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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Yakima County

Washington · 256,728 residents · 4,295 sq mi
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Yakima County is home to 256,728 people in Washington. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 18% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 34.2. Households here earn about 29% less than in Washington as a whole. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average. The typical home is worth $191,400, having risen by half since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 34.2
US median: 38.8
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
256,728
+15%since 2000
from 222,581 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
34.2
+10%since 2000
from 31.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
4,295 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
182K202K223K243K264K19902000201020202024Yakima County
2024257K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.9%(17,629)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.8%(20,110)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 148.6%(22,016)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.9%(20,168)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(16,506)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.4%(34,421)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.3%(31,556)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410.9%(28,101)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6411.2%(28,676)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.7%(22,285)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.3%(11,062)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.6%(4,198)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$54,917
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,828 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$24,305
+56%since 2000
from $15,606 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
34.0%
+12.0 ptssince 2009
from 22.0% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
16.5%
−3.2 ptssince 2000
from 19.7% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Agriculture, forestry, fishing15.5%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction15.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Information10.5%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade9%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance7.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical6.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade5.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Transportation & warehousing4.4%
US avg: 2.5%
Other services2.7%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration1.9%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$191,400
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $107,200 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$868
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $534 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
62.5%
−2.0 ptssince 2000
from 64.4% in 2000
37.5% rent
Persons per household
2.95 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.93 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.5
+2%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic40.3%(103,578)
Black0.7%(1,718)
Hispanic / Latino50.7%(130,049)
Asian1.1%(2,785)
Other5.9%(15,259)
Segregation Score
48
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
Mexican47.6%(119,405)
Central American0.7%(1,678)
Salvadoran0.3%(820)
Puerto Rican0.2%(514)
Guatemalan0.2%(413)
Nicaraguan0.1%(326)
Spaniard0.1%(279)
Cuban0.1%(183)
Colombian0.1%(168)
Dominican0.1%(146)
Bolivian0.1%(146)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0%(118)
Argentine0%(33)
Honduran0%(30)
Peruvian0%(28)
Chilean0%(13)
Asian origin
Filipino0.4%(968)
Chinese0.1%(252)
Korean0.1%(252)
Asian Indian0.1%(215)
Japanese0.1%(206)
Vietnamese0.1%(180)
Burmese0%(42)
Cambodian0%(21)
Nepalese0%(18)
Thai0%(16)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(199)
Chamorro0.1%(151)
Tongan0%(23)
Ancestry
German10.4%(26,185)
English5.6%(14,026)
Irish5.4%(13,557)
American3.6%(9,091)
Norwegian2.1%(5,274)
French2%(5,114)
Italian1.4%(3,570)
Dutch1.4%(3,555)
Swedish1.2%(2,907)
Scottish1.1%(2,742)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(1,827)
British0.7%(1,777)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
French Canadian0.5%(1,374)
Polish0.5%(1,131)
Danish0.4%(1,068)
Russian0.4%(1,008)
Welsh0.4%(947)
Finnish0.3%(731)
Canadian0.3%(682)
Greek0.3%(673)
Portuguese0.2%(380)
Swiss0.2%(377)
Czech0.1%(349)
Austrian0.1%(343)
Hungarian0.1%(252)
Ukrainian0.1%(244)
Armenian0.1%(230)
West Indian0.1%(209)
Croatian0.1%(151)
Haitian0%(102)
Bulgarian0%(100)
Romanian0%(85)
Jamaican0%(74)
Brazilian0%(70)
Belgian0%(69)
Ethiopian0%(67)
Turkish0%(59)
Lebanese0%(56)
Israeli0%(52)
Slovak0%(49)
Arab0%(37)
Iranian0%(34)
Serbian0%(30)
Latvian0%(27)
Egyptian0%(25)
Slovene0%(23)
Kenyan0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
17.6%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 15.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
74.3%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 68.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
6.7%
+1.2 ptssince 2000
from 5.5% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.2 min
+51%since 2000
from 12.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
80.9%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 78.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.4%
−4.0 ptssince 2011
from 10.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
62.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2011
from 62.5% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.6%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
27.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 25.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Female
50.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Foreign born
18.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 17.2% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
12.2%
−13.2 ptssince 2013
from 25.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
90.0%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.3%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
12.2%
−13.2 ptssince 2013
from 25.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
40.7%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
10.3%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
15.9%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
36.5%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.7%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
49.9%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
49.3%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)13.2%(1,420)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)17.9%(1,936)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era39.8%(4,293)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7%(759)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II5.3%(569)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 10,796 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Yakima County to nearby counties

YAKIMA COUNTY VS
Klickitat County
Income$71,042+29%
Home value$425,300+122%
Population24,331−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YAKIMA COUNTY VS
Kittitas County
Income$73,804+34%
Home value$497,400+160%
Population48,803−81%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YAKIMA COUNTY VS
Benton County
Income$89,874+64%
Home value$407,800+113%
Population221,722−14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YAKIMA COUNTY VS
Skamania County
Income$93,265+70%
Home value$529,500+177%
Population12,669−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Yakima County, Washington?

Yakima County, Washington has about 256,728 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Yakima County, Washington earns about $54,917 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 $191,400, and the typical rent is about $868 a month.

How educated are people in Yakima County, Washington?

About 17.6% 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 16.5% 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 67,905 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 →