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Living in Kent

A residential corner of far Northwest DC made up almost entirely of detached houses, on hilly, wooded streets between Loughboro Road and MacArthur Boulevard, with Battery Kemble Park along its eastern side.
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Living in Kent

An overview of Kent’s detached-house streets, its parkland, and the MacArthur Boulevard corridor at its edge.
Kent is a residential neighborhood in the far western part of Northwest DC. It forms a rough triangle, with Loughboro Road on the north, MacArthur Boulevard on the southwest, and Chain Bridge Road and Battery Kemble Park toward the southeast. The boundary used on this page is a little wider than that usual description: it takes in Battery Kemble Park and some streets beyond it toward Foxhall Road, and a few sales inside it carry the Palisades label. Almost everything in Kent is a detached house. Arizona Avenue divides the neighborhood into two parts with different histories. The western section was developed in the 1930s and 1940s, largely with Colonial Revival houses of similar scale. The eastern section, along the old road to Chain Bridge, grew more gradually over a much longer period, and it keeps a more rural character, with a wider range of house ages and styles, including some modernist designs. Newer and rebuilt houses appear throughout: six of the past year’s sales were built in the 2020s. Kent itself has no commercial blocks; its shops and restaurants are along MacArthur Boulevard, and larger grocery trips usually mean a drive east toward Wisconsin Avenue. Battery Kemble Park, named for a Civil War defense site, provides wooded open space on the eastern side of the area, and Sibley Memorial Hospital sits just across Loughboro Road at the northwest corner. There is no Metrorail station near Kent. The C81 bus runs from Sibley Memorial Hospital along Loughboro Road and Nebraska Avenue to Tenleytown-AU and on to Fort Totten, the C85 uses MacArthur Boulevard on its way to Foggy Bottom-GWU, and the D94 links Sibley with Georgetown and downtown. Most trips are made by car, using MacArthur Boulevard, Loughboro Road and Chain Bridge Road. I’m glad to walk you through recent Kent sales, how the older houses compare with new construction, and what is coming to market.

Key Highlights:

  • Housing character — detached houses throughout; 1930s and 1940s Colonial Revival houses in the western section, more varied houses and lots to the east
  • Green space — Battery Kemble Park, a wooded former Civil War defense site, on the eastern side
  • Daily essentials — shops and restaurants along MacArthur Boulevard; larger grocery trips mean a drive
  • Transit — no Metrorail station; C81 bus on Loughboro Road, C85 on MacArthur Boulevard, D94 from Sibley
  • Schools — DCPS elementary schools here feed Hardy Middle and MacArthur High; confirm the elementary assignment by address
  • Market character — detached houses at a median of about $2.9 million across 39 sales
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Kent Real Estate FAQs

Insight into the nuances of buying and selling in one of the country’s most complex urban markets.

Detached houses on hilly, wooded streets in an entirely residential setting, with Battery Kemble Park on one side and MacArthur Boulevard on another.
In far Northwest DC, in a triangle bounded by Loughboro Road on the north, MacArthur Boulevard on the southwest, and Chain Bridge Road and Battery Kemble Park toward the southeast.
There is no Metrorail station nearby. The C81 bus runs from Sibley Memorial Hospital along Loughboro Road to Tenleytown-AU on the Red Line, and the C85 serves MacArthur Boulevard.
Detached houses made up 39 of 44 sales in the past 12 months. The other five were semi-detached houses and end-unit townhouses, several carrying the Palisades label.
The median sale price over the 12 months through September 2026 was about $2.59 million, and about $2.9 million for detached houses. Sales ranged from about $856,000 to $11 million.
The median time on market was 12 days, and 19 of 44 sales closed at or above the original list price. Forty-four sales is a small sample.
Along MacArthur Boulevard, where the area’s commercial blocks are. Kent has no shops of its own, and larger grocery trips usually mean a drive east.
Kent is in the DCPS feeder pattern that leads to Hardy Middle and MacArthur High. Confirm the assigned elementary school for a specific address with the DCPS boundary locator.

Location & Neighborhood

Far Northwest DC, between Loughboro Road and MacArthur Boulevard, beside Battery Kemble Park.

This page uses the DC tax office’s Kent assessment neighborhood. Loughboro Road forms the northern edge and MacArthur Boulevard the southwestern edge, with Sibley Memorial Hospital just outside to the north. On the east the area takes in Battery Kemble Park and the streets beyond it toward Foxhall Road, which is somewhat wider than the usual description of Kent. Arizona Avenue cuts through the middle; Chain Bridge Road and University Terrace run through the eastern section.

A Residential Triangle by Car

MacArthur Boulevard and Loughboro Road are the two main routes. MacArthur leads southeast toward Georgetown and northwest toward Maryland, and Chain Bridge Road descends toward the Potomac River and Chain Bridge to Virginia. The C81 bus connects Kent with Tenleytown-AU on the Red Line, the C85 runs toward Foggy Bottom, and the D94 runs between Sibley Memorial Hospital and downtown. Most daily trips here are made by car.

Shops and restaurants are along MacArthur Boulevard in a few low-rise blocks, and larger grocery trips usually mean a drive east toward Wisconsin Avenue. Sibley Memorial Hospital is at the neighborhood’s northwest corner, just across Loughboro Road. Battery Kemble Park supplies the open space, and the New Mexico Avenue shops in Wesley Heights are a short drive east.

Neighboring Area:

  • The Palisades — south and west, along MacArthur Boulevard
  • Spring Valley — north, across Loughboro Road
  • Wesley Heights — east, across Foxhall Road
  • Foxhall — southeast, below Battery Kemble Park

A Day In The Life - Snapshot

The quick details buyers ask about most.

Metro Access
No Metrorail station nearby. The C81 bus runs from Sibley Memorial Hospital along Loughboro Road to Tenleytown-AU on the Red Line; the C85 uses MacArthur Boulevard toward Foggy Bottom.
Walkability
Hilly residential streets with little through traffic. The MacArthur Boulevard shops are walkable from the southwestern blocks, but most errands and commutes from Kent involve a car.
Typical Home Types
Detached houses almost exclusively: 1930s and 1940s Colonial Revival houses in the western section, varied older and modernist houses to the east, and new construction throughout.
Parking
Off-street parking varies by house, and many have a driveway or garage. Street parking rules differ by block, so check the specific street before relying on it for guests or a second car.
Vibe
Steep, wooded streets with houses set back on generous lots, little through traffic away from the main roads, and no commercial activity inside the neighborhood.
Best For
Buyers who want a detached house with a yard and off-street parking near parkland, and who accept driving for most errands and no nearby Metrorail station.

Kent Market Snapshot

A high-level look at current pricing, demand, and sales activity in the Kent real estate market.
$2,587,500

Median Sales Price

$617

Median Price Per Sq Ft

12

Median Days On Market

44

Annual Closed Sales

+7.8%

YoY Median Price Change

Kent is a detached-house market, with detached houses making up 39 of 44 sales and a handful of semi-detached houses and end-unit townhouses making up the rest. The snapshot covers every closed sale inside the neighborhood boundary over the trailing twelve months through September 2026 — 39 detached houses and 5 rowhouses and semi-detached homes. Price per square foot uses interior living area.

Across all home types the median sale was $2,587,500 at about $617 per square foot, with a median of 12 days on market and sales averaging 96% of original list price. The median rose about 8% from the prior twelve months. Within segments, the detached median rose about 17% to $2.9 million.

Market data reflects recent 12-month activity. Individual buildings may vary.

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Homes for Sale in Kent

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Recently Sold

Recently Sold in Kent

Closed sales from the past 12 months — the comps that set today’s pricing.

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In-Depth Market Analysis

Kent Market Insights

How pricing trends, absorption rates, and inventory levels are shaping buying and selling

Inventory & Absorption

Kent recorded 44 closed sales in the 12 months through September 2026, up from 37 the year before. Thirty-nine were detached houses; the other five were semi-detached houses and end-unit townhouses. The median time on market was 12 days in both periods, though detached houses took a median of 15 days compared with 10 a year earlier. With fewer than 50 sales a year, a handful of listings makes up the available supply at any time.

Pricing Dynamics

The median sale price was about $2.59 million, up roughly 8 percent from $2.4 million; with 44 sales, that change is sensitive to which houses sold. The detached median rose from about $2.49 million to $2.9 million, while the median price per square foot slipped from $632 to $617. Sales ranged from about $856,000 to $11 million, and the median sale closed at about 96 percent of original list price.

Buyer Profile

Demand spans a wide range of sizes and ages. Sixteen of 39 detached sales closed at or above the original list price, while the median detached sale closed at about 96 percent of it, which indicates a split between houses that sold quickly at full price and others that needed reductions. The five attached homes sold at a median of about $1.19 million in a median of 8 days.

Strategic Outlook

Volume rose and marketing times stayed short, which describes steady demand for detached houses in this location. The gap between full-price sales and those that sold after reductions suggests that condition and initial pricing are deciding outcomes. Because the sample is small and the price range is very wide, the median can move with a few sales. These figures describe the past 12 months and are not a forecast.

Market Position Overview:

Inventory Level: Balanced with selective competition

Negotiation Environment: Moderate flexibility

Typical Days on Market: 25-45 (well-priced units)

Rental Demand: Consistent due to transit proximity

Long- Term Outlook: Stable, walkability-driven value

Kent Housing & Architecture

Kent’s housing is almost entirely detached, ranging from 1930s and 1940s Colonial Revival houses to modernist designs and recent new construction.
Colonial Revival Houses in the Western Section
The western section of Kent was developed in the 1930s and 1940s, largely with Colonial Revival houses of similar scale. Sixteen of the past year’s 44 sales were built in those two decades, the largest share of any era.
Chain Bridge Road and the Eastern Section
The eastern section grew gradually along the old road to Chain Bridge and keeps a more rural character. Lots are irregular and houses range widely in age and style. Chain Bridge Road and University Terrace run through it.
Modernist Houses
Kent includes a small number of modernist houses, among them designs by Walter Gropius. They are rarely available, and their value depends heavily on condition, site and how much original fabric remains.
New Construction
Six of the past year’s sales were houses built in the 2020s, and two more dated from the 2010s. New houses tend to be larger than the mid-century houses they replace and account for much of the upper end of the price range.
Mid-Century and Later Houses
Houses from the 1950s through the 1990s fill in between the older sections, accounting for 15 of the past year’s sales. They vary in size and style and often sit on sloping or wooded lots.
Semi-Detached and End-Unit Homes
A few attached homes fall inside the boundary, several carrying the Palisades label. Five semi-detached houses and end-unit townhouses sold in the past 12 months at a median of about $1.19 million, the lowest-priced segment here.

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