Kent, Washington
Encyclopedia
Kent is a city located in King County, Washington
, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle
, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI
and Oberto Sausage
. Nearby towns include Renton
and Tukwila
to the north, Covington
to the east, Federal Way
, Des Moines
and SeaTac
to the west, and Auburn
, Federal Way
, unincorporated King County and part of Covington
to the south. The population as of April, 2010 was 92,411 according to the 2010 census. The total grew to an estimated 118,200 as of April 1, 2011, owing primarily to annexation.
During the 1880s the town discovered hops
production as the major source of income. Due to an aphid
invasion which affected hops crops in Europe, hops from the Puget Sound
area were commanding high prices. Hops were shipped from Titusville either by the river or via rail. Eventually the town was even re-named for Kent County
in England. Hops production in the valley would come to an end due to an invasion of aphids.
Kent was officially incorporated on May 28, 1890 with a population of 793, the second city incorporated in King County after Seattle.
After the turn of the 20th century the area turned to dairy farming
, and was home to a Carnation Condensed Milk plant. Flood
ing from both the Green
and the White
Rivers was a constant problem. In 1906, flooding changed the course of the White River, which reduced the flood hazard by half. The Green River continued to present problems until the creation of the Howard A. Hanson Dam
at Eagle Gorge in 1962.
During and after the Great Depression
, Kent was known as the "Lettuce Capital of the World." After WWII
, Kent began to grow more rapidly. From 1953 to 1960 the city's size grew twelve-fold. In 1965 Boeing
began building in Kent, followed a few years later by other aerospace and high-tech companies.
In 1992, the Greater Kent Historical Society was formed with the intent of promoting the discovery, preservation and dissemination of knowledge about the history of the greater Kent area. In 1996, the City of Kent purchased the historic Bereiter house, the home of one of Kent's early mayors, for use as the Kent Historical Museum. The museum is operated by the Greater Kent Historical Society.
In 2009, Kent got its first sports team, with the addition of WHL's
Seattle Thunderbirds
moving into the city-owned ShoWare Center.
Kent is located on the east side of the valley; the rest of the valley is almost entirely covered by warehouses. There is a good view of Mt. Rainier to the southeast.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 28.3 square miles (73.2 km2), of which 28.0 square miles (72.6 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km2) is water. The total area is 0.85% water. Major waterways include the Green River
, which flows north through Kent on its way to Puget Sound
. The largest lake is Lake Meridian
on the city's East Hill.
providing service to many destinations, including downtown Seattle by multiple commuter buses, the Sounder Commuter Rail
, and local bus service. Heavy rail service includes two major north-south lines through the Kent Valley, with freight traffic operations by the BNSF
and Union Pacific
railroads.
, with a directly elected mayor
and a seven-member city council
. Each is elected at-large
(i.e., by the entire voting population, not by districts) to four-year terms. The current Mayor is Suzette Cooke and the current city council members are:
The city maintains its own municipal police
and fire
departments. In addition to providing fire protection and Medic One
services to the city of Kent, the Kent Fire Department is responsible for providing the same to the adjacent city of Covington
and some unincorporated areas.
primary
and secondary education
in Kent and a number of neighboring cities and unincorporated areas is governed by the Kent School District
. The district includes four high schools, seven middle schools, twenty-eight elementary schools and two academies. Federal Way Public Schools also has several schools within the city limits. Residents of far east Kent are zoned in the Tahoma School district. A branch of Green River Community College
opened in Kent Station in 2007.
, Oberto Sausage Company
, and Seattle Bicycle Supply
all being headquartered in Kent, Boeing
operates a plant in the city. Kent also hosts many warehouses in its once fertile farmland, due in part to its proximity to key transportation routes. The warehouse district has started to sprawl as far as nearby Sumner, Washington
. Whirlpool Corporation and General Electric
Appliances are two companies with regional distribution centers in Kent.
The downtown area of Kent has been undergoing a major revitalizing process in the past decade. One particularly noticeable contribution to this process has been the development Kent Station and the ancillary shopping area.
Kent is home to the second largest warehouse area in the United States, and formerly the single largest.
s used for the Apollo program.
of 2000, there were 79,524 people, 31,113 households, and 19,601 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,836.7 people per square mile (1,095.4/km2). There were 32,488 housing units at an average density of 1,158.9 per square mile (447.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 70.81% White, 8.23% African American, 0.98% Native American, 9.42% Asian, 0.76% Pacific Islander, 4.7% from other races, and 5.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.13% of the population.
There were 32,998 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples
living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $50,053, and the median income for a family was $61,016. Males had a median income of $43,136 versus $36,995 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $21,390. About 8.7% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older.
