Question 1

Is Kingston a nice place to live?

Accepted Answer

Kingston sits in Canberra’s inner south and pairs leafy streets of weatherboard and interwar cottages with a lively waterfront precinct. The Kingston Foreshore along Lake Burley Griffin brings cafés, restaurants and modern apartments, while the Kingston shops and the Old Bus Depot Markets provide a regular dining and shopping draw. Creative facilities such as the Canberra Glassworks and lakeside walking and cycling routes give residents cultural and recreational options, and the suburb has easy access to the city and the parliamentary precinct.

About 6,579 people live in Kingston, with a median age of 35. The community attracts professionals, young families and downsizers, and homes are slightly more likely to be rented than owner occupied. The suburb is also part of the East Lake urban renewal area, which includes plans for considerable new housing, a business precinct and an upgraded transport hub, plus staged arts precinct and active-travel and park works that will change local routes and amenity over time.

Question 2

Is it expensive to live in Kingston?

Accepted Answer

A typical local household in Kingston earned $2,469 a week at the last Census. On that basis, the average house rent of $870 a week would take about 35.2% of a typical local household's weekly income, a sizeable share, while the average unit rent of $630 a week would take about 25.5%, a moderate share. For renters, that gap means a unit rent would generally sit easier against local incomes than a house rent.

The median unit price of $686,250 works out to about 5.3 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census, which sits somewhat above local incomes. On these figures, buying a unit looks more stretched against what people locally earned at the last Census than renting one, but whether that feels expensive depends on your own income and circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Question 3

Is Kingston a good place to invest?

Accepted Answer

The standout movement over the past 12 months is in house values: Kingston house median values fell sharply, down 28.3%. Unit values moved the other way, rising a modest 3.8%. On the income side, house rents rose a modest 2.4% while unit rents increased slightly, up 0.8%.

For someone weighing Kingston as an investment, those value changes speak to capital moving in opposite directions for houses and units over the year, while the rent figures show houses delivered stronger rent growth than units. Which of those outcomes matters more depends on whether you are prioritising capital growth or rental income and on your own goals and circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	N/A	$686K
Change in value Past 12 months	-28.3%	3.8%
Sold Past 3 months	9	79
Median days on market Past 12 months	51	50
Average rent Past 12 months	$870	$630
Change in rent Past 12 months	2.4%	0.8%

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