North Kensington
Midcentury classics and Charles Goodman contemporary homes
Home values range from $450,000 to $1 million, varying by age, square footage and lot size. Much of the development came in the post-World War II housing boom, which spread for miles surrounding Washington, D.C. Styles include Cape Cods, split-levels and brick ramblers, often sitting on spacious grass lawns and shaded by consistent tree coverage. The Rock Creek Woods Historic District lies at the heart of North Kensington and was plotted and designed by architect Charles M. Goodman in the mid-1950s. “The houses are avant-garde and designed very differently than in nearby areas,” Gary Ditto says. “[There are] California-style ranchers with lots of grass, open space, and not many walls. For a long time, it was populated by medical doctors from NIH.” Goodman wanted to distinguish his contemporary home designs from the typical Virginia Colonial Revival homes on the other side of the Potomac. The result is a modern suburb that preserves native plants and topography, creating winding cul-de-sacs dotted with beech, poplar and dogwood trees between homes.Rock Creek Trail runs through Ken-Gar Palisades Park
"One of the great features of this neighborhood is that it backs right up to Rock Creek Park," explains Harry Moore, a Realtor with eXp Realty LLC. "So biking, hiking, walking and just wandering the woods are all just outside your front door." The vast regional green space of Rock Creek borders North Kensington to the west, so locals can quickly access the 18-mile Rock Creek Trail, which stretches from Rockville into Northwest D.C. Ken-Gar Palisades Park also takes up 20 acres of Rock Creek close to home, featuring basketball and tennis courts, fields for soccer and softball, and a playground for kids. The Montgomery County Road Runners Club, the largest running club in the region, usually trains in Ken-Gar Palisades Park. Farther north is Dewey Local Park, which was renovated in 2020. It has a picnic shelter, a large, lighted dog park and a playground with a "trike track" for kids still pedaling with training wheels. East of Connecticut Avenue is Newport Mill Park, beside Albert Einstein High School. It has a playground and a multiuse field where the community comes out for Mid-County Sparkles in July, a fireworks show that also brings spectators from Wheaton and Kensington.Train history and community pride in the town of Kensington
Ditto, who served on the board of the Kensington Historical Society for many years, speaks highly of Kensington’s stalwart community spirit and its popular annual events, like the Kensington Train Show, which takes place over a weekend in the fall. “We started that about 12 to 14 years ago,” he says. “Around 2,000 people come, including the local Boy Scouts. There are hot dogs, and on that Sunday, we have a storyteller who comes in and sings old-time train songs.” There’s also the Kensington Farmer’s Market, which runs year-round on Saturday mornings along Howard Avenue, close to the train station. Folks can buy local produce, preserves and artisan goods less than a mile south of home. There’s also the Kensington 8K in the fall, which Ditto says brings out the serious runners in town, while the 1K race is more popular for kids and young adults.Westfield Wheaton mall is down the street
Less than a mile down Veirs Mill Road is Westfield Wheaton, an indoor mall featuring over 100 retailers with 27 restaurants. Locals can shop at JCPenney or Target and grab a fast-casual lunch from Firehouse Subs or Grill Kabob in the food court. Down Connecticut Avenue is Kensington Shopping Center, with a Safeway for groceries and Artha Rini Indonesian Restaurant, which is locally loved for its authentic dishes like jackfruit curry and lamb satay. It is also the first halal Indonesian Restaurant in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia region.Einstein High School focuses on college and career readiness
Montgomery County Public Schools serve North Kensington. Students can attend Rock View Elementary and Albert Einstein High, earning A-minus overall ratings on Niche. Then there's Newport Mill Middle School, which has a B rating. Einstein High has an extensive College & Career Center, and the school is part of the Montgomery County Career Advising Program, which works in collaboration with Montgomery College to help middle and high school students search for the right careers.Trains still chug through Kensington
Commuters can take Connecticut Avenue or 16th Street NW to reach the major employers in downtown D.C. after a 10-mile drive, which takes about 40 to 50 minutes, depending on traffic. The Wheaton Metro station is less than 2 miles east and offers Red Line access through D.C. and Maryland. North Kensington is also within a mile of the Kensington and Garrett Park train stations, which offer MARC train access as far north as Frederick and as far south as far as Union Station in D.C. As Ditto says, Kensington is “where the train still stops, and the people still walk.”
