Kent, WA
Census place 5335415 · pop 135,603
Boeing's Kent Space Center designed and built NASA's Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle, the moon buggy driven on the Moon in 1971-72.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide. No wage income tax (a capital-gains excise applies).
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$587,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
30 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
57.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,940/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
3 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
29.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.6% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
10.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.93% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.42 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
41 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$92,302 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
10.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
19.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
95.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
25.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Not measured for Kent: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Kent, WA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Kent scores 47/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is natural disaster risk. Washington overall ranks #24 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Kent, WA expensive to live in?
- Kent has a median home value of $587,800 and typical rent around $1,940/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Kent, WA?
- Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 6/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Kent, WA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (25.7%) — 90/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Boeing's Kent Space Center designed and built NASA's Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle, the moon buggy driven on the Moon in 1971-72.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.