Yakima County, Washington Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Yakima County, WA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Washington
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 84% of counties in Washington
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Washington
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Yakima County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 257,168 | 7,801,159 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 59.7 | 109.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.47% | 1.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.5 | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 87,714 | 3,058,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Yakima County grew by 10.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 257,168 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Yakima County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.5% of residents. That is 3.0 points above Washington as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 62,896 24.5% +3.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 52,811 20.5% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 42,851 16.7% -2.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 37,070 14.4% -1.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Washington, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.8% of the people living in Yakima County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Washington 49.7%
- Men 50.2% Washington 50.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Yakima County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Yakima County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Yakima County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,537 | $98,224 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.59% | 5.64% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.3% | 5.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Yakima County is about 28% lower than in Washington.
Housing
| Metric | Yakima County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $355,541 | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,108 | $1,759 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.8% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Yakima County is about 26.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,108 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Yakima County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 146 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Yakima County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.6 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.1 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 146 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,538 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 19.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,160 | 10,119 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,255 | 1,525 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Washington:
Walla Walla County (12.2 min), San Juan County (12.3 min), Asotin County (13.2 min).
Slowest:
Mason County (32.0 min), Garfield County (28.4 min), Snohomish County (28.3 min).
The average commute time in Yakima County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Washington.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Yakima County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Yakima County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.4% | 35.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.89 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.4), San Juan County (0.4), Jefferson County (0.4).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.2), Yakima County (0.2), Grant County (0.2).
Health
Yakima County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Yakima County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.0% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.5% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.8), Whitman County (0.8), San Juan County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.8), Okanogan County (0.8), Pacific County (0.8).
Yakima County, WA Compared With Nearby Counties
Yakima County, WA is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 257,168 residents against a local median of 47,168. Yakima County, WA's median home price, at $355,541, runs 27% above the $279,282 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $269,817 on median home price, so Yakima County, WA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Yakima County, WA has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima County, WA | 257,168 | $70,537 #4/4 | $355,541 #1/4 | 17.6 min #2/4 |
| Klickitat County, WA | 23,411 | $70,563 | $67,682 | 21.3 min |
| Kittitas County, WA | 47,168 | $73,884 | $337,500 | 13.6 min |
| Benton County, WA | 212,794 | $89,893 | $279,282 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Yakima County, Washington.
How many people live in Yakima County, Washington?
About 257,168 people live in Yakima County, Washington, in 87,714 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 31.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Yakima County, Washington urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Yakima County, Washington has 60 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Yakima County, Washington an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 5.0 times the median household income ($355,541 against $70,537), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,108 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Yakima County, Washington?
Unemployment in Yakima County, Washington is 7.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Yakima County, Washington?
16.4% of adults in Yakima County, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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