Kent Home Prices: $612K, Down 1.8% — 3 ZIPs Analyzed (2026)

$611,586. That is what a typical home costs in Kent right now, and it is $11,000 less than the city was charging this time last year.

Quick answer: The average home price in Kent, WA is $611,586 as of February 2026, down 1.8% year over year according to Zillow.

The drop is real but the bleed has stopped. After sliding through summer 2025, prices have flattened and edged slightly higher for four straight months.

Current Home Prices in Kent

Kent sits inside the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro, and prices reflect that. The typical home is well above the national median, but cheaper than Seattle itself.

The gap between the priciest and cheapest ZIP works out to about 26% of the median. That is a meaningful spread for a city this size. Where you buy in Kent matters more than what month you buy.

The 1.8% annual decline is modest. It is also less severe than what hit some other West Coast metros in the same window. Buyers who were priced out two years ago have not gained as much ground as the headline drop suggests, because the cuts have come off a high peak.

One number worth holding: $670,107. That is the ZIP-level ceiling. Even Kent’s most expensive ZIP is below the median for nearby Bellevue or Sammamish.

Kent Home Prices by Neighborhood

Kent’s three ZIPs split neatly into three price tiers — high, middle, and entry-level.

Most Expensive

• 98031 — $670,107. The priciest ZIP in Kent, about 10% above the city median, and the only one breaking the $2,200 rent line.
• 98030 — $633,283. The middle tier, sitting roughly $22,000 above the city median with the lowest rent of the three at $1,881.
• 98032 — At $531,368, it is the highest-priced of the affordable group only because there are just three ZIPs total.

Most Affordable

• 98032 — $531,368. The cheapest entry into Kent, around $80,000 below the citywide median, with rents that are oddly higher than 98030 despite lower home values.
• 98030 — $633,283. Slightly above the city median on home values but the cheapest place to rent.
• 98031 — Not affordable. It anchors the top end.

The 98032 rent-to-value ratio is the standout here. Lower home prices and higher rents than 98030 suggest stronger demand from renters relative to buyers in that ZIP.

Rent vs Buy in Kent

You will pay less by renting. The math is not close.

Average rent across Kent’s three ZIPs comes out to roughly $2,010 a month. Median rent in 98032, the cheapest ZIP to buy in, is $1,938.

Now run the buy side. A $611,586 home with 20% down leaves a $489,269 mortgage. At a 7% rate over 30 years, principal and interest alone come to about $3,256 a month. Add property taxes, homeowners insurance, and you are closer to $3,950 monthly before any maintenance.

That is nearly $2,000 a month, or $23,000 a year, in favor of renting. The gap exists because Kent rents have not kept pace with home values. Rent in 98031 is $2,211 — high for a Kent ZIP, but still well short of the carrying cost on a $670,107 house.

For buyers, the case rests on two things: the assumption that prices will rise again, and the value of locking in a fixed payment. Renters bet on flexibility and on putting that $1,940 monthly delta to work elsewhere.

Population Growth and Migration

Kent is not growing.

The city had 136,593 residents in 2020 and 136,588 in 2024. That is a five-person decline over four years, a 0.0% growth rate.

The trough was 2022 at 134,806. Kent has clawed back since, but it has not exceeded its 2020 starting point.

Compare this to other Washington cities:

Every nearby city of comparable scale has added population. Kent has not. Tacoma, just south, grew 3.8%. Seattle grew 5.5%.

Flat population takes some pressure off home prices. Kent’s 1.8% YoY decline is consistent with that picture. Demand is not collapsing, but it is not surging either, and you can see why the market has been soft.

Kent Housing Market Trends

The 12-month trend tells two stories.

From March through August, prices fell every month. The drawdown peaked at about $16,700 — a 2.7% slide in five months.

September 2025 marked the bottom at $606,320. Since then, values have risen four months in a row, with a slight pullback in February. Net gain off the bottom: $5,266, or 0.9%.

The shape is a bowl, not a slide. That matters for buyers waiting for a deeper drop. The data does not show one in motion right now.

Is Kent a Good Place to Buy in 2026?

The honest answer: it depends on your timeline.

If you plan to stay five years or longer, Kent looks fair. Prices are 1.8% below where they were a year ago. The market has stabilized. You are not catching a falling knife.

If you plan to stay under three years, the numbers do not work. With buying costing roughly $1,940 more per month than renting, you would need significant appreciation just to break even on transaction costs. The 12-month chart does not promise that.

This is closer to a balanced market than a buyer’s market. Inventory data is not in this dataset, but the price action — falling, then flat, then slowly rising — suggests neither side has the upper hand. Sellers are not panic-cutting. Buyers are not bidding wars.

For investors looking at rentals, 98032 stands out. It has the lowest entry price and rents that beat ZIP 98030. That is the kind of mismatch that creates yield.

Kent Housing Market Outlook for 2026-2027

The 3-month trend is the cleanest signal here. Prices have moved $5,266 higher off the September 2025 bottom, a 0.9% gain over five months.

If the current pace continues, Kent would add roughly 2% over the next twelve months. That is well below pre-2024 appreciation rates and consistent with a flat-population market.

The February 2026 reading was $140 lower than January. Small, but the first month-over-month decline in the recovery. It could be noise. It could be the start of a second leg down.

Watch the next two months. A return to the $608,000s would suggest the recovery has stalled. A push above $612,500 would confirm the bottom is in and 2026 is a slow-grind year for prices.

Kent’s lack of population growth caps the upside. Without new residents, demand cannot surge.

Similar Markets in WA

If Kent’s prices feel high, several Washington cities offer different price points:

• Tacoma and other South Sound markets typically run cheaper than Kent.
• Everett — North of Seattle, with a similar metro premium but a different commuter base than Kent.
• Vancouver — Across the state, a Portland-adjacent city growing 4% over the same period Kent stayed flat.
• Spokane — Eastern Washington, a dramatically different price tier from anything in the Seattle metro.
• Bellingham — A smaller northern market for buyers willing to leave the Seattle metro entirely.
• Bothell — A pricier Seattle suburb if your budget can stretch above the Kent median.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average home price in Kent?

The typical Kent home is worth $611,586 as of February 2026. The figure is the average across three Kent ZIP codes, with values ranging from $531,368 in 98032 to $670,107 in 98031.

Are home prices going up or down in Kent?

Year over year, Kent prices are down 1.8%. The longer story is more nuanced — values fell from March through September 2025, then recovered roughly $5,000 in the following five months before flattening in February 2026.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Kent?

Renting is cheaper by about $1,940 a month at current rates. Typical rent runs $2,010 while a mortgage with 20% down on the median home, plus taxes and insurance, comes to roughly $3,950.

What is the most affordable neighborhood in Kent?

ZIP 98032 is the cheapest at $531,368, roughly $80,000 below the city median. It also has higher rents than the slightly more expensive 98030 ZIP, which is unusual and worth noting if you are an investor.

Methodology

Home values are based on the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), a smoothed measure of typical home values in the 35th to 65th percentile range. Rent estimates use the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). Population figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (2020-2024 vintage). All datasets are publicly available. Housing data updated 2026-02-28.