Milton Coste

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NYC Neighborhood Comparison

Brownsville vs Kensington

Kensington vs Brownsville: side-by-side market data, transit, and neighborhood profiles to help you decide.

Brooklyn|Brooklyn

Brownsville

Brooklyn

Kensington

Brooklyn

How They Compare

Investors analyzing rental yield will find Kensington offers a stronger rent-to-price ratio based on current market data.

Median Sale Price
$850K
$850K
Median Rent
$3K
$3K
Active Listings
22
91
Avg Days on Market
105 days
57 days
YoY Price Change
N/A
N/A
Monthly Sales Volume
5
15

Detailed Comparison

MetricBrownsvilleKensington
Median Sale Price$850,000$850,000
Median Condo PriceN/A$582,680
Median Co-op Price$200,000$450,000
Median Rent$2,800$2,904
Active Listings2291
Rental Inventory46114
Days on Market10557
Price Cut Share13.6%12.1%
Monthly Sales Volume515
YoY Price ChangeN/AN/A
YoY Rent Change+1.3%+3.7%
YoY Inventory Change-4.3%+12.3%
Subway LinesN/AN/A

Neighborhood Profiles

Brownsville

Brownsville is an East Brooklyn neighborhood of large public housing complexes, low-rise row houses, and a growing number of new construction residential projects. The 3 and 4 trains run through the neighborhood along Eastern Parkway and New Lots Avenue, providing direct subway access to Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan. Betsy Head Park offers a public pool, track, and sports facilities.

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Kensington

Kensington is a residential Brooklyn neighborhood bordered by Prospect Park to the north and the landmarked Green-Wood Cemetery to the west, with Ocean Parkway running through its center as one of the borough's signature tree-lined boulevards. The housing stock includes brick rowhouses, prewar co-op apartment buildings along Ocean Parkway and Coney Island Avenue, and detached Victorian homes on the side streets, served by the F and G trains at Fort Hamilton Parkway and Church Avenue. The B and Q express trains are accessible within a short walk, providing a 30-to-35-minute commute to Midtown Manhattan.

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Transit Access

Brownsville

No subway data available

Kensington

No subway data available

Active Listings

Brownsville for sale

View all Brownsville listings

Kensington for sale

View all Kensington listings

Listing data is derived in whole or in part from the RLS at REBNY (Real Estate Board of New York) Internet Data Exchange (IDX) database. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Milton Coste | Keller Williams NYC are marked with the RLS logo. The information provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Data is refreshed every 15 minutes per REBNY IDX requirements.

Brownsville vs Kensington: Home Price Resilience 2008-2020

From the 2008 financial crisis through the 2020 pandemic, the NYC metro Case-Shiller composite fell about 25% peak-to-trough between 2007 and 2012, then fully recovered by 2017 and gained another 15% through Q1 2020. Brownsville and Kensington both tracked this broader NYC arc, with annual closing volume contracting sharply in 2009 and again in Q2 2020 before normalizing.

Outer-borough submarkets including Brownsville and Kensington generally tracked the broader NYC metro pattern of a 20% to 25% peak-to-trough decline before fully recovering by 2017 and posting further gains through early 2020.

Source: Per Case-Shiller Home Price Index, NYC metro subset, 2008-2020, cross-referenced with StreetEasy historical price data series.

Metric (2026)BrownsvilleKensington
Median Sale Price$850,000$850,000
Median Rent$2,800/mo$2,904/mo
Year-over-Year Price ChangeN/AN/A
Average Days on Market105 days57 days
Distance to Nearest SubwayN/AN/A

Table values reflect current 2026 market conditions. Historical 2008-2020 commentary is sourced from Case-Shiller NYC metro composite and StreetEasy historical series.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more expensive, Brownsville or Kensington?
Neither. Brownsville and Kensington have the same median sale price, $850,000, in the most recent market data. Median rent is $2,800 a month in Brownsville and $2,904 in Kensington.
What is the difference between Brownsville and Kensington?
The median sale price is $850,000 in Brownsville and $850,000 in Kensington. Median rent is $2,800 a month in Brownsville and $2,904 in Kensington. Homes average 105 days on the market in Brownsville and 57 in Kensington. The comparison table above has the full set of figures.
Is Brownsville cheaper than Kensington?
Brownsville and Kensington are currently priced similarly, both at a median sale price of $850,000. Budget constraints will matter less than property type preference and building specifics.
Which has better transit, Brownsville or Kensington?
Transit data is not available for these neighborhoods. Check the MTA website for current service maps.
Which is better for families, Brownsville or Kensington?
This depends on what type of home fits your household. Brownsville and Kensington both offer a mix of apartment and multi-room units in co-ops, condos, and townhouses. Larger 3- and 4-bedroom units, including townhouses and multi-family properties, tend to be more available in lower-density areas. Reviewing active listings filtered by bedroom count is the most reliable way to see what each neighborhood currently offers for larger households. A licensed broker can pull current inventory by bedroom count across both areas for a direct comparison.
Should I buy in Brownsville or Kensington?
The right neighborhood depends on your price range, commute needs, and preferred property type. A comparative market analysis (CMA) of recent sales in both Brownsville and Kensington gives you the clearest picture of what your budget gets in each location. Request a free CMA from Milton Coste to get a side-by-side breakdown of current opportunities.

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Data updated:

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