City comparison
Burien, WA is about 10 miles (10 km) from Kent, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 11 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 Burien, WA to Kent, WA takes about 1 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.
Kent has a population of 135,169, vs 51,505 in Burien — about 2.6× larger by population. By land area, Kent covers about 34 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Burien.
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 | Burien | Kent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,649/mo | $1,742/mo | 5.6% higher in Kent |
| Median home value | $566,500 | $478,400 | 18.4% higher in Burien |
| Median household income | $84,583 | $86,966 | 2.8% higher in Kent |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 104.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 95.7 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 106.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 106.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Burien, you'd need $100,227 in Kent to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Burien and Kent have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Burien, you'd need about $80,182 in Kent to keep the same standard of living.