Written By
Maxwell Olarinde
Photography Contributed By
Jessica Livoni
Video By
Jackson Nacey
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Agents Specializing in this Area
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Lonnie Gilmore
Lonnie Gilmore
Keller Williams Flagship
(667) 307-7044
77 Total Sales
1 in North Kensington
$605,000 Price
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Melissa Kesner-Fultz
Melissa Kesner-Fultz
Coldwell Banker Realty
(667) 771-5218
80 Total Sales
1 in North Kensington
$565,000 Price
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Ciara Lascano
Ciara Lascano
Responds QuicklyCentury 21 Redwood Realty
(866) 945-7417
49 Total Sales
1 in North Kensington
$410,000 Price
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Evelyn Lugo
Evelyn Lugo
Compass
(301) 618-0742
112 Total Sales
1 in North Kensington
$600,000 Price
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Gary Rudden
Gary Rudden
RE/MAX Realty Services
(240) 363-0885
185 Total Sales
3 in North Kensington
$678K - $1.5M Price Range
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Juan Umanzor
Juan Umanzor
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
(240) 624-7972
524 Total Sales
5 in North Kensington
$403K - $625K Price Range
Schools
Source:
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- 6th to 8th
- Public
- Pre-K to 5th
- Public
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Parks in this Area
Kensington Heights Neighborhood Park
Winding Creek Local Park
Veirs Mill Park
Dewey Park
- Picnic Area
- Playground
- Multi-Purpose Field
Kensington Heights Park
Rock Creek Park
Newport Mill Park
Ken-Gar Palisades Park
Transit
Crime and Safety
| 1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | North Kensington | US |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 3 | 4 |
| Sexual Assault | 3 | 4 |
| Assault with Weapon | 3 | 4 |
| Robbery | 4 | 4 |
| Burglary | 4 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 4 | 4 |
| Larceny | 4 | 4 |
| Crime Score | 4 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
North Kensington Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in North Kensington, Wheaton sell after 67 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in North Kensington, Wheaton over the last 12 months is $504,000, up 9% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Median List Price
$469,900
Median Sale Price
$504,000
Median Single Family Sale Price
$479,990
Median Townhouse Sale Price
$633,000
Median 2 Bedroom Sale Price
$265,000
Median Change From 1st List Price
4%
Last 12 months Home Sales
164
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
9%
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$267
Neighborhood Facts
Number of Homes in Neighborhood
4,789
Number of Homes for Sale
12
Median Year Built
1954
Months of Supply
0.90
Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
3,508
Significantly above the national average
1,924
Average Townhouse Size Sq Ft
2,250
Average 2 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
966
Average 1 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
754
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
6,969
Distribution of Home Values
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
-
-
$1,777 - $4,874 per month
- Maven at Wheaton
- Studio-2 Beds
- 1-2 Baths
- 575+ Sq Ft
- 10914 Georgia Ave
- Wheaton, MD
-
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Average Home Value
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Owners
Demographics
Total Population
16,412
Median Age
41
Population Density
11 ppl/acre
Population under 18
23.8%
On par with the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
17.2%
On par with the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$108,807
Significantly above the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$132,139
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
89.7%
College Graduates
48.2%
Above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
23.9%
% Population in Labor Force
76.6%
Above the national average
65.1%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
40''
Average Winter Low Temperature
27°F
Average Summer High Temperature
85°F
Annual Snowfall
16''
Area Factors
Somewhat Bikeable
Bike Score®
44
/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
28
/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
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