Kent County, Delaware

DE · FIPS 10001 Democrat

Located in Delaware, Kent County has a population of 187,604 residents and a median age of 38.8 years, making it the #368 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.6%. The median home value is $316,600, and the median household income is $74,477, which is 1% below the national median.

187,604
Population
#368 of 3,222
$74,477
Median Income
-0.9% #872 of 3,222
38.8 years
Median Age
-0.3% #2,415 of 3,222
10.6%
Poverty Rate
-15.6% #936 of 3,222

Demographics

Kent County has a population of 187,604, making it the #368 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.8 years, which is 0.3% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

92.6%
Native Born
7.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Kent County is $74,477, ranking #872 out of 3,222 counties — 0.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.6% and unemployment stands at 5.6%.

Income#872
$74,477
-0.9%
vs nation
73th percentile
Per Capita#1,386
$36,191
-12.3%
vs nation
57th percentile
Poverty#936
10.6%
-15.6%
vs nation
71th percentile
Unemployment#2,356
5.6%
+5.8%
vs nation
27th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Kent County is $316,600 (+12.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,354/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.5%.

Home Value#542
$316,600
+12.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Rent#359
$1,354
+16.4%
vs nation
89th percentile
Homeownership#1,927
72.5%
+12.6%
vs nation
40th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Kent County, 27.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 18.3% below the national average, ranking #963 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
27.5% −18.3% vs nation
Rank #963 of 3,222
70th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Kent County is 75.1 years. 16.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,585
75.1
-0.1%
vs nation
48th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,003
16.8%
-14.1%
vs nation
68th percentile
Diabetes#1,701
11.1%
-0.3%
vs nation
46th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,523
40.9%
+9.6%
vs nation
20th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,069
5.4
-4.1%
vs nation
66th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#948
4.1
-8.7%
vs nation
70th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,004
7.5%
-28.4%
vs nation
68th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,352
25.1%
-4.9%
vs nation
57th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,388
13.7%
-4.9%
vs nation
56th percentile

Substance Use

15.2% of adults in Kent County smoke , 39.3% are obese , and 17.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 46.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#695
15.2%
-15.4%
vs nation
78th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,827
39.3%
+3.7%
vs nation
42th percentile
Excessive Drinking#650
17.4%
-12.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,758
46.7
+44.4%
vs nation
17th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Kent County is 6.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#763
6.0
-25.0%
vs nation
50th percentile
Suicide Rate#573
14.0
-29.0%
vs nation
78th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#733
13.0
-27.2%
vs nation
70th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,136
16.4
-19.3%
vs nation
60th percentile

Families & Children

16.2% of children in Kent County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 14.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#626
6.2
-9.0%
vs nation
54th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#871
14.7
-32.8%
vs nation
71th percentile
Child Poverty#1,292
16.2%
-14.7%
vs nation
59th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Kent County is 65.1%. The mean commute time is 29.4 min, which is 6.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
65.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
29.4 min +6.5% vs nation
Rank #991 of 3,222
69th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Kent County voted Democratic with a margin of 2.0%. The vote was 50.2% Dem / 48.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.1 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +2.0%
50.2% 48.2%
Dem 88,141 votes Rep
2020 DEM +4.1%
51.2% 47.1%
Dem 87,025 votes Rep
2016 REP +4.9%
44.9% 49.8%
Dem 74,253 votes Rep
2012 DEM +4.9%
51.7% 46.8%
Dem 68,669 votes Rep
2008 DEM +9.8%
54.4% 44.6%
Dem 66,925 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Kent County, Delaware

Kent County, Delaware has a total population of 187,604, making it the 368th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Kent County is 38.8 years, which is 0.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Kent County is $74,477, which ranks #872 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.6%.

The median home value in Kent County is $316,600, 12.3% above the national median. Renters in Kent County pay a median gross rent of $1,354 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Kent County, 27.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 18.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.4 min.

Kent County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 56.5% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (26.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (8.1%).

All data for Kent County, Delaware comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.