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COUNTY

Yakima County

Washington · 259,185 residents (2025 est.) · 4,295 sq mi
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Part of the Yakima metro area
The short version

Yakima County is home to 257,152 people in Washington. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 19% of adults. That puts it in the top 10% of US counties for household income. This skews young, with a median age of 33.3. That trails the Washington median by roughly 28%. Density works out to 60 people per square mile.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $70,656, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 59%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Yakima County

What changed most since 1990

  • Hispanic share23.6% → 52.4% (+28.8 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$131,764 → $310,100 (+135%)US over the same years: +67%
  • White share70.2% → 39.4% (−30.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts

Among the 39 counties in Washington

  • 28th in household income$70,656
  • 34th in share with a bachelor's degree19.2%
  • 32nd in home value$310,100
  • 4th in diversity score70.8
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
257,152
+16%since 2000
from 222,581 in 2000
259,185 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
60 / sq mi
+16%since 2000
from 52 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
33.3
+7%since 2000
from 31.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
4,295 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
182K202K223K243K264K19902000201020202024Yakima County
2024257K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.1%(18,338)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 98%(20,547)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.7%(22,417)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198%(20,536)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.7%(17,316)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.6%(34,939)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.1%(31,189)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.7%(27,557)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.5%(27,046)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.5%(21,896)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.2%(10,675)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.8%(4,696)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$70,656
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,828 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,448
+95%since 2000
from $15,606 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
46.9%
+24.9 ptssince 2009
from 22.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
15.5%
−4.2 ptssince 2000
from 19.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.425
−3%since 2010
from 0.437 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing13.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction13.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Information11.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance6.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade6.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing4.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Other services3.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration1.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$310,100
+59%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $107,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,109
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $534 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
61.8%
−2.6 ptssince 2000
from 64.4% in 2000
38.2% rent
Vacancy rate
5.1%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.89 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.93 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
20.9%
−7.7 ptssince 2009
from 28.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
40.3%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 43.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.4
+28%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
63
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic56.5%(125,733)
Black0.8%(1,842)
Hispanic / Latino35.9%(79,905)
Asian0.9%(1,957)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic39.4%(101,208)
Black0.6%(1,628)
Hispanic / Latino52.4%(134,645)
Asian1.1%(2,861)
Other6.5%(16,810)
Diversity Score
71
Unchangedsince 2009
from 71 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
44
−8%since 2020
from 48 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican48.8%(125,522)
Central American1.2%(3,169)
Salvadoran0.6%(1,539)
Puerto Rican0.4%(941)
Honduran0.3%(777)
Spaniard0.3%(660)
Guatemalan0.2%(436)
Nicaraguan0.1%(232)
Cuban0.1%(211)
Costa Rican0.1%(172)
Dominican0.1%(151)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Colombian0.1%(146)
Ecuadorian0%(106)
Peruvian0%(100)
Chilean0%(54)
Bolivian0%(25)
Asian origin
Filipino0.6%(1,437)
Vietnamese0.2%(522)
Asian Indian0.1%(371)
Chinese0.1%(278)
Korean0.1%(250)
Japanese0%(124)
Burmese0%(67)
Nepalese0%(17)
Pakistani0%(14)
Thai0%(4)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chuukese0.1%(326)
Samoan0.1%(213)
Chamorro0%(83)
Tongan0%(76)
Guamanian0%(27)
Ancestry
German9.5%(24,416)
English6.7%(17,246)
Irish5.4%(13,793)
American5.2%(13,401)
Norwegian1.6%(4,204)
French1.6%(3,998)
Italian1.4%(3,568)
Scottish1.1%(2,936)
Dutch1.1%(2,923)
Swedish1.1%(2,730)
Polish0.6%(1,437)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(1,065)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
British0.4%(1,030)
French Canadian0.4%(1,019)
Danish0.3%(810)
Welsh0.3%(773)
Russian0.3%(771)
Finnish0.2%(635)
Swiss0.2%(558)
Greek0.2%(531)
Canadian0.2%(493)
Hungarian0.2%(387)
Czech0.1%(274)
Nigerian0.1%(227)
Arab0.1%(207)
Austrian0.1%(160)
Ukrainian0.1%(148)
Croatian0%(123)
Ethiopian0%(120)
Belgian0%(109)
Latvian0%(77)
Armenian0%(76)
Turkish0%(43)
Israeli0%(41)
Iranian0%(33)
Slovak0%(25)
Brazilian0%(24)
Lebanese0%(23)
Egyptian0%(22)
Moroccan0%(18)
Jamaican0%(16)
Bulgarian0%(14)
Haitian0%(10)
Slovene0%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
19.2%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 15.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
76.8%
+8.1 ptssince 2000
from 68.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
7.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 5.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.3 min
+60%since 2000
from 12.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
78.8%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 78.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
11.4%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
7.3%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.2%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.3%
−3.1 ptssince 2011
from 10.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2011
from 62.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.6%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 71.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
28.8%
+3.0 ptssince 2009
from 25.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Female
49.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Foreign born
18.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 17.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.4%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.9%
+1.5 ptssince 2012
from 12.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
12.7%
−12.7 ptssince 2013
from 25.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.5%
+17.1 ptssince 2017
from 72.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.4%
+4.4 ptssince 2020
from 90.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.5%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 86.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
57.7%
−2.0 ptssince 2016
from 59.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
40.3%
+1.5 ptssince 2016
from 38.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married39.6%(38,724)
Married48.5%(47,336)
Widowed2.8%(2,778)
Divorced9.1%(8,862)
Women 15+
Never married33.2%(32,591)
Married47.2%(46,342)
Widowed7.7%(7,585)
Divorced11.9%(11,632)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
12.7%
−12.7 ptssince 2013
from 25.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
40.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 40.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
9.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 10.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.9%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
37.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 36.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
48.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 49.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
49.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 49.3% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.5%(1,809)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.5%(1,807)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.6%(3,767)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.4%(428)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.1%(204)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 9,764 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Yakima County, decade by decade

Yakima County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990188,823$56,670$131,76413.7%56.3
2000222,581$63,445$195,28115.3%68.5
2010243,231$61,682$215,35415.6%70.8
2020256,728$66,562$231,98417.6%72.1
2024257,152$70,656$310,10019.2%70.8

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

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Pop 271,213
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Pop 263,795
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Places similar to Yakima County
Head to head

Compare Yakima County to nearby counties

YAKIMA COUNTY VS
Klickitat County
Income$71,042+1%
Home value$425,300+37%
Population24,331−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YAKIMA COUNTY VS
Kittitas County
Income$73,804+4%
Home value$497,400+60%
Population48,803−81%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YAKIMA COUNTY VS
Benton County
Income$89,874+27%
Home value$407,800+32%
Population221,722−14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YAKIMA COUNTY VS
Skamania County
Income$93,265+32%
Home value$529,500+71%
Population12,669−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Yakima County, Washington?

Yakima County, Washington has about 257,152 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Yakima County, Washington?

The typical household in Yakima County, Washington earns about $70,656 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Yakima County, Washington expensive?

In Yakima County, Washington, the median home is worth about $310,100, and the typical rent is about $1,109 a month.

How educated are people in Yakima County, Washington?

About 19.2% of adults age 25 and over in Yakima County, Washington hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Yakima County, Washington?

About 15.5% of people in Yakima County, Washington live below the federal poverty line.

Has Yakima County, Washington grown since 1990?

Yes, Yakima County, Washington has grown since 1990. The population has added about 68,329 residents, a change of about 36 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →