Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Kent County | Rhode Island Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $275,070 | $317,211 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 6.9% | 6.4% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,264 | $1,273 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.6% | 4.5% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Kent County is about 13% lower than in Rhode Island. Rent is about 1% lower than the Rhode Island average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Kent County, up about 6.9% and 3.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Kent County rose about 29.7% between 2015 and 2023, from $975 to $1,264. Over the same span, rent in Rhode Island rose about 37.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.0 yearly household incomes in Kent County.
Buying the median-priced home in Kent County costs roughly 18.1 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Kent County. The price-to-rent ratio in Rhode Island is about 20.8.
| Metric | Kent County | Rhode Island Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $275,070 | $317,211 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $91,408 | $86,475 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Kent County rose about 70.8%, while median household income rose about 47.6% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Kent County | Rhode Island Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 68.8% | 57.0% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 26.6% | 33.1% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 4.7% | 9.8% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 16.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2010 | 2010 | 2011 |
Kent County has a homeownership rate of 68.8%, higher than the Rhode Island average of 57.0%. Its housing vacancy rate is 4.7%, compared with 9.8% in Rhode Island.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Kent County | Rhode Island Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.30 people | 2.40 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1964 | 1962 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Kent County was built around 1964. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.5 rooms, staying for about 16.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Kent County, Rhode Island.
What is the median home price in Kent County, Rhode Island?
The median home price in Kent County, Rhode Island is $275,070, lower than the Rhode Island average of $317,211.
What is the average home price in Kent County, Rhode Island?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Kent County, Rhode Island?
The median gross rent in Kent County, Rhode Island is $1,264 per month, lower than the Rhode Island average of $1,273.
What was the median gross rent in Kent County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Kent County, Rhode Island was $1,109 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Kent County, Rhode Island?
The price-to-rent ratio in Kent County, Rhode Island is about 18.1, meaning it would take roughly 18.1 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Kent County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Kent County, Rhode Island?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Kent County, up about 6.9% and 3.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Kent County, Rhode Island?
68.8% of households in Kent County, Rhode Island own their home, higher than the Rhode Island average of 57.0%.
What is the vacancy rate in Kent County, Rhode Island?
The housing vacancy rate in Kent County, Rhode Island is 4.7%, lower than the Rhode Island average of 9.8%.