Kent County, Delaware Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Kent County, DE Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageLeast healthy county in Delaware
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C
Income Below averageLeast wealthy county in Delaware
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D
Education Well below averageLeast educated county in Delaware
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Kent County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 187,603 | 1,017,061 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 235.2 | 409.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.12% | 1.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.9 | 42.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 71,423 | 400,257 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Kent County grew by 23.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 187,603 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Kent County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.8 points above Delaware as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 41,304 22.0% +1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 38,728 20.6% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 35,620 19.0% -1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 33,262 17.7% -1.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Delaware, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.9% of the people living in Kent County and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% Delaware 51.5%
- Men 48.1% Delaware 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Kent County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Kent County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Kent County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,532 | $85,760 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.78% | 4.34% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Kent County is about 13% lower than in Delaware.
Housing
| Metric | Kent County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $239,515 | $243,076 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,354 | $1,401 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.5% | 72.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Kent County is about 14.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,354 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Kent County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 180 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Kent County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.6 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.2 | 44.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,582 | $5,703 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 15.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,009 | 11,244 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 969 | 1,341 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Delaware:
Kent County (21.6 min), New Castle County (21.9 min), Sussex County (22.8 min).
Slowest:
Sussex County (22.8 min), New Castle County (21.9 min), Kent County (21.6 min).
The average commute time in Kent County is about the same as in Delaware.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Kent County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Kent County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.1% | 31.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.57 | 2.48 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Delaware:
New Castle County (0.3), Sussex County (0.3), Kent County (0.2).
Lowest:
Kent County (0.2), Sussex County (0.3), New Castle County (0.3).
Health
Kent County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Kent County | Delaware Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 77.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.6% | 14.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.3% | 17.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Delaware:
New Castle County (0.8), Sussex County (0.8), Kent County (0.8).
Lowest:
Kent County (0.8), Sussex County (0.8), New Castle County (0.8).
Kent County, DE Compared With Nearby Counties
Kent County, DE is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 187,603 residents against a local median of 153,308. Kent County, DE sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median household income, 9% below the local median at $74,532 against $81,820. Kent County, DE has the 4th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County, DE | 187,603 | $74,532 #4/6 | $239,515 #3/6 | 21.6 min #2/6 |
| Caroline County, MD | 33,666 | $69,099 | $357,432 | 31.6 min |
| Cumberland County, NJ | 153,308 | $68,265 | $178,114 | 21.2 min |
| Sussex County, DE | 252,121 | $81,820 | $345,990 | 22.8 min |
| New Castle County, DE | 577,338 | $91,590 | $220,844 | 21.9 min |
| Salem County, NJ | 65,196 | $82,265 | $146,481 | 23.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Kent County, Delaware.
What is the population of Kent County, Delaware?
About 187,603 people live in Kent County, Delaware, in 71,423 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 36.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Kent County, Delaware?
Averaged over its land area, Kent County, Delaware has 235 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Kent County, Delaware an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($239,515 against $74,532), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,354 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Kent County, Delaware?
24.1% of adults in Kent County, Delaware hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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