What it's like to live in Kent
Kent is a small city in Ohio with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Kent deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 45" per year
How Kent compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Kent
Based on Kent's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,982
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,640 a year
- 63% of Kent renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$43,980
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,990
- Homes cost 5.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 30% below US
$991/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $991 a month. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $219,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $219,900 · 63% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 14% above US
4.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.9%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 43% below US
188 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 791/100k · Kent Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 20% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 31% above US
47% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 47% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cuyahoga Valley National Park (13 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Kent's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($991/mo) equals 28% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Kent
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