Kent County vs Wayne County
A side-by-side comparison of Kent County and Wayne County: population, income, housing, and more.
Kent County and Wayne County are counties in Michigan. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Wayne County has the higher population (1,773,767 vs 658,844 in Kent County). Kent County has the higher median household income ($80,390 vs $59,521 in Wayne County). Kent County has the higher median home value ($265,700 vs $170,200 in Wayne County).
Population, income & housing
| Kent County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 658,844 | 1,773,767 |
| Median age | 35.7 yrs | 37.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $80,390 | $59,521 |
| Median home value | $265,700 | $170,200 |
| Median gross rent | $1,176 | $1,087 |
| Housing units | 267,071 | 796,119 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.4% | 64.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.6% | 26.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 8.7% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Kent County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 648,121 → 658,844 (+1.7%) | 1,757,299 → 1,773,767 (+0.9%) |
| Median household income | $63,053 → $80,390 (+27.5%) | $47,301 → $59,521 (+25.8%) |
| Median home value | $173,700 → $265,700 (+53.0%) | $113,000 → $170,200 (+50.6%) |
| Median gross rent | $899 → $1,176 (+30.8%) | $875 → $1,087 (+24.2%) |
Kent County
648,121658,844
$63,053$80,390
$173,700$265,700
$899$1,176
Wayne County
1,757,2991,773,767
$47,301$59,521
$113,000$170,200
$875$1,087
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Kent County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.3% | 6.3% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.4% | 17.4% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 8.4% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.7% | 14.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.3% | 12.0% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 12.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.0% | 13.0% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.9% | 9.8% |
| 75 and over | 5.6% | 6.3% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Kent County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 71.1% | 48.2% |
| Black or African American | 9.2% | 37.0% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 3.1% | 3.5% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 4.5% | 4.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.5% | 6.7% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Kent County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 7.7% | 12.1% |
| High school graduate | 23.5% | 29.5% |
| Some college or associate's | 29.1% | 31.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 25.5% | 16.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 14.1% | 10.6% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Kent County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 74.5% | 73.0% |
| Carpooled | 8.0% | 8.7% |
| Public transit | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| Walked | 1.9% | 1.7% |
| Bicycle | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 12.7% | 12.4% |
| Other means | 0.8% | 1.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Kent County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 65.4% | 69.7% |
| 1-unit, attached | 6.4% | 6.0% |
| 2 to 4 units | 7.1% | 6.7% |
| 5 to 19 units | 9.3% | 7.4% |
| 20 or more units | 8.0% | 8.4% |
| Mobile home & other | 3.7% | 1.8% |
Poverty & households
| Kent County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.6% | 20.1% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 2.53 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 21 | 25 |
| Median year structure built | 1976 | 1956 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in Michigan
- Most densely populated — counties in Michigan
- Highest median household income — counties in Michigan
- Highest median home value — counties in Michigan
- Most affordable home values — counties in Michigan
- Highest median gross rent — counties in Michigan
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in Michigan
- Oldest by median age — counties in Michigan
- Youngest by median age — counties in Michigan
- Most college-educated — counties in Michigan
- Highest poverty rate — counties in Michigan
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in Michigan
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in Michigan
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in Michigan
- Longest commutes — counties in Michigan
- Shortest commutes — counties in Michigan
- Largest households — counties in Michigan
- Newest housing — counties in Michigan
- Oldest housing — counties in Michigan
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in Michigan
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in Michigan