Cost of living in Kent research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Kent is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Washington, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Kent is 137, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Kent is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Kent ranks as the #119 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Kent ranks as the #5,293 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Kent is $641,487.
The median income in Kent is $90,416.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Kent has an overall cost of living index of 137, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Kent has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Washington's index of 118.
The standard of living in Kent ranks as #119 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Kent ranks as the #73 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Kent, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Kent. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Kent is 115.
The Groceries index in Kent is 117.
The Health index in Kent is 116.
The Housing index in Kent is 192.
The Transportation index in Kent is 127.
The Utilities index in Kent is 99.
| Living Expense | Kent | Washington | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 137 | 118 | 100 | |
| Services | 115 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 117 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 116 | 122 | 100 | |
| Housing | 192 | 135 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 127 | 124 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 99 | 91 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Washington, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Kent is $641,487.
The Median Rent in Kent is $1,833.
The Median Income in Kent is $90,416.
The Home Value To Income in Kent is 7.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Kent is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Kent | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $641,487 | $595,737 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,833 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $90,416 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.1x | 6.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.21x | 0.21x |
| Item | Kent | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.24 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.87 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $17.56 | $18 |
| Haircut | $32.12 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $43.48 | $45.56 |
| Item | Kent | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.66 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.78 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.85 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.43 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.86 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.77 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.46 | $3.7 |
| Item | Kent | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $242.14 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $139.77 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $164.3 | $113.29 |
| Item | Kent | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.39 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $77.69 | $59.92 |
| Item | Kent | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $175.38 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $207.11 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Kent. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Tacoma, WA has a cost of living index of 130, 0.9x Kent.
Renton, WA has a cost of living index of 147, 1.1x Kent.
Auburn, WA has a cost of living index of 134, 1.0x Kent.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Kent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma, WA | 220,482 | 130 | 0.9x |
| Renton, WA | 105,279 | 147 | 1.1x |
| Auburn, WA | 85,455 | 134 | 1.0x |
| Puyallup, WA | 42,642 | 135 | 1.0x |
| Des Moines, WA | 32,545 | 137 | 1.0x |
| SeaTac, WA | 31,143 | 132 | 1.0x |
| Covington, WA | 20,957 | 139 | 1.0x |
| Lakeland North, WA | 14,664 | 136 | 1.0x |
| Lake Tapps, WA | 12,360 | 145 | 1.1x |
| Gig Harbor, WA | 12,202 | 154 | 1.1x |