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
$1,472
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Kent, WA

Kent is a city in Washington with a population of 135,015 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $90,416 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 7.8%. Typical homes in Kent are valued around $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.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 184 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 53% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 4260.7 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 53.8°F with 40.1 inches of precipitation per year.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Washington registers 107.0 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,472 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $188 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Kent report an average commute of 26.7 minutes, with 69.8% driving alone and 11.5% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.0 out of 100 (High).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

135,015 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Washington

Median Household Income

$90,416 /yr

Poverty 7.8%

Cost of Living Index

107.0 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Kent compare to other US cities?

Where Kent sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 71% higher than other cities
Home value 86% pricier than other cities
Median rent 70% pricier than other cities
Safety 6% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Kent against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Kent, WA Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Kent, WA. The Lorenz curve traces 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 — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Kent, WA — Census ACS 5-year estimates. 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 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
489.7
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
3771.0
per 1,000 residents

Climate

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

Schools

Total Schools
32
Public schools in this city

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

Washington state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
107.0
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,472/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
70.0 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score

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% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Kent compares to nearby Washington cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Kent) plus the nearest peer cities in Washington, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

WA

Kent

90.42% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$90,416
Brackets
135
Selected

WA

Bellevue

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$15,120
Brackets
151
Selected

WA

Everett

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$11,110
Brackets
111
Selected

WA

Spokane Valley

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$10,550
Brackets
105
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? +

Kent, WA has a population of 135,015 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Kent is $90,416 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Kent? +

Kent has a cost of living index of 107.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Kent, WA safe? +

Kent has a total crime rate of 4260.7 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

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

The median home value in Kent is $537,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Kent? +

Kent has an average annual temperature of 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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