The Town FilesSunnyside, Washington
City in Yakima County · population 16,375 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $240,700
- Household income
- $60,923
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 13 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 27.1
Sunnyside is a city of 16,375 people in Yakima County, Washington. The median home is worth $240,700, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks more vibrant than 83% of Washington towns, more walkable than 82% of Washington towns, better for first-time buyers than 78% of Washington towns.
How Sunnyside ranks
Percentile among Washington towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Washington towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Sunnyside is worth $240,700, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $60,923, which is more affordable than 86% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,026 a month. 55.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sunnyside | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $240,700 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $1,026 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $60,923 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.0× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 55.0% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Sunnyside
| People | Sunnyside | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 27.1 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 9.6% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 39.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.8% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 18.5% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 3.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 33.0% | — |
| Work from home | 3.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 24.6 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.6% | 93.9% |
Weather in Sunnyside
July highs average 88.2°F and January lows 23.0°F. About 7.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 13.4 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 45 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 124 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Sunnyside since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on August 13, 2014 about 9.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 13, 2014.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 3 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 20, 2012.
Severe weather in Yakima County since 1996
Yakima County has been included in 39 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 3, 2026 | Fire | EM-3650: Wildfires |
| July 26, 2026 | Fire | FM-5649: Signal Peak Fire |
| July 26, 2026 | Fire | FM-5651: Ransier Fire |
| April 7, 2026 | Flood | DR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| December 12, 2025 | Flood | EM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Yakima County
Yakima County had 116,547 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $52,108 a year. Unemployment was 5.8% in 2023; in Sunnyside itself the ACS puts it at 12.3%.
Public schools in Sunnyside
8 public schools with 5,776 students, about 18.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyside High School | 9-12 | 2,167 | 21.5 |
| Harrison Middle School | 6-8 | 809 | 19.3 |
| Washington Elementary | PK-5 | 606 | 15.9 |
| Pioneer Elementary School | PK-5 | 601 | 15.8 |
| Sierra Vista Middle School | 6-8 | 586 | 18.9 |
| Chief Kamiakin Elementary School | PK-5 | 573 | 15.9 |
| Sun Valley Elementary School | PK-K | 432 | 13.5 |
| SHS Graduation Alliance | 9-12 | 2 | — |
Towns near Sunnyside
- Grandview, WA6.8 mi · 10,907 people · home $265,300
- Granger, WA9.2 mi · 3,624 people · home $210,200
- Prosser, WA13.5 mi · 6,062 people · home $314,000
- Zillah, WA14.3 mi · 3,179 people · home $334,800
- Toppenish, WA15.3 mi · 8,854 people · home $230,000
- Wapato, WA21.7 mi · 4,607 people · home $185,100
- Moxee, WA25.3 mi · 4,326 people · home $362,800
- Benton City, WA25.4 mi · 3,479 people · home $355,200
Sunnyside questions
Is Sunnyside, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sunnyside scores better for retirees than 2% of Washington towns and quieter than 12%. 9.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 27.1).
How much does a house cost in Sunnyside?
The median owner-occupied home in Sunnyside is valued at $240,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $60,923, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,026 a month.
What is the weather like in Sunnyside?
July highs average 88.2°F and January lows 23.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 7.7 inches of precipitation a year and 13.4 inches of snow.
Does Sunnyside get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Sunnyside since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on August 13, 2014. The typical Washington town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)