's Sportstown of the year for Washington. In January 2006, a major new entertainment center, known as Kent Station, opened in downtown Kent adjacent to the transit station of the same name.
:
Yangzhou
, China
Tamba
, Japan
El Grullo
, Jalisco
, Mexico
Sunnfjord
, Norway
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI
Rei
-People:*Rei, the Biblical term for those who retained their allegiance to King David when Adonijah rebelled, as mentioned in 1 Kings 1:8*Rei Hiroe*Rei Igarashi*Rei Kawakubo*Rei Kikukawa*Rei Mikamoto*Rei Munakata*Rei Okamoto*Rei Omishi...
and Oberto Sausage
Oberto Sausage Company
Oberto Sausage Company is a family-owned business that makes beef jerky, Italian style salami, pepperoni and other snack sausages. It is headquartered in Kent, Washington. It is generally known as Oh Boy! Oberto...
. Nearby towns include Renton
Renton, Washington
Renton is an Eastside edge city in King County, Washington, United States. Situated 11 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington. Founded in the 1860s, Renton became a supply town for the Newcastle coal fields...
and Tukwila
Tukwila, Washington
Tukwila is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The northern edge of Tukwila borders the city of Seattle. The population was 19,107 at the 2010 census.-History:...
to the north, Covington
Covington, Washington
Covington is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,575 at the time of the 2010 census. Prior to the 2010 census, Covington was counted as part of Covington-Sawyer-Wilderness CDP.-History:...
to the east, Federal Way
Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south...
, Des Moines
Des Moines, Washington
Des Moines is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 29,673 at the 2010 census. Property within the city has been the subject of land buyouts because of noise from aircraft landing or taking off from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport two miles to the north of...
and SeaTac
SeaTac, Washington
SeaTac is an American city in southern King County, Washington, and an outlying suburb of Seattle, Washington. Incorporated in February 1990, the City of SeaTac is ten square miles in area and has a population of 26,909 according to the 2010 census...
to the west, and Auburn
Auburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
, Federal Way
Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south...
, unincorporated King County and part of Covington
Covington, Washington
Covington is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,575 at the time of the 2010 census. Prior to the 2010 census, Covington was counted as part of Covington-Sawyer-Wilderness CDP.-History:...
to the south. The population as of April, 2010 was 92,411 according to the 2010 census. The total grew to an estimated 118,200 as of April 1, 2011, owing primarily to annexation.
History
The Kent area was first permanently settled by westerners in the early 1860s, and originally called Titusville (there is still a 'Titusville Station' sign on Gowe St).During the 1880s the town discovered hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
production as the major source of income. Due to an aphid
Aphid
Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...
invasion which affected hops crops in Europe, hops from the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
area were commanding high prices. Hops were shipped from Titusville either by the river or via rail. Eventually the town was even re-named for Kent County
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in England. Hops production in the valley would come to an end due to an invasion of aphids.
Kent was officially incorporated on May 28, 1890 with a population of 793, the second city incorporated in King County after Seattle.
After the turn of the 20th century the area turned to dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
, and was home to a Carnation Condensed Milk plant. Flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing from both the Green
Green River (Washington)
The Green River is a long river in the state of Washington in the United States, arising on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains south of I-90....
and the White
White River (Washington)
The White River is a white, glacial river in the U.S. state of Washington. It flows about 75 miles from its source, the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier, to join the Puyallup River at Sumner...
Rivers was a constant problem. In 1906, flooding changed the course of the White River, which reduced the flood hazard by half. The Green River continued to present problems until the creation of the Howard A. Hanson Dam
Howard A. Hanson Dam
Howard A. Hanson Dam is an earthen embankment dam on the Green River, 21 miles east of Auburn, Washington. The dam was completed in 1961 and its primary purpose is flood control along with water supply for Tacoma, Washington....
at Eagle Gorge in 1962.
During and after the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Kent was known as the "Lettuce Capital of the World." After WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kent began to grow more rapidly. From 1953 to 1960 the city's size grew twelve-fold. In 1965 Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
began building in Kent, followed a few years later by other aerospace and high-tech companies.
In 1992, the Greater Kent Historical Society was formed with the intent of promoting the discovery, preservation and dissemination of knowledge about the history of the greater Kent area. In 1996, the City of Kent purchased the historic Bereiter house, the home of one of Kent's early mayors, for use as the Kent Historical Museum. The museum is operated by the Greater Kent Historical Society.
