shops and restaurants, and the beautiful parks along the banks of Rock Creek provide great opportunities to enjoy the tranquility of nature.

Just outside of town, the Westfield Wheaton shopping mall anchors a large commercial district to the northeast, and the Strathmore performing arts center to the northwest attracts an eclectic lineup of musicians and other artists to its unique stages. If you prefer not to drive, you can always ride a MARC train to many of the surrounding cities via the orange line.

Rent Trends

As of April 2026, the average apartment rent in Kensington, MD is $1,518 for a studio, $1,722 for one bedroom, $2,137 for two bedrooms, and $2,439 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Kensington has increased by 3.6% in the past year.

Property Type
Average Rent
Average Sq Ft
Apartment
$1,722/month
624 Sq Ft
See Rental Market Trends in Kensington, MD

Getting Around

Explore how walkable, bikeable, drivable, and transit-friendly Kensington, MD is for everyday living.

Moderately walkable

Walkability

70 / 100

Good public transit

Transit

70 / 100

Very drivable

Drivability

80 / 100

Fairly bikeable

Bikeability

50 / 100

Schools

Garrett Park Elementary

Public

Grades PK-5

Rock View Elementary

Public

Grades PK-5

Stephen Knolls School

Public

Grades PK-12

Silver Creek Middle

Public

Grades 6-8

Newport Mill Middle

Public

Grades 6-8

Stephen Knolls School

Public

Grades PK-12

Albert Einstein High

Public

Grades 9-12

Stephen Knolls School

Public

Grades PK-12

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Wheaton Regional Park
  • Brookside Gardens
  • Audubon Naturalist-Woodend Sanctuary
  • Brookside Nature Center
  • McCrillis Gardens

Airports

  • Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl
  • Washington Dulles International

Top Apartments in Kensington

Houses for Rent in Kensington

Search Nearby Rentals

Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2026.