Kent East Hill Real Estate

Lake Meridian at Sunset (Kent, Washington) - photo by Jake Dawson.

Location

Kent East Hill is a part of the city of Kent and unincorporated King County, located on the east side of the Green River Valley in Washington State. The city of Kent stretches from Kent’s West Hill community, across the valley floor, up to Kent East Hill. Just north of Kent East Hill is Renton and Tukwila, and to the east is Covington. Auburn borders Kent East hill on the south and Des Moines, SeaTac, and Federal Way are along the west border.

Map of Kent, WA, courtesy of Google Maps

City of Kent Map

It takes approximately 30 minutes to drive from Kent East Hill to Tacoma or Seattle, traffic permitting. This makes Kent, Washington an ideal location for commuters to these two major cities. When my family moved from Fall City to Kent East Hill a number of years ago, it was for the excellent schools, neighborhoods, church and close proximity to wherever we needed to go.

State Route 167 (also known as the Valley Freeway) runs north and south along the Green River Valley, and sits at the bottom of Kent East Hill. The residents of Kent East Hill rely on Highway 167, Highway 18, Benson Road, and Kent-Kangley Road. When looking at a map of Kent, these main roads will stand out. It’s also easy to get to wherever you need to go by taking Metro Transit. Take a look at this link for Kent East Hill Neighborhood Metro Transit Bus Routes for more information.

Population

According to the City of Kent’s website, it is the fourth largest city in King County and has a rich, culturally diverse population of 88,380. I don’t think Kent will be number four for long because the city’s population is expected to increase to 100,000 in the next few years!

Real Estate

As of February 2010, the median price for single family homes and condos in Kent is $249,950. There are many affordable homes to choose from, if you’re looking to move to Kent East Hill! Scroll down to the bottom of this page to view all of the listed homes for sale in Kent, Washington. If you come across a home listed online somewhere, check the ZIP code. Kent East Hill zip codes are 98030, 98031, and 98042.

Jobs

Kent is home to many nationally-known businesses, including as Boeing, REI Headquarters, Seattle Bike Supply, and the Oberto Sausage Company. Over the next ten years, the city of Kent plans to become a regional banking center; have the largest concentration of King County government services outside of the city of Seattle; and become the main hub for international commerce. This will provide an increased number of job opportunities, as our large city grows even larger.

Community

Kent East Hill has several distinct neighborhoods and commercial areas within its boundaries. At the base of East Hill is the new Kent Station - an outdoor shopping area with fantastic restaurants, an AMC Movie Theater, and even a branch of Green River Community College. Kent Station is one of the busy commuter stops along Sound Transit’s Sounder Commuter Rail, taking residents into Seattle from outlying areas. When my husband worked Downtown, he loved taking the train to and from work from Kent Station. It’s very convenient!

Schools

The Kent School District reports that their students in the 6^th – 12^th grade scored above average in math and near the state average in 3^rd – 5^th grade. In addition, the College Board SAT scores are higher than the national average in reading and math. I am a product of the Kent School District and I graduated from Kentridge High School in the 1990’s.

Entertainment & Recreation

It seems like every Kent East Hill neighborhood has a glimpse of beautiful 14,410 foot Mount Rainier! Many of the homes listed for sale will have additional notes boasting the beautiful Mount Rainier views. Speaking of views, Kent has so many beautiful paved walking trails and parks. One of my favorite trails on Kent East Hill is the Soos’ Creek Trail that runs from Lake Meridian to 208^th Street, near Kentridge High School. When my husband worked in Renton, he would bike to work on the Soos Creek Trail, which connects to several other trails.

Kent is home to several fairs and community events such as Kent Cornucopia Days in July and the Canterbury Fair in August. It’s fun to ice skate with the family, play mini golf, watch hockey, or hit some baseballs in the batting cages at the Kent Valley Ice Centre. Kent is also the new home of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who play at Showare Center. Showare Center is also where Disney performs, the Harlem Globetrotters shoot hoops, and music artists perform in concert. Do you love watching cars race or do you have a hot rod you’d like to race legally? Pacific Raceways is the place to go! It’s located on Kent East Hill and I enjoy hearing the thunderous roar of high-speed vehicles off in the distance in the summer-time. From June to September, people come from all over to buy fresh produce and goods from the Kent Farmer's Market on the corner of 2nd & Smith in downtown Kent. For more information, call them at (253) 486-9316. If you enjoy golfing, you will find many opportunities to enjoy your favorite past-time. Some of the more well-known golf clubs in Kent are the Riverbend Golf Complex, Meridian Valley Golf and Country Club, Druid's Glen Golf Course.