The Town FilesWapato, Washington
City in Yakima County · population 4,607 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $185,100
- Household income
- $52,019
- Jan low / Jul high
- 24° / 90°
- Snow a year
- 20 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 26.9
Wapato is a city of 4,607 people in Yakima County, Washington. The median home is worth $185,100, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks more walkable than 91% of Washington towns, better for first-time buyers than 91% of Washington towns, easier by car than 73% of Washington towns.
How Wapato 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 Wapato is worth $185,100, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $52,019, which is more affordable than 94% of Washington towns. Median rent is $957 a month. 52.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Wapato | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $185,100 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $957 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $52,019 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.6× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 52.4% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1966 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Wapato
| People | Wapato | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 26.9 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 8.8% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 36.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.0% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 24.5% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 0.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 31.9% | — |
| Work from home | 1.6% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 21.3 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.0% | 93.9% |
Weather in Wapato
July highs average 90.2°F and January lows 24.4°F. About 7.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 20.4 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 41 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 127 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wapato since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an F0, struck on April 23, 2005 about 8.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 23, 2005.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on April 14, 2009.
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 Wapato itself the ACS puts it at 7.9%.
Public schools in Wapato
7 public schools with 3,138 students, about 15.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wapato High School | 9-12 | 871 | 18.1 |
| Wapato Middle School | 6-8 | 701 | 16.3 |
| Camas Elementary | PK-2 | 413 | 12.5 |
| Adams Elementary | 3-5 | 387 | 15.5 |
| Simcoe Elementary School | K-2 | 377 | 14.5 |
| Satus Elementary | 3-5 | 309 | 14.0 |
| Pace Alternative High School | 9-12 | 80 | 11.4 |
Towns near Wapato
- Toppenish, WA6.8 mi · 8,854 people · home $230,000
- Zillah, WA7.5 mi · 3,179 people · home $334,800
- Union Gap, WA8.4 mi · 6,568 people · home $210,600
- Moxee, WA8.4 mi · 4,326 people · home $362,800
- Terrace Heights, WA10.8 mi · 9,244 people · home $377,300
- Yakima, WA11.9 mi · 96,968 people · home $297,600
- Ahtanum, WA12.1 mi · 4,046 people · home $337,500
- Granger, WA12.8 mi · 3,624 people · home $210,200
Wapato questions
Is Wapato, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wapato scores better for retirees than 4% of Washington towns and quieter than 5%. 8.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 26.9).
How much does a house cost in Wapato?
The median owner-occupied home in Wapato is valued at $185,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $52,019, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $957 a month.
What is the weather like in Wapato?
July highs average 90.2°F and January lows 24.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 7.8 inches of precipitation a year and 20.4 inches of snow.
Does Wapato get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wapato since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on April 23, 2005. 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)