City comparison
Bellevue, WA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Kent, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 18 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Bellevue, WA to Kent, WA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Bellevue has a population of 150,606, vs 135,169 in Kent — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, Kent covers about 34 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Bellevue.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bellevue | Kent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,422/mo | $1,742/mo | 39.0% higher in Bellevue |
| Median home value | $1,139,500 | $478,400 | 138.2% higher in Bellevue |
| Median household income | $149,551 | $86,966 | 72.0% higher in Bellevue |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 104.0 | 0.9% higher in Kent |
| Utilities index | 92.5 | 95.7 | 3.5% higher in Kent |
| Transportation index | 108.1 | 106.6 | 1.3% higher in Bellevue |
| Healthcare index | 108.8 | 106.6 | 2.0% higher in Bellevue |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bellevue, you'd need $98,306 in Kent to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Kent, WA is about 1.7% cheaper overall than Bellevue, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Bellevue than in Kent. If you earn $80,000 in Bellevue, you'd need about $78,644 in Kent to keep the same standard of living.