Living in Kent, WA
Suburb in Washington
Kent is a suburb in Washington, home to about 135,000 people, with 3.5 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Kent a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 13 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 76°F
- Easy flying: SEA is 6 mi away
- Great outdoors: hills or mountains nearby
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $588k, and rent is $3,270 a month
- Fewer graduates: 29% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Kent ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Kent: common questions
What is the cost of living in Kent?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $588k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,270 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 111, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Kent?
Washington collects about $70 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.95% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Kent safe?
Violent crime is close to the national rate (1.0× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Kent?
Kent has cool winters: winter days average around 49°F and summer days around 76°F, with roughly 6″ of snow a year.
Does Kent get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is high, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 13 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.67 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Kent?
The nearest major airport is SEA, about 6 mi away.
How Kent scores
Each bar compares Kent with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Kent right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.