In 2009, Kent got its first sports team, with the addition of WHL's
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
Seattle Thunderbirds
Seattle Thunderbirds
The Seattle Thunderbirds are a junior ice hockey team based in Kent, a suburb of Seattle, Washington. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, and play in the ShoWare Center...
moving into the city-owned ShoWare Center.
Geography
Kent is divided into three major regions: East Hill, the Valley, and West Hill. DowntownDowntown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Kent is located on the east side of the valley; the rest of the valley is almost entirely covered by warehouses. There is a good view of Mt. Rainier to the southeast.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 28.3 square miles (73.2 km2), of which 28.0 square miles (72.6 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km2) is water. The total area is 0.85% water. Major waterways include the Green River
Green River (Washington)
The Green River is a long river in the state of Washington in the United States, arising on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains south of I-90....
, which flows north through Kent on its way to Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. The largest lake is Lake Meridian
Lake Meridian
Lake Meridian is a fresh water lake located in the city of Kent, Washington. One of only four lakes in King County allowing motorized boating, Lake Meridian is an urban lake, surrounded by homes and located just off the Kent-Kangely road on Kent's East Hill....
on the city's East Hill.
Transportation
There are several major freeways and highways in or near Kent, including Interstate 5, State Route 167, and State Route 18, and, as a result, a much greater traffic density during rush hour. Kent is also central to King County Metro transit, with the Kent StationKent (Sounder station)
The Kent Station is a Sounder commuter rail station serving the city of Kent, Washington. It was built by Sound Transit on BNSF Railway tracks in downtown Kent and completed in 2001. In 2003, the parking garage was completed, making the total available parking spaces to 983. The station is also...
providing service to many destinations, including downtown Seattle by multiple commuter buses, the Sounder Commuter Rail
Sounder Commuter Rail
Sounder commuter rail is a regional rail service operated by BNSF on behalf of Sound Transit. Service operates Monday through Friday during peak hours from Seattle, Washington, north to Everett and south to Tacoma. As of 2011, schedules serve the traditional peak commutes, with most trains running...
, and local bus service. Heavy rail service includes two major north-south lines through the Kent Valley, with freight traffic operations by the BNSF
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
and Union Pacific
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
railroads.
Parks
Kent's extensive park system includes over 60 parks, miniparks, playfields, skateparks, greenbelts, and other related facilities. These parks range in size from as little as 4300 square feet (399.5 m²) to over 160 acre (0.6474976 km²).Kent's records and averages
Government
The city is governed by a mayor-council governmentMayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
, with a directly elected mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and a seven-member city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. Each is elected at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
(i.e., by the entire voting population, not by districts) to four-year terms. The current Mayor is Suzette Cooke and the current city council members are:
- Elizabeth Albertson - was elected in 2005 to begin a four-year term on Kent City Council. She is a member of the Parks and Human Services committee.
- Jamie Perry (council president) - a Kent attorney was appointed to the Kent City Council on July 15, 2008. She is currently serving as chair of the Planning and Economic Development committee and member of the Operations committee.
- Ron Harmon - is currently chair of the Public Safety committee and a member of the Public Works committee.
- Dennis Higgins - was elected to his first term in 2009. He is on the Public Works, Public Safety, and Parks and Human Services committees.
- Deborah Ranniger, Ph.D., - is serving her second term. She is chair of the Parks and Human Services committee and a member of the Planning and Economic Development committee.
- Debbie Raplee - was elected to her first term in 2003 and is currently serving her second term. She is currently serving as chair of the Public Works committee and is a member of the Operations committee.
- Les Thomas - He is the chair of the Operations committee and a member of the Public Safety committee.
The city maintains its own municipal police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
and fire
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
departments. In addition to providing fire protection and Medic One
Medic One
The Seattle & King County Emergency Medical Services System is a fire-based two-tier response system providing prehospital basic and advanced life support services....
services to the city of Kent, the Kent Fire Department is responsible for providing the same to the adjacent city of Covington
Covington, Washington
Covington is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,575 at the time of the 2010 census. Prior to the 2010 census, Covington was counted as part of Covington-Sawyer-Wilderness CDP.-History:...
and some unincorporated areas.
Public education
PublicPublic education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
in Kent and a number of neighboring cities and unincorporated areas is governed by the Kent School District
Kent School District
The Kent School District #415 includes the cities of Kent, Covington, Maple Valley, parts of the cities of Renton and Black Diamond, and neighboring unincorporated areas in King County, Washington. Covering 73 square miles , the Kent School District has 40 schools...
