Insight and data about Kingston
Insight into Kingston
This special place in South West London, between capital and country, has been a Royal Borough longer than anywhere else - it is where the first kings of England were crowned.
Kingston has a long history, a strong cultural and community heritage and is set to be one of the fastest growing areas of London. With the planned arrival of Crossrail 2 and ongoing construction of our award winning Go Cycle scheme, the borough is at the forefront of the city's changing transport infrastructure.
With this comes opportunity, and there are exciting new commercial and residential developments planned, not just in Kingston Town Centre but in all parts of the borough; in Surbiton, New Malden, Tolworth and Chessington in the rural south.
Each centre is bursting with character and points of interest ranging from medieval churches to modern day theme parks, and riverside walks to bustling high streets. There are 27 conservation areas across the borough and preserving Kingston's unique identity during this considerable period of change is a key outcome for the council.
Our people and communities
The people that live and work in Kingston are well educated, innovative and entrepreneurial. The borough has been home to great industry and creativity for many years, which is reflected in assets such as the Rose Theatre, the International Youth Arts Festival, and Kingston University; which boasts the more graduate start-ups than any other.
Our communities are mostly strong, healthy and prosperous. That said, there are people who rely on the council and other public services to enable them to reach their potential.
Like most places, our population is ageing. More people are living longer and some people need more support to stay independent, safe from harm and to achieve wellbeing. Kingston is a diverse borough, not just because of this range of need, but because it is home to people from diverse and interesting cultures and backgrounds. Kingston has a large Sri Lankan Tamil community and is thought to be home to the largest Korean population in Europe.