Kent County, Rhode Island Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Kent County is located in Rhode Island with a total population of 171,456. It is the 2nd most populous county out of 5 in Rhode Island. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Kent County is 43.8 years. This is 8% higher than the state median of 40.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Kent County is $94,345. This is 7% higher than the state median of $87,796. It is also 17% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 7.5%. This is 33% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.2%. The unemployment rate is 4.7%. This is 19% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $366,100. Housing costs are 9% lower than the state median of $404,200. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.9x. 73.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% higher than the state average of 63.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Kent County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.7% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 6.9%. The Black or African American population (1.9%) is well below the state average of 4.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (6.9%) is well below the state average of 17.7%.

Education

34.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 8% lower than the state rate of 37.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Kent County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Rhode Island and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.