. The district includes four high schools, seven middle schools, twenty-eight elementary schools and two academies. Federal Way Public Schools also has several schools within the city limits. Residents of far east Kent are zoned in the Tahoma School district. A branch of Green River Community College
Green River Community College
Green River Community College is a community college located in Auburn, Washington, USA. It has a student body of approximately 10,000.-History:...
opened in Kent Station in 2007.
Annexation
In keeping with the King County Annexation Initiative, which seeks to annex large urban unincorporated areas into city limits or incorporate new cities out of those areas, the Panther Lake area (known officially as the Kent Northeast Potential Annexation Area) was proposed for annexation to the city of Kent. The annexation was voted on by residents of the potential annexation area on November 3, 2009; the area was officially annexed July 1, 2010. The city grew in area by approximately 5 square miles (12.9 km²) and 24,000 residents.Economy
In addition to R.E.I.R.E.I.
REI is a privately held American retail corporation organized as a consumers' cooperative, selling outdoor recreation gear, sporting goods, and clothes via some 110 retail stores in about 30 states, catalogs, and the Internet. The company opens four to six new stores each year...
, Oberto Sausage Company
Oberto Sausage Company
Oberto Sausage Company is a family-owned business that makes beef jerky, Italian style salami, pepperoni and other snack sausages. It is headquartered in Kent, Washington. It is generally known as Oh Boy! Oberto...
, and Seattle Bicycle Supply
Torker
Torker is a brand of bicycles and unicycles currently owned by Seattle Bike Supply, headquartered in Kent, Washington.-History:The Torker name was created by Johnson Engineering in Fullerton, CA in 1977 for a BMX bike frame....
all being headquartered in Kent, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
operates a plant in the city. Kent also hosts many warehouses in its once fertile farmland, due in part to its proximity to key transportation routes. The warehouse district has started to sprawl as far as nearby Sumner, Washington
Sumner, Washington
Sumner is a city in northern Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,451 at the 2010 census. Nearby cities include Puyallup to the west, Auburn to the north, and Enumclaw to the east.-History:...
. Whirlpool Corporation and General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
Appliances are two companies with regional distribution centers in Kent.
The downtown area of Kent has been undergoing a major revitalizing process in the past decade. One particularly noticeable contribution to this process has been the development Kent Station and the ancillary shopping area.
Kent is home to the second largest warehouse area in the United States, and formerly the single largest.
Boeing
Boeing has operated in Kent since at least 1969, when the Kent plant began building the lunar roverLunar rover
The Lunar Roving Vehicle or lunar rover was a battery-powered four-wheeled rover used on the Moon in the last three missions of the American Apollo program during 1971 and 1972...
s used for the Apollo program.
Largest employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... |
4,000 |
| 2 | Kent Public Schools Kent School District The Kent School District #415 includes the cities of Kent, Covington, Maple Valley, parts of the cities of Renton and Black Diamond, and neighboring unincorporated areas in King County, Washington. Covering 73 square miles , the Kent School District has 40 schools... |
3,292 |
| 3 | City of Kent | 832 |
| 4 | REI | 709 |
| 5 | King County Regional Justice Center King County Superior Court King County Superior Court, the largest trial court in Washington state, is based at the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, in downtown Seattle, Washington. It also operates a juvenile facility and a Regional Justice Center in Kent, southeast of Seattle.... |
630 |
| 6 | Coho Distributing | 620 |
| 7 | Sysco SYSCO Sysco Corporation is the global leader in marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, hotels and inns, and other foodservice and hospitality businesses... |
510 |
| 8 | Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944... |
459 |
| 9 | Oberto Oberto Sausage Company Oberto Sausage Company is a family-owned business that makes beef jerky, Italian style salami, pepperoni and other snack sausages. It is headquartered in Kent, Washington. It is generally known as Oh Boy! Oberto... |
447 |
| 10 | Starbucks Coffee | 453 |
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 79,524 people, 31,113 households, and 19,601 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,836.7 people per square mile (1,095.4/km2). There were 32,488 housing units at an average density of 1,158.9 per square mile (447.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 70.81% White, 8.23% African American, 0.98% Native American, 9.42% Asian, 0.76% Pacific Islander, 4.7% from other races, and 5.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.13% of the population.
There were 32,998 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $50,053, and the median income for a family was $61,016. Males had a median income of $43,136 versus $36,995 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $21,390. About 8.7% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older.
Recreation and entertainment
In 2003, Kent was named Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
's Sportstown of the year for Washington. In January 2006, a major new entertainment center, known as Kent Station, opened in downtown Kent adjacent to the transit station of the same name.
Events
- Canterbury Faire, an arts festival in mid-August every year at Earthworks Park, which stopped in 2006.
- Kent Cornucopia Days in July.
- Kent Farmers Market
- Kent Saturday Market
Notable past/present residents
- Earl AnthonyEarl AnthonyEarl Roderick Anthony was a left-handed American professional bowler who amassed records of 41 titles and six bowler of the year awards on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. His title count was amended to 43 in 2008, when the PBA chose to include ABC Masters titles earned by a PBA member...
, professional bowlerTen-pin bowlingTen-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just... - Josie BissettJosie BissettJosie Bissett is the stage name of Jolyn Christine Heutmaker , an American actress best known for her role as Jane Mancini on the television series Melrose Place.-Early life :...
, actress who appeared in Melrose Place - John BronsonJohn BronsonJohnathon Lee Bronson is a professional American football tight end. Currently a free agent from the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League.-High school:...
, former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player - Ernie ConwellErnie ConwellErnest Harold Conwell is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
, former NFL player - Daphne Loves DerbyDaphne Loves DerbyDaphne Loves Derby is an American Indie rock band that formed in Kent, Washington, in 2001. They have released three studio albums, the third in 2007 titled Good Night, Witness Light, peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart...
, indie-pop rock band - Kai EllisKai EllisKai Ellis is an American Canadian football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
, CFLCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
player - Shannon Higgins-CirovskiShannon Higgins-CirovskiShannon Higgins-Cirovski was a U.S. soccer midfielder who Higgins earned fifty-one caps with the United States between 1987 and 1991. She was a member of the U.S. team at the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-High school and college:Higgins grew up...
, former soccer player and member of the National Soccer Hall of FameNational Soccer Hall of FameThe National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:... - Jeff JaegerJeff JaegerJeff Todd Jaeger , is a former American football placekicker who played in 12 National Football League seasons and was an All-American kicker at the University of Washington. In the NFL Jaeger played for the Cleveland Browns, the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, and the Chicago Bears...
, former NFL kicker - Stefano LangoneStefano LangoneStefano Langone is an American singer from Kent, Washington. Langone placed seventh on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
, American IdolAmerican Idol (season 10)The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
contestant - Sarah LarsonSarah LarsonSarah Larson is originally from Kent, Washington, and attended Kentwood High School, and college at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Sarah began her undergraduate career on the pre-med track but her studies eventually became more centered around the performing arts such as...
, Fear FactorFear FactorFear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor. The show pits contestants against each other in a variety of stunts for a...
contestant - Kenny MayneKenny MayneKenneth "Kenny" Wheelock Mayne is a sports journalist and comedian for ESPN.-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA...
, ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
analyst - PZ MyersPZ MyersPaul Zachary "PZ" Myers is an American biology professor at the University of Minnesota Morris and the author of the Pharyngula science blog. He is currently an associate professor of biology at UMM, works with zebrafish in the field of evolutionary developmental biology , and also cultivates an...
, biology professor at University of Minnesota Morris and intelligent designIntelligent designIntelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
critic - Brenda RaganotBrenda RaganotBrenda Raganot is a professional female bodybuilder from Kent, Washington.- Biography :Brenda was born on September 8, 1966 in Annapolis, Maryland. She began training in 1984. Brenda earned her pro card in 1998 when she won the middleweight and overall titles at the NPC Nationals...
, professional bodybuilderBodybuildingBodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their... - Rodney StuckeyRodney StuckeyRodney Norvell Stuckey is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA.-High school career:...
, basketball player for the Detroit PistonsDetroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where... - Courtney VanderslootCourtney VanderslootCourtney Vandersloot is an American basketball player, currently a point guard with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA and Beşiktaş in the Turkish Women's Basketball League...
, basketball player for the Chicago SkyChicago SkyThe Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team based in Rosemont, Illinois, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter and Margaret Stender... - Cam WeaverCam WeaverWilliam Cameron "Cam" Weaver is an American soccer player who plays as a forward for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.-High School and College:...
, professional soccer player Houston DynamoHouston DynamoThe Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
Sister cities
Kent has the following sister citiesTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
:
Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Tamba
Tamba, Hyogo
is a city located in Hyōgo, Japan.The city was formed on November 1, 2004 from the merger of all six towns of the former Hikami District: Aogaki, Ichijima, Kaibara, Kasuga, Sannan and Hikami....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
El Grullo
El Grullo
El Grullo is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 157.2 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 21,825....
, Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Sogn og Fjordane county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, Flora, Førde, Gaular, Jølster, Naustdal, and the southernmost parts of Bremanger...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
External links
- City of Kent Government
- Kent School District
- Kent Chamber of Commerce
- City of Kent Parks Department
- Kent Reporter - Free Weekly Community Newspaper