What HUD offices serve Kent, Washington?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the Washington Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Kent.
How many renters live in Kent, Washington?
The City of Kent has 134,400 people living in 46,661 households.
There are 54,532 renters living in 20,433 renter households in this City. Renters make up 40.57 percent of the population living in Kent.
What is the rental market like in Kent, Washington?
There are an estimated 48,322 housing units in the Kent area. Of these, 21,469 units are rental homes, making up 44 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Kent, Washington, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Kent?
The rental vacancy rate in Kent is 4 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Kent for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Kent
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,036 | 5,309 | 7,919 | 3,816 | 1,379 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Kent
A large number of apartments in Kent have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Kent are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 53 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 28 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in Kent
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $2,211 to $4,080. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $2,211 |
| One BR | $2,269 |
| Two BR | $2,645 |
| Three BR | $3,510 |
| Four BR | $4,080 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Kent, Washington
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Kent?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 754 | 73 percent |
| One BR | 3,043 | 57 percent |
| Two BR | 1,223 | 15 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Kent, Washington
How many affordable rental units are in Kent?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Kent, Washington including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 2,836 |
| Public Housing | 291 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 85 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 1 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Kent, Washington
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Kent, Washington
Kent features 446 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Kent, Washington
There are 2,304 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Kent.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Kent, Washington
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Kent landlords $1,200 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Kent.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Kent, Washington for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,381 and $2,910.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
