Kent vs Salem
The short version
- Salem is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 7% lower than in the Kent area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $416,900 in Salem and $587,800 in Kent.
- Households earn more in Kent ($92,302 vs $75,487 median).
- Salem is growing faster: +3.6% since 2020 vs -0.4%.
- Commutes are shorter in Salem (22 vs 30 minutes each way).
- Washington has no state income tax on wages; Oregon's top rate is 9.9%.
Side by side
| Kent, WA | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 134,871 | 181,779 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.4% | +3.6% |
| People per square mile | 3,986 | 3,714 |
| Median age | 35.5 | 36.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 32% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $92,302 | $75,487 |
| Median home value | $587,800 | $416,900 |
| Home value to income | 6.4× | 5.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,909 | $1,400 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 111.1 | 103.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 151.3 | 110.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $83,300 | $77,700 |
| Homeowners | 57% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | None | 9.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.57% | 0% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.4 | 22.0 |
| Work from home | 14% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 4% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7% | 5.8% |
| Poverty rate | 10.8% | 14.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 38° | 48° / 36° |
| July high / low | 77° / 57° | 84° / 55° |
| Precipitation per year | 39 in | 40 in |
| Snowfall per year | 6 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 4 | 18 |
| Nights below freezing | 25 | 49 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.7 | 95.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 56% | 80% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.3% | -0.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +24.6% | +27.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Kent: May to September. Salem: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Kent weather by month and Salem weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $83,300 in Kent and $77,700 in Salem. Moving from Kent to Salem, you would need about $69,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Kent and Salem
129people moved from King County, WA to Marion County, OR in a year
117moved the other way
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Kent and Salem.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.