Kent County, Rhode Island Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Kent County, Rhode Island, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Kent County, Rhode Island. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Kent County, Rhode Island. The estimated population of Kent County, Rhode Island is 169,345 people, with a median age of 43.8.

We can look at the total population in Kent County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
169,345
+3.18%
+3.25%
2020
164,122
+0.15%
-
2019
163,869
 0% -
2018
163,861
 -0.09% -
2017
164,012
 - -

Population of Kent County, Rhode Island by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
86.6%
89.5%
 -3.24%
Black/African American
1.8%
1.3%
 +38.46%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Hispanic
5.8%
4.4%
 +31.82%
Asian
3%
2.5%
 +20.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.3%
1.9%
 +21.05%
Other
0.3%
0.3%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Kent County, Rhode Island by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 43.8 0% 41.7 +0.72% 45.4 -0.66%
2020 43.8 -0.23% 41.4 -0.48% 45.7 +0.22%
2019 43.9 +0.23% 41.6 +0.24% 45.6 +0.22%
2018 43.8 +0.23% 41.5 +0.24% 45.5 0%
2017 43.7 - 41.4 - 45.5 -

The median age of Kent County, Rhode Island gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 8,708 -1.19% 7,875 +10.64% 8,595 8,732
10 to 19 9,285 +0.48% 8,894 -5.49% 9,328 8,391
20 to 29 9,946 +1.81% 9,534 +0.9% 10,120 9,619
30 to 39 10,312 +6.28% 9,842 +11.11% 10,968 10,977
40 to 49 10,564 +2.08% 11,712 -8.69% 10,754 10,706
50 to 59 12,936 -0.82% 13,927 -7.07% 12,813 12,963
60 to 69 9,773 +11.42% 11,499 +10.78% 10,936 12,780
70+ 7,814 +14.57% 11,391 +10.66% 9,011 12,652

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Kent County, Rhode Island is $79,880.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Kent County.

  • Under 25
    $55,257.00
  • 25 to 44
    $88,711.00
  • 45 to 64
    $98,630.00
  • 65 and over
    $47,627.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Kent County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Kent County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Kent County, Rhode Island is currently $101,587.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

9.43% of households in Kent County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Kent County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    14.95%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    16.79%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    15.39%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    14.09%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    19.72%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    9.64%
  • $200,000 or more
    9.43%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Kent County is $43,050.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Kent County by the total population of Kent County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Kent County, Rhode Island, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Kent County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    15.20%
  • Bachelor's degree
    32.85%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11.47%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    38.04%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.45%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Kent County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Kent County over the age of 16 is 141,412.

Of those people, a total of 67.10% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Kent County is 63.90%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 7,113 43.20% 10.10%
20 to 24 years 8,705 82.90% 9.70%
25 to 29 years 11,034 91.00% 4.00%
30 to 34 years 11,422 86.40% 3.80%
35 to 44 years 21,091 87.80% 3.60%
45 to 54 years 23,450 84.70% 3.50%
55 to 59 years 13,218 80.60% 1.80%
60 to 64 years 13,445 69.10% 4.40%
65 to 74 years 19,001 28.50% 7.40%
75 years and over 12,933 7.00% 2.20%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Kent County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 127,619 66.70% 4.30%
Black or African American 2,777 68.50% 7.20%
American Indian and Alaska Native 350 70.30% 7.30%
Asian 3,890 70.30% 3.90%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 27 100.00% 29.60%
Other 2,464 67.70% 2.60%
Two or more races 4,285 73.60% 7.80%
Hispanic or Latino 7,003 75.40% 3.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 124,713 66.50% 4.30%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Kent County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Kent County is 90,361, with median earnings of $50,163.00.

