Seattle Culture
Housing Growth is Happening in This City
Kent is the region’s second fastest-growing housing market
By Rob Smith February 1, 2025
The iconic TV show Almost Live constantly poked fun at Kent (and, in fairness, most other things Seattle) 30 years ago for its blue-collar roots and lack of amenities.
But if you want to buy a house, you may want to look at Kent. The South King County city is second only to Seattle in terms of adding housing stock the past 20 years.
The number of single-family homes in Kent has grown by 69%, ranking No. 17 in the United States. That’s in stark contrast to Seattle, where multifamily units have surged 130%, compared to a modest 6% growth in single-family housing, according to StorageCafe.
When considering all housing, Kent — which now has about 134,000 residents, or 57% more than 20 years ago — has recorded a 42% increase in stock since 2005. Seattle is at 44%. Vancouver, Bellevue and Bellingham round out the top five, though Kent’s single-family housing growth far outpaces that of the other cities.
Affordability, though, remains elusive. Redfin reports that the median sales price in Kent was $686,000 in December, up 10.5% from the same period in 2023.
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