Kent, OH — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Ohio·Kent

Portage County · Akron · population 27,720

First-time buyers
Kent, OH
Image: Wikipedia · Kent, Ohio
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
70
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Kent stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.2% in the last year. rents up 11.0% in the last year.

Median home $245,801
1-year +4.2%
5-yr CAGR +6.1%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$246k$127k$170k$213k$256k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
81/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,470/mo$1,072$1,315$1,55920242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent12012810012020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.9
Buy

At a 13.9 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Kent on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.9 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
71 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
70 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
38 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
68 · w10%
Long thesis

Kent has held up across the cycle: home values at $245,801 with +6.1% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Kent's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Kent

Kent is a city in Portage County, Ohio, with an estimated population of 27,720. It anchors the Akron metro area. The median home value in Kent is $245,801 as of 2026-04, up 4.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Kent average $1,470 per month, up 11.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 70 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $245,801 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.1% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +4.2% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 11.0% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.4% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
●Rental squeeze: rents up 11.0% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.

About Kent (Wikipedia)

Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 28,215 at the 2020 census. The city is counted as part of the Akron metropolitan area and the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton combined statistical area.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Portage County right now.

NWS active alerts (OH)Ohio Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Portage County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Kent

1 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Brimfield$223,038+2.7%

Cities like Kent

North Royalton, OH69 · RisingBrunswick, OH69 · RisingMedina, OH68 · RisingTallmadge, OH70 · Rising

Run the numbers for Kent

ToolCan I afford Kent?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Kent rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Kent to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolKent cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
36° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
83° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
178
~49% of year
Annual precip
39″ rain
28″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Akron area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Kent listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,800
Ohio state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareFinance

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Kent

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all Ohio cities →    Browse best-of lists →