City profile · Washington · Census ACS 2023

Kent, WA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Kent - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

135,015
Residents
$90,416
Median income
$537,500
Median home
$1,971
Median rent (state)

Kent - the verdict

Kent ranks in the 71st percentile for household income and the 6th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

71st
percentile, household income
86th
percentile, home value
82nd
percentile, median rent
6th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Kent, WA

135,015 people live in Kent, Washington - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $90,416 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.8%. Home values in Kent run a median of $537,500, and the median resident age is 35.3 years. About 29.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 64.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 184 residential building permits were authorized in Kent (Construction Slowdown), down 53% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Kent's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 4260.7 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 53.8°F with 40.1 inches of precipitation per year.

Washington carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Washington scores 107.0 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,971 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Washington's average monthly utility costs around $188 (state average). The average commute for Kent workers runs 26.7 minutes, with 69.8% driving alone and 11.5% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 98.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

135,015 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Washington

Median Household Income

$90,416 /yr

Poverty 7.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.0 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Washington average

How does Kent compare to other US cities?

Kent measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 71% higher than other cities
Home value 86% pricier than other cities
Median rent 82% pricier than other cities
Safety 6% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Washington alone, Kent ranks #138 of 156 Washington cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Kent against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Washington only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Washington-relative analysis

Median Home Value sits close to the middle of Washington's city distribution

Among the 565 Washington cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Kent ranks #173 - the 69th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Kent only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#243 of 565
57th percentile in Washington
Median Gross Rent
#153 of 599
66th percentile in Washington
Median Home Value
#173 of 565
69th percentile in Washington
Poverty Rate
#225 of 598
62nd percentile in Washington
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#242 of 599
59th percentile in Washington

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Washington only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

71stIncome percentile
6thSafety percentile

71st percentile nationally for median household income · 6th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Kent's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Kent's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 31 Avg. percentile National median
Kent's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Kent's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$537,500 14th percentile more affordable than 14% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Kent $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Kent, WA Kent, WA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Kent, WA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Kent, WA median $90,416/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Kent, WA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Kent, WA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 29.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 64.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
135,015
Median Income
$90,416
Median Home Value
$537,500
Median Age
35.3
Poverty Rate
7.8%
Labor force participation
64.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4260.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
489.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3771.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
53.8°F
Annual Precipitation
40.1"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
32
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
132,000 residents133,000 residents134,000 residents135,000 residents136,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 135,354 residents 134,871 residents ▼ -0.4%
Kent's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
184
housing units authorized
Single-Family
184
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 389
2020 377
2021 424
2022 362
2023 126
2024 184

Permit volume decreased 53% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
26.7 minutes
Drive Alone
69.8%
Carpool
11.1%
Public Transit
5.1%
Walk
1.4%
Work from Home
11.5%
Other
1.1%

Based on 66,301 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Washington - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$85
avg/month
Natural Gas
$48
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$55
avg/month
Total Utilities
$188
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Washington state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Washington state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Kent sits in

Cost of Living Index
107.0
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,971/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Washington

Bellevue
151,199 people
Everett
111,083 people
Spokane Valley
105,460 people
Renton
105,279 people
Federal Way
99,232 people
Yakima
96,810 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Kent's 135,015 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Stamford, CT
135,806 people
Elizabeth, NJ
135,887 people
Victorville, CA
135,983 people
Miramar, FL
135,986 people
Midland, TX
133,998 people
Coral Springs, FL
133,962 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Kent's $90,416 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Windsor Locks, CT
$90,417 median income
Alburnett, IA
$90,417 median income
Millville, UT
$90,417 median income
Mechanicstown, NY
$90,414 median income
Wood Dale, IL
$90,408 median income
Gladstone, OR
$90,395 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Kent, WA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Kent, WA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 39.6% 13.4% 22.3% 10.4% 11.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 16.9% White 39.6% Black or African American 13.4% Asian 22.3% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 2.7% Some other race 10.4% Two or more races 11.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Kent compares to nearby Washington cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Kent (this city) 135,015 $90,416
Bellevue 151,199 $161,300
Everett 111,083 $81,502
Spokane Valley 105,460 $70,722
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Kent, WA?

What is the population of Kent, WA? +

The population of Kent, WA stands at 135,015 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Kent, WA? +

Median annual household income in Kent runs $90,416, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Kent? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Kent; the closest available measure is the Washington state average, a cost of living index of 107.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Washington vary by metro area.

Is Kent, WA safe? +

Kent has a total crime rate of 4260.7 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Kent, WA? +

Homes in Kent carry a median value of $537,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Kent? +

The average annual temperature in Kent runs 53.8°F, 40.1 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.