Kent County, Rhode Island
Located in Rhode Island, Kent County has a population of 171,456 residents and a median age of 43.8 years, making it the #400 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.5%. The median home value is $366,100, and the median household income is $94,345, which is 26% above the national median.
Demographics
Kent County has a population of 171,456, making it the #400 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.8 years, which is 12.6% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Kent County is $94,345, ranking #233 out of 3,222 counties — 25.5% above the national median. The poverty rate is 7.5% and unemployment stands at 4.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Kent County is $366,100 (+29.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,327/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Kent County, 34.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 2.9% above the national average, ranking #480 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Kent County is 78.2 years. 13.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
13.5% of adults in Kent County smoke , 32.9% are obese , and 21.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 41.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Kent County is 0.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 7.4 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
10.5% of children in Kent County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 3.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Kent County is 71.7%. The mean commute time is 27.9 min, which is 1.1% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Kent County voted Democratic with a margin of 1.8%. The vote was 49.9% Dem / 48.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Kent County, Rhode Island
Kent County, Rhode Island has a total population of 171,456, making it the 400th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Kent County is 43.8 years, which is 12.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Kent County is $94,345, which ranks #233 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 25.5% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.7%.
The median home value in Kent County is $366,100, 29.9% above the national median. Renters in Kent County pay a median gross rent of $1,327 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Kent County, 34.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 2.9% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.9 min.
Kent County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
All data for Kent County, Rhode Island 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.