HomeRhode IslandKent County
Kent County, Rhode Island: commercial real estate data.
Kent County, Rhode Island has a population of 171,456 across 169 square miles, up 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $12.42 bn in 2024, 4,739 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 263 7(a) approvals worth $118.2 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Kent County
How many people live in Kent County
- Population171,456
- Households72,839
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$94,345
- Median age43.8
- Median gross rent$1,327 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$366,100
- Home value to household income3.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over128,639
- Population under 1830,919
- Share under 1818.0 percent
- Population 65 and over35,017
- Share 65 and over20.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64105,520
- Civilian labor force95,866
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.2 percent
- Rank by population among Rhode Island counties2nd of 5
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents400th
Kent County is the 2nd largest of 5 Rhode Island counties by population. A median home costs 3.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 20.4 percent against 18.0 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Kent County
Is Kent County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.22 percent
- Census 2020 base population170,366
- Births, 20241,419
- Deaths, 20241,875
- Natural change, 2024-456
- Net domestic migration, 2024597
- Net international migration, 2024531
- Total net migration, 20241,128
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,602
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1414th
The county has grown 1.22 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Kent County
Where people moving to Kent County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,567
- People arriving, from those returns8,839
- Adjusted gross income arriving$411.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$73,874
- Largest single originKent County Non-migrants (73,541 households)
- Largest single destination (73,541 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County Non-migrants | 73,541 | 133,318 | $7.02 bn |
| Providence County | 2,640 | 4,259 | $169.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,207 | 2,006 | $102.1 m |
| Washington County | 633 | 934 | $52.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 489 | 827 | $37.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 401 | 629 | $34.7 m |
| Bristol County | 216 | 312 | $14.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 206 | 362 | $20.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Kent County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Kent County
What the Kent County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$12.42 bn
- County GDP, 2023$11.98 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.6 percent
- GDP change over five years23.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Rhode Island counties2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents375th
- GDP per resident$72,429
Output grew 3.6 percent in the latest year and 23.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Kent County
Who employs people in Kent County
- Covered employment, annual average75,845
- Establishments reporting6,935
- Average annual pay$63,016
- Average weekly wage$1,212
- Sector 62, employment14,444
- Sector 62, average annual pay$67,004
- Sector 44-45, employment11,002
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$42,427
- Sector 72, employment8,311
- Sector 72, average annual pay$28,352
- Sector 31-33, employment5,555
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$85,166
- Sector 54, employment4,474
- Sector 56, employment3,838
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 14,444 | 906 | $67,004 |
| Sector 44-45 | 11,002 | 646 | $42,427 |
| Sector 72 | 8,311 | 464 | $28,352 |
| Sector 31-33 | 5,555 | 206 | $85,166 |
| Sector 54 | 4,474 | 1,248 | $100,089 |
| Sector 56 | 3,838 | 525 | $50,390 |
| Sector 23 | 3,485 | 598 | $75,935 |
| Sector 48-49 | 3,291 | 103 | $53,248 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 14,444 jobs, 19.0 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Kent County
What businesses operate in Kent County
- Establishments, all industries4,739
- Employment at those establishments68,926
- Annual payroll$3.98 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kent County
What is being built in Kent County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024471
- Declared construction value permitted$74.4 m
- Single family units authorised138
- Multifamily units authorised333
- Multifamily share of units70.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$157,882
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.5
Multifamily is 70.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Kent County
How much SBA lending happens in Kent County
- 7(a) approvals recorded263
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$118.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$449,349
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$32,000
- 90th percentile approval$910,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,621
- Jobs per approval10.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active46
- Distinct industries receiving approvals119
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms30
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter222
- Franchise loans23
- Franchise share of approvals8.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (12)
- Most active lenderBeacon Bank and Trust (37)
- 504 approvals recorded159
- 504 gross approval dollars$83.3 m
- Average 504 approval$524,119
- Median 504 approval$330,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval7.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.5
- Most active CDCOcean State Business Development Authority (63)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals62.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$201.5 m
The average approval of $449,349 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 11.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kent County
Do SBA loans in Kent County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded42
- Paid in full42
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Cancelled30
- Status: Exempt from disclosure178
- Status: Paid in full42
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed13
Of the 42 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kent County
Which parts of Kent County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- WARWICK, approvals158
- COVENTRY, approvals40
- East Greenwich, approvals39
- West Warwick, approvals18
- West Greenwich, approvals5
- GREENE, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WARWICK | 158 | $73,492,400 |
| COVENTRY | 40 | $13,624,300 |
| East Greenwich | 39 | $19,334,900 |
| West Warwick | 18 | $8,282,000 |
| West Greenwich | 5 | $3,129,000 |
| GREENE | 2 | $103,000 |
| PROVIDENCE | 1 | $213,200 |
WARWICK accounts for 158 approvals against 40 in COVENTRY. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kent County
How big is Kent County
- Land area169 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Rhode Island counties3rd of 5
- Width, east to west22.5 mi
- Height, north to south10.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land1,015
- Establishments per square mile28.04
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Kent County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Kent County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population171,456
- Households72,839
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$94,345
- Median age43.8
Common questions
Kent County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Kent County, Rhode Island?
171,456, in 72,839 households, ranking 2nd of 5 Rhode Island counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Kent County growing?
The population has grown 1.22 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,419 births against 1,875 deaths, with net migration of 1,128. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Kent County?
$94,345. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $366,100, which is 3.9 times income, and median gross rent is $1,327 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Kent County?
4,739 establishments, employing 68,926 people with an annual payroll of $3.98 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Kent County?
Average annual pay is $63,016, or $1,212 a week, across 75,845 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Kent County?
263 7(a) approvals totalling $118.2 m since FY2020, across 46 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 159 504 approvals worth $83.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Kent County get paid back?
Of the 42 loans that have reached a final outcome, 42 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Kent County?
471 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $74.4 m. Multifamily was 70.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Kent County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Kent County come from?
The largest single origin is Kent County Non-migrants, with 73,541 households. Arriving households report an average income of $73,874 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Kent County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Kent County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.