Women in Kent County, Rhode Island earning approximately 75.10% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 90,361 $50,163.00
Male 46,942 $57,406.00
Female 43,419 $43,098.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 9,976 $74,202.00
Business and Financial 6,570 $67,685.00
Computer and Mathematical 3,278 $84,923.00
Architecture and Engineering 2,333 $71,475.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 773 $67,275.00
Community and Social Service 1,848 $46,259.00
Legal 998 $75,732.00
Educational and Library 5,516 $51,402.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 1,280 $55,549.00
Healthcare Practitioners 6,517 $65,093.00
Healthcare Support 2,624 $31,514.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 1,375 $61,350.00
Law Enforcement 1,380 $88,816.00
Food Preparation and Serving 5,386 $20,748.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 1,698 $31,351.00
Personal Care and Service 2,055 $20,269.00
Sales 9,566 $41,090.00
Office and Administrative Support 10,430 $42,465.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 86 $42,679.00
Construction and Extraction 4,369 $53,458.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,907 $51,906.00
Production 3,831 $46,306.00
Transportation and Material Moving 3,136 $43,573.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 5,589 $83,646.00 4,387 $62,800.00
Business and Financial 3,172 $74,203.00 3,398 $61,676.00
Computer and Mathematical 2,419 $89,141.00 859 $75,625.00
Architecture and Engineering 1,906 $71,294.00 427 $73,113.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 310 $86,389.00 463 $65,975.00
Community and Social Service 422 $46,118.00 1,426 $46,316.00
Legal 484 $155,523.00 514 $56,750.00
Educational and Library 1,309 $70,536.00 4,207 $49,750.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 613 $57,462.00 667 $51,397.00
Healthcare Practitioners 1,064 $80,139.00 5,453 $62,565.00
Healthcare Support 281 $33,398.00 2,343 $31,230.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 1,137 $67,013.00 238 $21,528.00
Law Enforcement 1,182 $95,179.00 198 $83,371.00
Food Preparation and Serving 2,436 $22,239.00 2,950 $17,846.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 1,297 $33,710.00 401 $19,150.00
Personal Care and Service 343 $36,250.00 1,712 $16,558.00
Sales 5,384 $57,846.00 4,182 $23,800.00
Office and Administrative Support 2,314 $49,658.00 8,116 $41,103.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 50 $60,568.00 36 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 4,359 $53,558.00 10 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,786 $52,470.00 121 $46,552.00
Production 3,109 $51,826.00 722 $27,303.00
Transportation and Material Moving 2,925 $44,497.00 211 $27,212.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 71,737 households in Kent County, with an average household size of 2.34 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 44,804 families in Kent County with an average family size of 2.93 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 34,453 3,154 7,197 26,933
Average Household Size 3.06 3.07 2.83 1.21
Total Families 34,453 3,154 7,197 0
Average Household Size 3.03 2.65 2.59 0

Poverty

Of the 44,804 families in Kent County, 4.80% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Kent County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 75,836 housing units in Kent County, Rhode Island.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 71,737 94.59%
Vacant 4,099 5.41%

26.41% of the total 75,836 housing units in Kent County are rental units. This is approximately 20,032 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 50,802 are occupied by the owner - or 66.99% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Kent County is $1,149.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Kent County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    903
  • Less than $500
    2,984
  • $500 to $999
    4,728
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    7,591
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    3,344
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    1,042
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    191
  • $3,000 or more
    152

Property Value

The median value of a property in Kent County is $264,900.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Kent County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    1,217
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    614
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    2,251
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    6,764
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    20,723
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    14,531
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    4,233
  • $1,000,000 or more
    469

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Kent County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Kent County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    16,002
  • 1940 to 1949
    4,571
  • 1950 to 1959
    11,821
  • 1960 to 1969
    10,588
  • 1970 to 1979
    11,170
  • 1980 to 1989
    9,588
  • 1990 to 1999
    6,530
  • 2000 to 2009
    3,855
  • 2010 to 2013
    1,601
  • 2014 or later
    110

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Kent County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    4,360
  • 1 vehicle available
    23,587
  • 2 vehicles available
    29,439
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    14,351

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Kent County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Kent County that commute to work in a particular way.

25.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Kent County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    1,831
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    5,993
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    10,300
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    12,819
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    13,908
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    7,388
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    13,344
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    3,020
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    3,064
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    5,636
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    2,810
  • 90 or more minutes
    1,882

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Kent County, Rhode Island in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Kent County, Rhode Island

We have data for 5 places in Kent County, Rhode Island. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.