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City · 8,954 residents · Montgomery County, Maryland

North Kensington , Maryland

In North Kensington, a typical home is worth $576,700 and typical rent is $1,828 a month. Compared with all of Montgomery County, typical rent is 12% lower, the typical home value is 10% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 13 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $576,700

    10% below the county

    37% above Maryland

    • North Kensington
    • Montgomery
    • Maryland

  • Typical rent

    $1,828a month

    12% below the county

    7% above Maryland

    • North Kensington
    • Montgomery
    • Maryland

  • Typical household income

    $135,040a year

    About the same as the county

    30% above Maryland

    • North Kensington
    • Montgomery
    • Maryland

  • Households that own their home

    78%

    13 points above the county

    10 points above Maryland

    • North Kensington
    • Montgomery
    • Maryland

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

North Kensington is in Montgomery County. The FHA loan limit ($1,249,125 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Montgomery County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets North Kensington apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 78% of households in North Kensington own their home, against 65% in Montgomery County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in North Kensington

What homes there are in North Kensington, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In North Kensington, 7 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Montgomery County, 5.

Year built

Homes in North Kensington are older: the typical year built is 1959; in Montgomery County, 1980.

In North Kensington, 73% of homes have 3 bedrooms or more, more than in Montgomery County (63%).

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,672 a month

Montgomery County: $2,929 a month

Without a mortgage

$754 a month

Montgomery County: $986 a month

Owners with a mortgage

76%

Montgomery County: 70%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in North Kensington is $2,672 a month, less than in Montgomery County ($2,929); without one, $754.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in North Kensington rose 29% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Montgomery County (32%).

Rent in North Kensington moved so little since 2015–2019 that the Census cannot say whether it rose or fell.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureNorth KensingtonMontgomery CountyMarylandUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate3.7%4.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.7%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate3.3%2.5%3.4%
People per household 2.472.722.572.53
Drive alone 58%53%65%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate8%8%9%
Public transit 6%8%4%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%2%3%
Work from home 27%28%19%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate30 to 39 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Fewer people live in each home here: 2.47 on average, against 2.72 in Montgomery County.

To get to work, 58% of workers in North Kensington drive alone; in Montgomery County, 53%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in North Kensington?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in North Kensington, worth $576,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 42% of the typical household income in North Kensington, which is $135,040 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $202,519 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Montgomery County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in North Kensington. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $20,185 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$4,725

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$566,254
Total interest
$814,707
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $9,739 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $3,151 a month

  • Tight

    $3,151 to $4,051 a month

  • Hard

    more than $4,051 a month

    Your payment · 42%

Compared with the typical household income in North Kensington ($135,040 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$4,725
Principal & interest$3,836
Property tax$394
Home insurance$240
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$255

You need at least $20,185 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

North Kensington and Montgomery County

North Kensington is in Montgomery County, Maryland. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

North Kensington's own numbers

Typical home value
$576,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,828
Typical yearly household income
$135,040
Households that own their home
78%
Effective property tax rate
0.82%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Montgomery County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$1,249,125
Conventional limit, one unit
$1,249,125
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,438
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+35%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.1%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Montgomery County.

Everything about Montgomery County

Buying

Buying a home in North Kensington

A typical home in North Kensington is worth $576,700: 10% below the county and 37% above Maryland. With the typical household income in North Kensington ($135,040 a year), a typical home costs 4.3 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • North Kensington 4.3 years
  • Montgomery 4.8 years
  • Maryland 4.1 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Montgomery County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Montgomery County rose 50% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Montgomery County.

Period County Maryland U.S.
Last year (2025) +1.3% +2.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +35% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +50% +60% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

North Kensington next to Montgomery County, Maryland and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • North Kensington $576,700
  • Montgomery $640,300
  • Maryland $419,900
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • North Kensington $1,828
  • Montgomery $2,068
  • Maryland $1,705
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • North Kensington $135,040
  • Montgomery $132,450
  • Maryland $103,678
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
North Kensington next to Montgomery County and Maryland
Measure North Kensington Montgomery County Maryland U.S.
Typical home value $576,700 $640,300 $419,900 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,828 $2,068 $1,705 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $135,040 $132,450 $103,678 $80,734
Households that own their home 78% 65% 68% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $4,738 $5,539 $4,093 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.82% 0.87% 0.97% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 57% 52% 51% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Montgomery County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in North Kensington

For a typical $576,700 home in North Kensington, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, North Kensington's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $4,725a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $20,185
    Cash to close
    $37,486
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $255

  • Conventional, 5% down $4,620a month

    Down payment
    $28,835
    Cash to close
    $46,136
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $274

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $3,760a month

    Down payment
    $115,340
    Cash to close
    $132,641
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $4,293a month

    Down payment
    $86,505
    Cash to close
    $103,806
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for North Kensington and for Montgomery County.

