Population 104,499 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Kent: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Kent
Household size in Kent
| Period | Kent | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.66 | 2.52 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.85 | 2.59 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.93 | 2.62 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.92 | 2.60 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.26 | +0.09 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Kent is a place of big households: 2.92 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.66, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Kent
| Period | Kent | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1 | 37.5 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.3 | 38.1 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.9 | 38.5 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.8 | 38.8 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +1.3 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Kent is young: half of its residents are under 35.8, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.1, in line with the national trend.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Kent
| Period | Kent | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 10.3% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 10.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 9.2% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 9.1% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Kent (12.2%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the Seattle area as a whole (9.1%). The single-parent share is down 2.8 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Kent
Renters in Kent
| Period | Kent | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.6% | 37.7% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 50.9% | 40.0% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.3% | 39.9% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 48.2% | 40.0% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Kent than nationally: 48.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Just over a third of owners (34.5%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has edged down 1.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Only 20 of the 219 Washington cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Kent
| Period | Kent | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 6.8% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 6.6% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Kent than nationally: 6.9%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Seattle area. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 1.3 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Kent
| Period | Kent | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1977 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1978 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1980 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1983 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Kent are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1987, versus 1980 across the U.S. The median year built has moved up from 1984 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the southwest has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Kent
| Period | Kent | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,069 | $1,162 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,179 | $1,284 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,525 | $1,644 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,074 | $2,193 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,005 | +$1,031 | +$858 | +$606 |
Rent in Kent runs $2,074 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in the wider Seattle area ($2,193). Rents are up $1,005 a month from 2006–10, a 94% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 34.1% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Kent
Bachelor's degrees in Kent
| Period | Kent | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.8% | 36.7% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 38.0% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.1% | 42.3% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.7% | 46.3% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +9.6 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Kent than nationally: 28.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.9 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the southwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Kent
| Period | Kent | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.0% | 91.3% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.0% | 91.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.7% | 92.5% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.7% | 93.1% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +1.8 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Kent never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Kent has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Washington cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Kent
| Period | Kent | Seattle area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 6.9% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 8.3% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Kent than nationally: unemployment was 6.9%, against 5.4%. Kent has higher unemployment than at least four in five Washington cities. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Kent compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | 2.92 | 35.8 | 12.2% | 48.2% | 6.9% | 1987 | $2,074 | 28.7% | 84.7% | 6.9% |
| East Hill-Meridian | 2.94 | 40.6 | 10.2% | 25.5% | 4.6% | 1984 | $2,227 | 34.0% | 90.0% | 5.7% |
| Lakeland North | 3.15 | 39.7 | 13.4% | 32.8% | 4.1% | 1984 | $2,333 | 26.2% | 85.7% | 4.8% |
| Des Moines | 2.88 | 37.8 | 14.0% | 39.9% | 5.5% | 1974 | $1,903 | 29.6% | 87.4% | 7.0% |
| Auburn | 2.91 | 37.0 | 12.9% | 37.3% | 5.8% | 1989 | $1,949 | 26.0% | 87.9% | 6.6% |
| Covington | 3.03 | 36.8 | 11.2% | 18.4% | 6.2% | 1994 | $2,345 | 36.5% | 94.6% | 3.9% |
| SeaTac | 2.74 | 37.0 | 11.9% | 52.8% | 7.8% | 1977 | $1,779 | 28.0% | 84.9% | 8.6% |
| Fairwood | 2.62 | 41.0 | 8.3% | 24.6% | 5.9% | 1982 | $2,522 | 49.6% | 95.2% | 4.9% |
| Lake Morton-Berrydale | 2.97 | 39.9 | 8.6% | 14.0% | 2.8% | 1986 | $2,151 | 35.5% | 92.9% | 3.7% |
| Algona | 3.43 | 36.3 | 18.0% | 19.9% | 4.6% | 1991 | $1,983 | 15.6% | 74.8% | 9.1% |
| Renton | 2.65 | 38.3 | 11.2% | 45.9% | 6.3% | 1984 | $2,243 | 38.2% | 88.5% | 5.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Maple Grove, MN · Memphis, TN · Marietta, GA · Manhattan, NY · McAllen, TX · Manteca, CA · Mansfield, OH · Lafayette, IN · Jonesboro, GA · Jackson, MS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Kent. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.