Photo: Junnell at English Wikipedia · Public domainHow is Kent run?
Kent’s city government spent $194 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,443 per resident. Water and other utilities ($17.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Kent is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Kent
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: kentwa.gov ↗
Kent’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on kentwa.gov ↗.
About $1,443 per resident a year, or $3.95 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,251 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Kent’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,251 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 23 Washington cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,182, and the middle half spent $896–$1,718. Kent spent more than 52% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($46.8 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Washington cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Kent itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Kent reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,251 · 2023: $1,314 · 2024: $1,443.
full-time in March 2025, down from 669 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,446 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.93% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Kent’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Kent’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Kent →
One full-time city employee for every 209 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (134,392).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Kent School District
Kent’s K–12 school district, shared with Covington. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,051 per pupil, $11,642 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Washington districts overall: 27% local, 66% state, 8% federal.
Federal Way School District · $18,682 per pupil
Renton School District · $19,788 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Kent’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kent alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are King County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat73.6%832,606 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican22.3%252,193 votesOthers: 4.0% (45,703 votes).
Most votes in King County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of Kent lies in King County. Every 2024 race in King County is on the county’s page.
King County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Kent sends 8 representatives to the Washington House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorDana Ralphas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Washington HouseKent is split between 4 districts
- 3Washington SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Kent compares with the towns next door
Kent spent $1,251 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $760 to $3,505. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Maple Valley | $760 | $6,110 |
| Covington | $824 | $5,659 |
| Des Moines | $1,011 | $5,640 |
| Auburn | $1,454 | $5,484 |
| SeaTac | $1,705 | $5,104 |
| Renton | $1,708 | $5,969 |
| Tukwila | $3,505 | $4,414 |
| Kent | $1,251 | $5,446 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Kent’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Kent’s government
How much does Kent spend per resident?
About $1,443 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,251 was more than 52% of 23 Washington cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Kent?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,446 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.93% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see kentwa.gov.
Who is the mayor of Kent?
Dana Ralph, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on kentwa.gov.
How did Kent vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Kent alone. King County, where 100% of Kent lies, voted Harris 73.6%, Trump 22.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Kent?
644 full-time and 149 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $7.0M (about $84.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Kent in the state legislature?
Kent is split among 4 State House districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Washington Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Kent’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →