Kent is a located in Portage County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 27,906. Kent is home to the main campus of Kent State University. Nearby metropolitan areas include Akron, Cleveland, and Canton. Kent is included in the Akron metropolitan area for census purposes.
Kent is located at 41°9'2" North, 81°21'40" West (41.150423, -81.361109).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.6 km2 (8.7 mi2). 22.5 km2 (8.7 mi2) of it is land and 0.1 km2 (0.04 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 0.23% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 27,906 people, 9,772 households, and 4,798 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,239.9/km2 (3,212.3/mi2). There are 10,435 housing units at an average density of 463.6/km2 (1,201.2/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 86.07% White, 9.11% African American, 2.15% Asian, 0.19% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 2.01% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 9,772 households out of which 25.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.8% are married couples living together, 13.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.9% are non-families. 32.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.27 and the average family size is 2.89.
In the city the population is spread out with 16.4% under the age of 18, 40.0% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 13.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 23 years. For every 100 females there are 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 81.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $29,582, and the median income for a family is $44,440. Males have a median income of $32,063 versus $25,344 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,015. 25.2% of the population and 15.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.2% of those under the age of 18 and 9.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Although European settlers had begun settling in the area by the 1700s, Kent was founded in 1805 by John Haymaker, who moved west from Pittsburgh and settled on the banks of the Cuyahoga River. After Haymaker built a gristmill, two villages quickly sprung up. The "upper" village was named Carthage and the "lower" village was named Franklin Mills. The region was formerly inhabited by various tribes of American Indians, and around 1780 the Indian fighter Captain Samuel Brady achieved notoriety for his activities in the area, including his famous leap over the Cuyahoga River to avoid capture.
When construction began on the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal in the 1830's, land speculation was rampant in many areas of Northeast Ohio along the canal, including Franklin Mills and Carthage. As a result of this, an industrial and business region was established along the river in what is now downtown Kent.
The era of the canal would be relatively short-lived. In 1863 a local businessman by the name of Marvin Kent was influential in bringing the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad through the village. The railroad reinvented the village as an important stop on the east-west line, and to honor Marvin Kent the village was renamed Kent in 1864. As for the canal, it could not compete with the speed and efficiency of the railroads, and it became virtually unused for shipping by 1870. Kent was officially incorporated as a village on May 6, 1867.
John Davey established the Davey Tree Company in 1880 after planting hundreds of trees around the city. Kent became known as the "Tree City". Another of the city's oldest businesses, the Williams Brothers Mill, was also founded in the late 1800s; now operating under the name Star of the West, it is a flour mill specializing in the preparation of custom-ground wheat flours. In the mid-twentieth century, two factories produced buses, delivery trucks, and other similar vehicles, but these factories went out of business by the late 20th century.
In 1910, the "Kent State Normal School" was established as a college for training public school teachers. The school was later renamed Kent State University after it received authorization to issue bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees.
The 1930's brought the Great Depression and the closing of the railroads through Kent. By this time, however, Kent State University was firmly established and today nearly the entire Kent economy is in some way associated with the university.
On May 4, 1970, four students were killed and nine were wounded by the National Guard at the Kent State shootings.
Today, Kent has a relatively diverse population, due in part to the university, as well as a downtown area which is slowly growing and recovering from a period of relative nondevelopment. Currently, a recently finished renovation of the old dam on the Cuyahoga River, new condominiums, a new library project, and a plan to new blocks of businesses to the downtown district are planned in and around the historical city center.
Source:
KentOH.com
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