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Buying a home in Kent, Washington

The typical owner-occupied home in Kent is worth about $587,800, 4% above the Washington median of $564,600 and 77% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $5,446 a year in property taxes, about 0.93% of their home's value, higher than the Washington rate of 0.81%. The median household earns $92,302 a year, so the median home costs 6.4 times the median income (5.8 times for Washington). 57% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 68% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Kent at a glance

Kent Washington U.S.
Median home value $587,800 $564,600 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $5,446 $4,556 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.93% 0.81% 0.94%
Median household income $92,302 $98,141 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 57% 64% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 68% 66% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,484 $2,445 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 24.4% 22.2% 21.0%
Median rent $1,909 $1,760 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 32.4% 30.0% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1985 1985 1980
Vacant homes 5.0% 7.3% 10.1%
Population 135,603 7,816,116 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Kent

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Kent home of $587,800 with 20% down costs about $3,864 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $4,843, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $165,591 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 50% of the median Kent household income of $92,302; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $328,000.

The median rent here is $1,909 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,955 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$117,560
Loan amount$470,240
Principal and interest$3,163
Property taxes (0.93% a year)$456
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$245
PMI$0
Total per month$3,864

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$20,573
Loan amount$577,153
Principal and interest$3,883
Property taxes (0.93% a year)$456
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$245
FHA mortgage insurance$260
Total per month$4,843

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Questions about home buying in Kent

What is the median home value in Kent?

About $587,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Kent?

Homeowners pay a median $5,446 a year, which is about 0.93% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Kent?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,864 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $165,591 a year.

More about Kent

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data