Property tax

Effective rate in North Kensington

0.82%of the home’s value each year

$4,738 a year for the typical owner in North Kensington.

  • North Kensington 0.82%
  • Montgomery 0.87%
  • Maryland 0.97%

What Maryland publishes Homestead tax credit (cap on yearly assessment increases) (Maryland General Assembly (Annotated Code of Maryland, Tax-Property Article))

Exemptions and deadlines in Maryland

Flood risk in Montgomery County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Montgomery County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0.1%
305
Of those, with NFIP insurance
51%
County Maryland U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0.1% 1.2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 51% 74% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in North Kensington

Typical rent in North Kensington is $1,828 a month: 12% below the county. In North Kensington, 57% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Montgomery County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,438 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $46.88 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Montgomery County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $2,111 $40.60 $84,440
1 bedroom $2,204 $42.38 $88,160
2 bedrooms $2,438 $46.88 $97,520
3 bedrooms $3,107 $59.75 $124,280
4 bedrooms $3,658 $70.35 $146,320

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in North Kensington

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). North Kensington has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $2,520 in 20895 to $2,590 in 20902.

2 of the 2 are above the fair market rent for Montgomery County ($2,438).

  • 20895 $2,520$3,210
  • 20902 $2,590$3,300

2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for North Kensington when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in North Kensington

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 3 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Montgomery County; 3 say they serve in Spanish.

An older man and his daughter go over papers with a professional.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in North Kensington

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for North Kensington or Montgomery County. The ones below are statewide in Maryland: they work in North Kensington the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Maryland

  • MMP 1st Time Advantage

    Statewide in Maryland

    Maryland Mortgage Program mortgages for first-time buyers, with a deferred 0% second mortgage for the down payment: $6,000, or 3%, 4% or 5% of the loan. Offered by Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • MMP Flex Loans

    Statewide in Maryland

    Maryland Mortgage Program mortgages for first-time buyers and for people who have owned a home before; Flex 6000 brings $6,000 and Flex 3% brings 3% of the loan for the down payment, as a deferred 0% second loan. Offered by Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • Maryland SmartBuy

    Statewide in Maryland

    Maryland Mortgage Program loan of up to 15% of the price (maximum $25,000) to pay off your student debt when you buy a home; no interest or monthly payments, and forgiven after five years if you stay in the home. Offered by Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near North Kensington

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of North Kensington, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Latino Economic Development Corporation

    12520 Prosperity Dr, Silver Spring · 6 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 1 more
    (202) 540-7426

  • Housing Initiative Partnership, Inc. (HIP)

    6525 Belcrest Rd, Hyattsville · 8 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in French and Portuguese.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 8 more
    (301) 699-3835

  • Housing Initiative Partnership, Inc.(hip)

    620 East Diamond Avenue, Gaithersburg · 9 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Portuguese.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Workshops for new owners
    • and 2 more
    (301) 916-5946

Every agency in Montgomery County All counseling agencies in Maryland

Help in Spanish near North Kensington

3 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of North Kensington

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Montgomery County is named for North Kensington or Montgomery County.

2 other authorities have an office in Montgomery County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Montgomery County

These cities are also in Montgomery County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Montgomery County Housing in Maryland
See 24 more cities in Montgomery County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to North Kensington, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Montgomery County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in North Kensington.

All guides
A father smiles as he carries his baby on his shoulders outdoors.

Questions

Housing questions about North Kensington

Short answers with the numbers for North Kensington and all of Montgomery County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in North Kensington?

The typical home value in North Kensington is $576,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Montgomery County it is $640,300.

How much does it cost to rent in North Kensington?

Typical rent in North Kensington is $1,828 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Montgomery County is $2,438.

What is the FHA loan limit in North Kensington?

North Kensington uses the FHA limit for all of Montgomery County (2026): $1,249,125 for a one-unit home and $2,402,625 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in North Kensington?

The typical homeowner in North Kensington pays $4,738 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.82% of the home’s value; in Montgomery County, the rate is 0.87%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in North Kensington?

There are 3 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Montgomery County. 3 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).