Water damage restoration · Kent, Washington
Water damage restoration in Kent, WA
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Kent-area ZIPs: 60 flood claims since 1980[1]; 39% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Kent, in King County — ZIPs 98032, 98031, 98030, 98042, counts 134,871 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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The Kent water damage picture in brief
- Population (2025 est.)
- 134,871[3]-0.4% since 2020
- County
- King[3]
- Land area
- 33.6 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 60 since 1980[1]$1,060,449 paid across 35 claims · ZIP 98032, 98031, 98030, 98042
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 2[5]2016–2025 · latest Dec 5, 2023
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, King Co.
- 11[6]of 18 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 39%[2]the 6th-lowest share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 43%[2]2020–2024
Reading the Kent data for water damage
Kent counts 134,871 residents (2025 estimate), growing at a middle-of-the-pack -0.4% since 2020[3]. 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[4].
Kent mixes 10% of homes built since 2010 and 39% before 1980[2]: new supply lines and water heaters in one house, aging pipe and original valves in the next — so where a leak starts depends a lot on the address.
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)[7].
Nearest of the other suburbs we track: Auburn (5.9 mi S), Renton (6.2 mi N) and Federal Way (7.9 mi SW)[4].
60 flood-insurance claims have come from Kent-area ZIP codes (98032, 98031, 98030, 98042) since 1980, and $1,060,449 has been paid on them (about $30,299 per paid claim)[1]. 2025 was the worst year, with 15 claims. That is the 5th-most of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Auburn (49), Renton (66), and Federal Way (23). Outside water is a real part of the picture here. Of the 59 claims rated in a flood zone, 31 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 28 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Kent-area flood claims cluster in January (11), November (8), and December (23) — 42 of 60 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Kent, weather observers filed 2 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025[5]. Countywide: 11 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (DR-4906, 2025)[6]. Nearby: Auburn (0), Renton (2), and Federal Way (1).
39% of Kent's 49,652 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 6th-lowest share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover (Auburn (33%), Renton (39%), and Federal Way (40%)). Expect a mix of original and replaced plumbing.
43% of Kent households rent[2]: tenants should report leaks to the landlord in writing, with photos.
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Leaked water spreads outward and wicks up drywall the longer it runs.
Get water damage help in Kent
Your request reaches Water damage restoration contractors who serve Kent (ZIP codes 98032, 98031, 98030, 98042).
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Kent homes by building type
45%[2] of Kent's homes share walls, floors or ceilings with a neighbour (multi-unit buildings alone: 39%, the 5th-lowest multi-unit share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover). Water crosses those lines: in an attached or stacked unit, tell the neighbour and the association or landlord right away, and check whose policy covers which part of the damage.
After detached houses, the biggest group is 10–19 units: 5,990 of 49,652 housing units[2].
Kent also has 1,458 mobile homes (2.9%); for a leak under one, ask for a crew that works on manufactured homes.
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 25,845 | 52.1% | ±974 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 3,069 | 6.2% | ±447 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 357 | 0.7% | ±139 |
| 3–4 units | 2,036 | 4.1% | ±461 |
| 5–9 units | 3,979 | 8.0% | ±488 |
| 10–19 units | 5,990 | 12.1% | ±731 |
| 20–49 units | 2,306 | 4.6% | ±454 |
| 50 or more units | 4,566 | 9.2% | ±582 |
| Mobile home | 1,458 | 2.9% | ±324 |
| Boat, RV, van, etc. | 46 | 0.1% | ±52 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The data underneath this Kent page
| Measure | Kent | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 2 | 1 | 1 more |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 60 | 46 | 14 more |
| Median home value | $587,800 | $686,900 | 14% lower |
| Renter-occupied | 43% | 45% | 2 pts lower |
| Owner-occupied | 57% | 55% | 2 pts higher |
| Built before 1980 | 39% | 39% | 1 pts lower |
| 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.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | 60 | 2 | 39% | 43% |
| Auburn 5.9 mi | 49 | 0 | 33% | 39% |
| Renton 6.2 mi | 66 | 2 | 39% | 46% |
| Federal Way 7.9 mi | 23 | 1 | 40% | 45% |
| Issaquah 13.2 mi | 243 | 1 | 17% | 43% |
| Bellevue 14.6 mi | 77 | 3 | 47% | 48% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98032 | 26 | $812,577 | 2025 (13) | 9 of 26 |
| 98031 | 18 | $168,568 | 1990 (6) | 9 of 17 |
| 98030 | 8 | $68,860 | 1990 (2) | 4 of 8 |
| 98042 | 8 | $10,444 | 1990 (2) | 6 of 8 |
ZIPs extend past city limits. Outside high-risk zones: claims rated in zone B, C or X, of the claims that carry a zone.
| Year | Claims |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 11 |
| February | 6 |
| March | 3 |
| April | 3 |
| May | 1 |
| June | 1 |
| August | 1 |
| September | 1 |
| October | 2 |
| November | 8 |
| December | 23 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 5, 2023 | Heavy Rain | 5.8 mi |
| Jan 6, 2022 | Heavy Rain | 7.2 mi |
| 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% |
water damage questions from Kent homeowners
Do I need flood insurance in Kent?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Kent-area ZIPs have 24 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Kent ZIP codes do these crews cover?
98032, 98031, 98030, and 98042[7], in King County. Nearby pages: Auburn (5.9 mi), Renton (6.2 mi), and Federal Way (7.9 mi)[4].
Which Kent ZIP code has the most flood claims?
98032, with 26 NFIP claims and $812,577 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Kent?
Dec 5, 2023: a heavy rain report 5.8 miles from the city center[5].
Sources
- OpenFEMA NFIP claims
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (keyless bulk)
- Census population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Gazetteer 2025
- NOAA Storm Events Database
- OpenFEMA disaster declarations
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
- FEMA, Flood Zones (link unverified)
- FEMA FloodSmart (link unverified)
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.