AC & heating repair · Kent, Washington
AC repair and HVAC service in Kent, WA
AC quit, heat pump struggling, or a system near the end of its life? In Kent, 56% of homes heat with electricity[1] and half were built before 1985. Request service from HVAC contractors working here. Kent, in King County — ZIPs 98032, 98031, 98030, 98042, counts 134,871 residents (2025 estimate)[2].
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Kent at a glance for HVAC
- Population (2025 est.)
- 134,871[2]-0.4% since 2020
- County
- King[2]
- Land area
- 33.6 sq mi[3]
- Homes heated with electricity
- 56%[1]the 7th-lowest share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover
- Homes heated with utility gas
- 40%[1]plus 1% propane/LP
- Lightning-damage reports within 10 mi
- 0[4]2016–2025; power surges damage HVAC control boards
- Damaging-wind reports within 10 mi
- 0[4]2016–2025; wind-blown debris damages outdoor condenser units
- Homes built before 2000
- 78%[1]of 49,652 housing units
- Median year built
- 1985[1]the 8th-newest of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover
Reading the Kent data for HVAC
Kent counts 134,871 residents (2025 estimate), growing at a middle-of-the-pack -0.4% since 2020[2]. It covers 33.6 square miles (4,016 residents per square mile, the 8th densest), sits entirely in King County, in ZIP codes 98032, 98031, 98030, 98042[3].
Only 10% of Kent's homes were built in 2010 or later, against 78% before 2000[1] — most systems here are past any builder warranty, and older homes often keep their original ductwork.
Mail to Kent goes through 4 ZIP codes — 98032 (43% of the city's land), 98031 (23% of the city's land), 98030 (19% of the city's land), 98042 (13% of the city's land)[5].
Nearest of the other suburbs we track: Auburn (5.9 mi S), Renton (6.2 mi N) and Federal Way (7.9 mi SW)[3].
56% of occupied Kent homes heat with electricity, 40% with utility gas and 1% with propane[1] — the 7th-lowest electric share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover; nearby, Auburn (56%), Renton (56%), and Federal Way (58%) heat electrically. Electric heat usually means one outdoor unit doing both jobs.
Storm exposure for HVAC hardware: 0 lightning-damage reports within 10 miles; 0 damaging-wind reports within 10 miles in 2016–2025[4].
78% of Kent's 49,652 housing units were built before 2000 and 10% since 2010[1] (pre-2000 share nearby: Auburn (64%), Renton (69%), and Federal Way (81%)). Older homes often keep original ductwork.
How air moves through a central system
How the loop runs: return duct to filter to air handler to supply ducts. A dirty filter slows everything downstream.
Finding HVAC help around Kent
AC & heating repair contractors taking requests around Kent cover ZIP codes 98032, 98031, 98030, 98042.
Before you call: repair or replace? what a good hvac visit covers
The data underneath this Kent page
| Measure | Kent | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propane / LP heat | 1.5% | 1.1% | about the same |
| Built 2010 or later | 10% | 13% | 3 pts lower |
| Built before 2000 | 78% | 73% | 5 pts higher |
| Utility-gas heat | 40% | 40% | about the same |
| Electric heat | 56% | 56% | about the same |
| Median year built | 1985 | 1985 | same as median |
Sorted by largest difference. Each median is the middle value across the covered Seattle-area suburbs, from the same sources.
| Main heating fuel | Homes | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 26,453 | 56.1% | ±1,046 |
| Utility gas | 18,881 | 40.0% | ±1,043 |
| Bottled or tank gas (propane, butane, etc.) | 695 | 1.5% | ±214 |
| No fuel used | 509 | 1.1% | ±192 |
| Wood | 300 | 0.6% | ±182 |
| Fuel oil, kerosene, etc. | 210 | 0.4% | ±99 |
| Solar energy | 55 | 0.1% | ±60 |
| Other fuel | 53 | 0.1% | ±46 |
| Built | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 527 | 1.1% | ±202 |
| 2010 to 2019 | 4,358 | 8.8% | ±400 |
| 2000 to 2009 | 5,970 | 12.0% | ±601 |
| 1990 to 1999 | 9,049 | 18.2% | ±740 |
| 1980 to 1989 | 10,619 | 21.4% | ±776 |
| 1970 to 1979 | 8,305 | 16.7% | ±797 |
| 1960 to 1969 | 6,865 | 13.8% | ±856 |
| 1950 to 1959 | 2,257 | 4.5% | ±417 |
| 1940 to 1949 | 632 | 1.3% | ±279 |
| 1939 or earlier | 1,070 | 2.2% | ±344 |
ACS 2020–2024 estimates; margins of error are the Census Bureau's 90% intervals.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Housing units | 49,652 |
| Detached single-family | 25,845 (52%) |
| Occupied homes | 47,156 |
| Owner-occupied | 26,961 (57%) |
| Renter-occupied | 20,195 (43%) |
| Median home value | $587,800 |
ACS 2020–2024 estimates.
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Kent's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 98032 | 43% | 86% |
| 98031 | 23% | 100% |
| 98030 | 19% | 87% |
| 98042 | 13% | 16% |
Common Kent HVAC questions
Are heat pumps common in Kent?
56% of Kent homes heat with electricity[1], which means a heat pump or electric resistance heat.
How old are Kent's homes — and their HVAC systems?
The median home dates to 1985, and 10% were built in 2010 or later[1]. Your own system may have been replaced since — the outdoor unit's data plate shows when it was made.
Which Kent ZIP codes are covered?
98032, 98031, 98030, and 98042[5], King County. Nearby pages: Auburn (5.9 mi), Renton (6.2 mi), and Federal Way (7.9 mi)[3].
Sources
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (keyless bulk)
- Census population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Gazetteer 2025
- NOAA Storm Events Database
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.