HomeRhode IslandKent County
Kent County, Rhode Island: commercial real estate data.
Kent County, Rhode Island had an estimated 172,450 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 170,366, across 169 square miles. 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 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Kent County
How many people live in Kent County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024171,456
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included400th of 3,222
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 moderately unaffordable 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 story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Kent County
Is Kent County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024172,450
- Census 2020 base population170,366
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.22 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024680
- 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 of 3,144
The county has grown 1.22 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration 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 are people moving to Kent County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,567
- People arriving, from those returns8,839
- Tax returns filed by households leaving5,139
- Net household movement428
- Adjusted gross income arriving$411.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-7.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$73,874
- Average income of a leaving household$81,449
- Largest single originProvidence County (2,640 households)
- Largest single destinationProvidence County (2,024 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County | 2,640 | 4,259 | $169.2 m |
| Washington County | 633 | 934 | $52.2 m |
| Bristol County | 216 | 312 | $14.3 m |
| Newport County | 162 | 263 | $14.6 m |
| Bristol County | 92 | 141 | $6.2 m |
| Norfolk County | 80 | 125 | $7.2 m |
| Middlesex County | 77 | 110 | $10.0 m |
| Suffolk County | 72 | 94 | $6.3 m |
Households arriving report $7,575 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Providence County, 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 is the Kent County economy?
- 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 the Rhode Island areas BEA publishes2nd of 5
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes375th of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Kent County
- Covered employment, annual average75,845
- Establishments reporting6,935
- Average annual pay$63,016
- Average weekly wage$1,212
- Health care and social assistance, employment14,444
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$67,004
- Retail trade, employment11,002
- Retail trade, average annual pay$42,427
- Accommodation and food services, employment8,311
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$28,352
- Manufacturing, employment5,555
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$85,166
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment4,474
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment3,838
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 14,444 | 906 | $67,004 |
| Retail trade | 11,002 | 646 | $42,427 |
| Accommodation and food services | 8,311 | 464 | $28,352 |
| Manufacturing | 5,555 | 206 | $85,166 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 4,474 | 1,248 | $100,089 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 3,838 | 525 | $50,390 |
| Construction | 3,485 | 598 | $75,935 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,291 | 103 | $53,248 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 14,444 jobs, 19.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Kent County
How many businesses are 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. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kent County
Building permits in Kent County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024471
- Declared construction value permitted$74.4 m
- Single family units authorized138
- Multifamily units authorized333
- Multifamily share of units70.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$157,882
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.5
Multifamily is 70.7 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Kent County
SBA loans in Kent County (7(a) and 504)
- 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$32,600
- 90th percentile approval$906,400
- 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)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$201.5 m
The average approval of $449,349 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here 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
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in 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.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kent County
SBA lending by place in Kent County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Warwick, approvals158
- Coventry, approvals40
- East Greenwich, approvals39
- West Warwick, approvals18
- West Greenwich, approvals5
- Greene, approvals2
| Borrower city | 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 large 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.
Kent County
Flood risk in Kent County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 9
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Kent County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Kent County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024171,456
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 172,450 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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's population growing?
The population has grown 1.22 percent since the 2020 census base of 170,366, to 172,450 on July 1, 2024. 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 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 employment by industry in Kent County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 14,444 jobs, 19.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 75,845 jobs at an average annual pay of $63,016, or $1,212 a week. 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 totaling $118.2 m since FY2020, across 46 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 159 504 approvals worth $83.3 m since FY2010. 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.
How many building permits were issued in Kent County?
471 housing units were authorized 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 Providence County, with 2,640 households. Arriving households report an average income of $73,874 against $81,449 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?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Kent County
Cities and places in Kent.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Kent County. All 2 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warwick | city | 83,175 | 158 | Wholly in this county |
| Greene | CDP | 962 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
A further 103 of the county's 263 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Kent County, the largest being Coventry (40), East Greenwich (39), West Warwick (18). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.