Kent County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26081 Democrat

Located in Michigan, Kent County has a population of 663,150 residents and a median age of 35.9 years, making it the #105 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.1%. The median home value is $289,900, and the median household income is $82,631, which is 10% above the national median.

663,150
Population
#105 of 3,222
$82,631
Median Income
+10.0% #491 of 3,222
35.9 years
Median Age
-7.7% #2,887 of 3,222
10.1%
Poverty Rate
-20.2% #802 of 3,222

Demographics

Kent County has a population of 663,150, making it the #105 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.9 years, which is 7.7% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

91.1%
Native Born
8.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Kent County is $82,631, ranking #491 out of 3,222 counties — 10.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 10.1% and unemployment stands at 4.2%.

Income#491
$82,631
+10.0%
vs nation
85th percentile
Per Capita#556
$42,992
+4.2%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poverty#802
10.1%
-20.2%
vs nation
75th percentile
Unemployment#1,407
4.2%
-21.6%
vs nation
56th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Kent County is $289,900 (+2.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,243/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.3%.

Home Value#677
$289,900
+2.8%
vs nation
79th percentile
Rent#486
$1,243
+6.9%
vs nation
85th percentile
Homeownership#2,259
70.3%
+9.2%
vs nation
30th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Kent County, 40.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 21.1% above the national average, ranking #259 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
40.8% +21.1% vs nation
Rank #259 of 3,222
92th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Kent County is 78.5 years. 15.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#528
78.5
+4.4%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#717
15.7%
-19.7%
vs nation
77th percentile
Diabetes#897
9.6%
-13.8%
vs nation
72th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#492
32.9%
-11.8%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#880
5.3
-6.1%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#570
3.8
-14.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Uninsured Rate#289
5.5%
-47.8%
vs nation
91th percentile
Physical Inactivity#728
22.5%
-14.7%
vs nation
77th percentile
Food Insecurity#944
12.4%
-13.9%
vs nation
70th percentile

Substance Use

15.6% of adults in Kent County smoke , 33.5% are obese , and 22.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 17.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#811
15.6%
-13.1%
vs nation
74th percentile
Adult Obesity#509
33.5%
-11.6%
vs nation
84th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,383
22.0%
+10.8%
vs nation
24th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#407
17.5
-45.9%
vs nation
81th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Kent County is 4.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#534
4.5
-43.3%
vs nation
65th percentile
Suicide Rate#198
11.2
-43.2%
vs nation
92th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#273
8.8
-50.7%
vs nation
89th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#326
9.6
-52.5%
vs nation
89th percentile

Families & Children

13.0% of children in Kent County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#444
5.6
-17.8%
vs nation
68th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#920
15.1
-31.1%
vs nation
69th percentile
Child Poverty#774
13.0%
-31.6%
vs nation
75th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Kent County is 77.4%. The mean commute time is 23.1 min, which is 16.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
77.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.1 min −16.3% vs nation
Rank #2,324 of 3,222
28th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Kent County voted Democratic with a margin of 5.3%. The vote was 51.8% Dem / 46.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.8 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +5.3%
51.8% 46.5%
Dem 371,722 votes Rep
2020 DEM +6.1%
52% 45.9%
Dem 361,048 votes Rep
2016 REP +3.1%
45.2% 48.3%
Dem 306,270 votes Rep
2012 REP +7.9%
45.5% 53.4%
Dem 295,418 votes Rep
2008 DEM +0.5%
49.4% 48.9%
Dem 303,235 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Kent County, Michigan

Kent County, Michigan has a total population of 663,150, making it the 105th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Kent County is 35.9 years, which is 7.7% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Kent County is $82,631, which ranks #491 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 10.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.2%.

The median home value in Kent County is $289,900, 2.8% above the national median. Renters in Kent County pay a median gross rent of $1,243 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Kent County, 40.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 21.1% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.1 min.

Kent County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 70.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.7%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (9.4%).

All data for Kent County, Michigan 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.