Jobs, pay and daily life in Kent, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Kent is a city in Ohio with 27,116 residents. The median household earns $42,964 a year and the median rent is $991 a month, which is 27.7% of the median household income. It is part of the Akron, OH metropolitan area, where BLS counts 319,560 jobs.
How Kent compares. Among the 100 largest places in Ohio, Kent is #55 by population, #95 for household income (#1 = highest), #95 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #16 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Portage County, is #24 of 88 counties for average pay ($57,670).
Kent has 27,116 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Ohio. It covers 9 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,858 people per square mile. The median age is 23.8, 40% younger than the state median (23.8 against 39.7).
The median gross rent is $991 a month (rent plus utilities), 4% below the state median ($991 against $1,034). Over a year that is 27.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $219,900, which is 5.1 times the median household income ($42,964); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 40.8% of households own their home, 39% below the state average (40.8% against 67.2%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Akron, OH metropolitan area has 319,560 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,840 a year, 4% below the national median ($48,840 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (36,790 jobs, median $46,160); transportation and material moving (31,970 jobs, median $40,800); food preparation and serving related (28,910 jobs, median $30,090). The area is most specialised in production (1.4 times) and architecture and engineering (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($105,470) and computer and mathematical ($95,650). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Portage County was 3.5%. 63.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Portage County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 64.7% drive alone, 0.9% use public transit, 9.7% walk, 16.0% work from home. 6.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 38% below the state average (6.7% against 10.8%).
47.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50% above the state share (47.1% against 31.5%). 6.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 29% above the state share (6.7% against 5.2%). The poverty rate is 27.1%, 104% above the state rate (27.1% against 13.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (23.0°C), and the coolest is Jan at 25°F (-3.7°C). About 994 mm (39 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (104 mm) and Feb the driest (62 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Tallmadge (4 miles, rent 8% higher); Stow (4 miles, rent 22% higher); Hudson (8 miles, rent 137% higher); Akron (10 miles, rent 4% lower). Rent differences are against Kent; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Ohio (525) →State guide: OhioCountry guidePortage CountyOhio rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 525 federal postings open in Ohio (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 1,130 | 1.61 | $293,090 | $68,750 | $538,070 | +10% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 580 | 1.28 | $160,430 | $112,780 | $212,010 | -6% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,140 | 0.83 | $154,010 | $101,930 | $221,800 | -12% |
| Pharmacists | 710 | 1.08 | $137,730 | $51,610 | $162,260 | -2% |
| Financial Managers | 1,460 | 0.85 | $135,850 | $83,870 | $262,440 | -18% |
| Marketing Managers | 530 | 0.65 | $131,810 | $78,420 | $219,400 | -21% |
| Sales Managers | 1,480 | 1.13 | $128,560 | $74,770 | $239,770 | -13% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,050 | 1.57 | $127,090 | $105,810 | $154,620 | -4% |
| Lawyers | 1,150 | 0.74 | $126,270 | $69,470 | $262,410 | -21% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 810 | 1.60 | $106,640 | $72,460 | $176,220 | -15% |
| Software Developers | 2,240 | 0.64 | $105,430 | $76,850 | $164,000 | -22% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,270 | 1.04 | $104,430 | $63,670 | $219,870 | -16% |
| Physical Therapists | 620 | 1.14 | $102,700 | $79,610 | $123,100 | -0% |
| Construction Managers | 920 | 1.18 | $102,630 | $62,920 | $161,140 | -11% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 790 | 1.18 | $101,070 | $62,400 | $127,300 | -5% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 1,060 | 0.99 | $101,040 | $65,300 | $153,110 | -5% |
| Industrial Engineers | 1,430 | 1.91 | $99,910 | $74,590 | $135,950 | -2% |
| Electrical Engineers | 620 | 1.51 | $99,360 | $78,420 | $149,020 | -18% |
| General and Operations Managers | 9,010 | 1.25 | $98,340 | $48,110 | $215,300 | -7% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 1,000 | 1.64 | $97,920 | $66,620 | $129,100 | -6% |
These figures are for the whole Akron, OH metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,840 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 30.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 20.1% |
| Retail trade | 12.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.5% |
| Manufacturing | 7.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.5% |
| Other services | 3.8% |
| Construction | 3.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.7% |
| Public administration | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Kent lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage County | 161,956 | $8,793 million | $54,293 | 56,561 | 3,770 | $57,670 | +0.0% | 3.5% | 84,047 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 10,209 | 23.1% | $69,029 | 2.20 |
| Retail trade | 7,000 | 15.9% | $36,578 | 1.24 |
| Health care and social assistance | 5,899 | 13.4% | $45,483 | 0.73 |
| Accommodation and food services | 5,748 | 13.0% | $20,690 | 1.12 |
| Wholesale trade | 3,019 | 6.8% | $98,855 | 1.35 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,403 | 5.4% | $81,820 | 0.61 |
| Construction | 2,273 | 5.1% | $73,201 | 0.77 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,560 | 3.5% | $37,421 | 0.92 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,171 | 2.7% | $50,860 | 0.35 |
| Management of companies | 1,080 | 2.4% | $86,504 | 1.13 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,041 | 2.4% | $98,024 | 0.45 |
| Educational services | 668 | 1.5% | $43,405 | 0.57 |
| Real estate and rental | 659 | 1.5% | $51,173 | 0.75 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 638 | 1.4% | $23,017 | 0.67 |
| Information | 348 | 0.8% | $83,275 | 0.33 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 234 | 0.5% | $38,794 | 0.51 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 196 | 0.4% | $77,667 | 0.92 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 64.7% |
| Public transit | 0.9% |
| Walk | 9.7% |
| Work from home | 16.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,964 |
| Income per person | $28,098 |
| Median gross rent per month | $991 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 27.7% |
| Median home value | $219,900 |
| Homeowners | 40.8% |
| Poverty rate | 27.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 93.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,840 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 2.75%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 23.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 47.1% |
| Born abroad | 6.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.7 | 25 | 64 |
| Feb | -2.7 | 27 | 62 |
| Mar | 2.3 | 36 | 80 |
| Apr | 9.0 | 48 | 86 |
| May | 15.3 | 60 | 98 |
| Jun | 20.3 | 69 | 104 |
| Jul | 23.0 | 73 | 94 |
| Aug | 22.3 | 72 | 84 |
| Sep | 18.4 | 65 | 91 |
| Oct | 11.1 | 52 | 88 |
| Nov | 4.5 | 40 | 70 |
| Dec | -0.8 | 31 | 73 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tallmadge | OH | 4 mi | 18,335 | $89,410 | $1,067 |
| Stow | OH | 4 mi | 34,240 | $93,727 | $1,212 |
| Hudson | OH | 8 mi | 23,039 | $171,427 | $2,344 |
| Akron | OH | 10 mi | 189,247 | $48,076 | $955 |
| Cuyahoga Falls | OH | 10 mi | 50,909 | $72,705 | $1,038 |
| Twinsburg | OH | 13 mi | 19,410 | $99,144 | $1,356 |
| Green | OH | 15 mi | 27,393 | $95,047 | $1,228 |
| Barberton | OH | 16 mi | 24,844 | $52,267 | $848 |
| Solon | OH | 17 mi | 23,943 | $139,089 | $1,626 |
| Broadview Heights | OH | 20 mi | 19,771 | $103,125 | $1,083 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
27,116 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$991 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 27.7% of the median household income.
$42,964 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.5% (BLS county, Portage County (latest month 2026M09)).
Ohio. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.