The Town FilesYakima, Washington
City in Yakima County · population 96,968 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $297,600
- Household income
- $62,815
- Jan low / Jul high
- 27° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 20 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 34.3
Yakima is a city of 96,968 people in Yakima County, Washington. The median home is worth $297,600, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks more walkable than 97% of Washington towns, more vibrant than 92% of Washington towns, hipper than 83% of Washington towns.
How Yakima 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 Yakima is worth $297,600, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 4.7 times the median household income of $62,815, which is more affordable than 67% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,117 a month. 53.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Yakima | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $297,600 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $1,117 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $62,815 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.7× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 53.8% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1972 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.2% | — |
Who lives in Yakima
| People | Yakima | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.3 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.6% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 27.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.8% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.6% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 6.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 16.7% | — |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 17.8 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 89.2% | 93.9% |
Weather in Yakima
July highs average 88.3°F and January lows 26.8°F. About 8.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 20.3 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 38 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 109 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Yakima since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 30, 1957 about 2.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 7, 2008.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on July 31, 2010.
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 Yakima itself the ACS puts it at 8.4%.
Public schools in Yakima
49 public schools with 23,933 students, about 17.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower High School | 9-12 | 2,315 | 20.9 |
| Davis High School | 9-12 | 2,218 | 18.5 |
| West Valley High School | 9-12 | 1,574 | 23.5 |
| West Valley Mid-Level Campus | 6-8 | 1,165 | 19.1 |
| East Valley High School | 9-12 | 1,045 | 22.7 |
| Franklin Middle School | 6-8 | 850 | 18.5 |
| Wilson Middle School | 6-8 | 837 | 19.0 |
| East Valley Central Middle School | 6-8 | 833 | 19.4 |
| Lewis & Clark Middle School | 6-8 | 827 | 17.2 |
| Washington Middle School | 6-8 | 738 | 17.6 |
| Hoover Elementary School | PK-5 | 682 | 15.9 |
| Adams Elementary School | PK-5 | 612 | 14.6 |
Towns near Yakima
- Union Gap, WA3.7 mi · 6,568 people · home $210,600
- Selah, WA3.8 mi · 8,153 people · home $414,600
- Ahtanum, WA3.9 mi · 4,046 people · home $337,500
- Gleed, WA5.4 mi · 2,873 people · home $353,900
- Terrace Heights, WA5.4 mi · 9,244 people · home $377,300
- Moxee, WA7.5 mi · 4,326 people · home $362,800
- Wapato, WA11.9 mi · 4,607 people · home $185,100
- Zillah, WA18.2 mi · 3,179 people · home $334,800
Yakima questions
Is Yakima, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Yakima scores better for retirees than 19% of Washington towns and quieter than 4%. 16.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.3).
How much does a house cost in Yakima?
The median owner-occupied home in Yakima is valued at $297,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $62,815, so homes cost about 4.7 times income. Median rent is $1,117 a month.
What is the weather like in Yakima?
July highs average 88.3°F and January lows 26.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 8.6 inches of precipitation a year and 20.3 inches of snow.
Does Yakima get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Yakima since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 30, 1957. 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)