Kent County vs Washington County
Kent County, Rhode Island versus Washington County, Rhode Island: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Kent County and Washington County score about the same overall (49 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Kent County | Washington County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $86k | $100k |
| Cost of Living | $51k | $55k |
| Home Value | $306k | $436k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.58% | 1.10% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.46% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 13.95% | 13.61% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 5.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 29°F | 30°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 72°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.7 in | 48.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 36.1 in | 31.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 185 days | 185 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 103 days | 100 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 69.4 | 64.0 |
| Air Quality | 40 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 89.8 | 96.1 |
| Violent Crime | 630/100k | 501/100k |
| Property Crime | 1104/100k | 548/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 170,168 | 129,998 |
| Median Age | 43.6 | 44.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.23 | 0.17 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+20 |
| White (%) | 85.5% | 90.0% |
| Black (%) | 1.8% | 1.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.3% | 3.6% |
| Asian (%) | 3.0% | 2.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 3.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 11.5/20 | 9.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 8 mi | 25 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.6% | 93.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 7.23 | 0.54 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kent County or Washington County more affordable?
- Kent County has the lower cost of living: its index is $51k, compared with Kent County's $51k and Washington County's $55k. Median rent is $1k in Kent County versus $1k in Washington County.
- Is Kent County or Washington County safer?
- Washington County has the lower violent crime rate. Kent County reports 630/100k and Washington County reports 501/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Kent County or Washington County?
- The median home value is $306k in Kent County and $436k in Washington County, so homes are more affordable in Kent County.