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COUNTY

Kent County

Rhode Island · 173,495 residents (2025 est.) · 169 sq mi
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Part of the Providence metro area
The short version

Kent County is a county of 171,456 people in Rhode Island. That puts it in the top 2% of US counties for household income. The median age is 43.8, about 5 years above the US median. Owners hold 73% of the housing stock. 7% of people here were born outside the United States. There are 1,017 people per square mile.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.8
US median: 38.9
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 72%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
171,456
+3%since 2000
from 167,090 in 2000
173,495 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,017 / sq mi
+1%since 2009
from 1,004 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
43.8
+13%since 2000
from 38.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
169 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
160K163K166K169K172K19902000201020202024Kent County
2024171K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.5%(7,756)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.3%(9,025)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.9%(8,428)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.2%(8,990)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245%(8,618)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.4%(23,053)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.3%(22,735)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.6%(21,622)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6415.3%(26,212)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.1%(20,827)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846%(10,342)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(3,848)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$94,345
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $47,617 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$50,854
+113%since 2000
from $23,833 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
59.3%
+19.4 ptssince 2009
from 39.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
7.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 6.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.444
+6%since 2010
from 0.419 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade11.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services7.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade6.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration5.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance4.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$366,100
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $116,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,327
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $613 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
73.1%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 71.5% in 2000
26.9% rent
Vacancy rate
4.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.33 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.44 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
26.1%
−10.1 ptssince 2009
from 36.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.1%
+5.4 ptssince 2009
from 41.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.9
−4%since 2009
from 4.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
41
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic94.6%(158,086)
Black0.9%(1,451)
Hispanic / Latino1.7%(2,827)
Asian1.3%(2,220)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic83.7%(143,517)
Black1.9%(3,196)
Hispanic / Latino6.9%(11,762)
Asian2.9%(5,007)
Other4.7%(7,974)
Diversity Score
36
+98%since 2009
from 18 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
19
−17%since 2020
from 23 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican1.9%(3,328)
Dominican1.4%(2,450)
Mexican1%(1,746)
South American0.8%(1,327)
Central American0.8%(1,308)
Guatemalan0.6%(992)
Cuban0.3%(579)
Colombian0.3%(511)
Ecuadorian0.2%(308)
Peruvian0.1%(244)
Costa Rican0.1%(170)
Bolivian0.1%(168)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.1%(119)
Venezuelan0.1%(92)
Honduran0%(28)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.1%(1,872)
Chinese0.5%(917)
Filipino0.5%(901)
Vietnamese0.2%(378)
Cambodian0.2%(353)
Hmong0.1%(230)
Korean0.1%(98)
Japanese0%(64)
Thai0%(52)
Laotian0%(41)
Burmese0%(34)
Pakistani0%(31)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
Irish20.6%(35,245)
Italian18.9%(32,488)
English14.9%(25,561)
French9.8%(16,800)
Portuguese7.6%(13,086)
German6%(10,286)
Polish4.1%(6,959)
American4%(6,833)
Swedish1.9%(3,209)
Scottish1.8%(3,139)
West Indian0.8%(1,381)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.6%(1,042)
Arab0.6%(972)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(972)
British0.5%(811)
Dutch0.5%(809)
Greek0.4%(747)
Armenian0.4%(742)
Jamaican0.4%(681)
Cape Verdean0.4%(657)
Lithuanian0.3%(528)
Ukrainian0.3%(511)
Austrian0.3%(506)
Brazilian0.3%(451)
Hungarian0.3%(440)
Canadian0.2%(418)
Haitian0.2%(375)
Norwegian0.2%(345)
Welsh0.2%(339)
Romanian0.2%(303)
Moroccan0.1%(208)
Lebanese0.1%(198)
Nigerian0.1%(197)
Turkish0.1%(189)
Syrian0.1%(179)
Finnish0.1%(150)
Belgian0.1%(147)
Czech0.1%(138)
Danish0.1%(138)
Slovak0.1%(130)
Swiss0.1%(128)
Iranian0.1%(88)
Latvian0%(52)
Croatian0%(51)
Iraqi0%(44)
Egyptian0%(25)
Jordanian0%(18)
Slovene0%(14)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.7%
+9.9 ptssince 2000
from 24.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.1%
+9.2 ptssince 2000
from 83.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.4%
+5.2 ptssince 2000
from 8.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.1 min
+71%since 2000
from 14.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
78.2%
−8.1 ptssince 2009
from 86.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 7.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.9%
+9.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.7%
−3.9 ptssince 2011
from 8.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.5%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 68.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 79.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
43.5%
+7.6 ptssince 2009
from 35.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.9%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
Female
51.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 51.8% in 2009
Foreign born
7.1%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.8%
−5.7 ptssince 2009
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.8%
+2.3 ptssince 2012
from 12.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.2%
−4.7 ptssince 2013
from 7.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.7%
+9.3 ptssince 2017
from 83.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.3%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 91.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 89.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
90.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2016
from 91.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2016
from 2.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.4%(25,009)
Married50.7%(35,847)
Widowed2.8%(2,005)
Divorced11.1%(7,831)
Women 15+
Never married26.9%(20,353)
Married48.3%(36,486)
Widowed9.8%(7,413)
Divorced15%(11,303)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.2%
−4.7 ptssince 2013
from 7.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
63.7%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 64.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 20.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
17.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 17.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
75.2%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 76.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.8%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 34.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)22.8%(2,166)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.2%(1,629)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.7%(3,575)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.4%(604)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(121)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 9,480 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Kent County

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Pop 169,189
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Pop 174,262
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Pop 160,240
Maui County
Pop 160,592
Places similar to Kent County
Head to head

Compare Kent County to nearby counties

KENT COUNTY VS
Providence County
Income$78,787−16%
Home value$373,600+2%
Population678,179+291%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KENT COUNTY VS
Bristol County
Income$114,490+21%
Home value$513,800+40%
Population50,001−71%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KENT COUNTY VS
Washington County
Income$106,638+13%
Home value$510,800+40%
Population129,795−25%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KENT COUNTY VS
Newport County
Income$103,514+10%
Home value$609,700+67%
Population83,051−52%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Kent County, Rhode Island?

Kent County, Rhode Island has about 171,456 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Kent County, Rhode Island?

The typical household in Kent County, Rhode Island earns about $94,345 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Kent County, Rhode Island expensive?

In Kent County, Rhode Island, the median home is worth about $366,100, and the typical rent is about $1,327 a month.

How educated are people in Kent County, Rhode Island?

About 34.7% of adults age 25 and over in Kent County, Rhode Island hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Kent County, Rhode Island?

About 7.5% of people in Kent County, Rhode Island live below the federal poverty line.

Has Kent County, Rhode Island grown since 1990?

Yes, Kent County, Rhode Island has grown since 1990. The population has added about 10,321 residents, a change of about 6 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →