Capitol Theatre · National Register of Historic Places
Yakima’s story
179 years in pictures
41 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1847Yakima is settled
YakimaWA
A city of 96,961, settled in 1847. Home to 41 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Population
96,961
+6.5% since 2010
Typical home
$362K
+0.8% in a year
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
34.3
years
Jobs based here
46,295
Balanced
What makes Yakima stand out
The 3 things Yakima does most differently from other towns.
Capitol TheatreHistory
Settled in 1847
41 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 179 years.
Kyle MacLachlanFamous people
85 notable people
born in Yakima
Including Kyle MacLachlan and Robert Lucas.
$362Ktypical home
Housing
$362K typical home
39% below the WA typical home
Up 0.8% in a year.
College town
Yakima Valley College calls Yakima home
2 colleges in town.
Yakima Valley College2,527 students on campus
- Admission
- Open
- Net price
- $11,843
- Graduate
- 29%
- Admission
- Open
- Net price
- $20,047
- Graduate
- 79%
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Yakima’s report card
Housing$362K39% below the WA typical homeCommute4 miHalf of commuters travel lessHealthCHealthier than 29% of U.S. townsOutdoors10 miof trails · 3.2% conservedSafetyC−Less crime than 15% of U.S. townsHazards18/100Very low risk of storm & flood damageSchoolsCBeats 28% of WA districtsClimate89°/24°Summer high · winter low · 20″ snow
Now in Yakima
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Yakima is #272 of 284 in WA for “Most active”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Yakima’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →55°
Cloudy
H 73° · L 49°
Local news
All →- Cheapest gas stations in WashingtonBellingham Herald · Sep 23
- How many jobs were added in Yakima, WA area last month?USAFacts · Sep 3
- Immigration enforcement activity surges in Yakima ValleyYakima Herald-Republic · Aug 28
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
Nearby attractions
Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park and 1 more within 40 miles
The big draws around Yakima: national parks, ski areas and well-known sights. Close and well known come first.
36 mi🌲 State parkGinkgo Petrified Forest State Park
40 mi🏞 National Historical ParkManhattan Project National Historical Park11K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park: No machine-readable author provided. Justinleif~commonswiki assumed (based on co, Public domain · Manhattan Project National Historical Park: Unknown, Public domain
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Yakima. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Yakima home is worth about $362K
The typical Yakima home is worth about $362,000, up 0.8% in a year, 39% below the Washington typical home.
$362KZillow home value
Typical home value
Yakima$362K
Washington$592K
Market temperature
21
days on market
100.8%
sale-to-list price
+0.8%
value change, 1 year
72
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Yakima
49% of Yakima’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Union Gap (5%), Selah (2%) and Seattle (2%). Half commute less than 4 miles.
49%work in town
Where working residents work
In Yakima49%
Union Gap5%
Selah2%
Seattle2%
Ahtanum2%
4 mi
median commute distance
46,295
jobs based in Yakima
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 29% of U.S. towns
Yakima beats the Washington average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19.
CHealth Grade
31 measures vs. Washington
0 better12 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Yakima | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 19.7% | 8.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 20.5% | 10.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 9.4% | 5.1% |
Astria Toppenish Hospital
18.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
7th
percentile among WA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
3.2% of Yakima is conserved land
9.5 miles of trails across 30 parks and preserves.
3.2%conserved
3.2%
conserved · 576 of 18,144 acres
9.5 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
#80
most walkable in WA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Yakima Area Arboretum | 2 mi | 67 |
| 2. Sarg Hubbard Park | 1.2 mi | 23 |
| 3. Kiwanis Park | 0.6 mi | 35 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 15% of U.S. towns
Yakima reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 85% report less.
C−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Yakima5.2
Washington2.9
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Yakima18.7
Washington20.2
U.S.15.5
15th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
25th
percentile among WA towns
508
violent crimes reported in 2025
1,818
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 18% of U.S. communities.
18risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesCold waves
10
paid flood claims since 1980
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Schools
Yakima’s public schools outperform 28% of Washington districts
The public schools Yakima’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 72% of Washington’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Elementary School | PK–5 | 643 | Not graded |
| Hoover Elementary School | PK–5 | 582 | Not graded |
| Mcclure Elementary School | PK–5 | 559 | Not graded |
| Ridgeview Elementary | K–5 | 533 | Not graded |
| Barge-Lincoln Elementary School | PK–5 | 518 | Not graded |
| Garfield Elementary School | K–5 | 507 | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduationAll 42 schools →
Who lives here
More children than Washington overall, and fewer college graduates
Children under 18 are 28% of residents (21% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide). 21% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across Washington. 20% never finished high school.
34.3median age · WA 38.3
YakimaWashingtonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma20%
High school29%
Some college22%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s13%
Graduate8%
| Yakima | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.1% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.7% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.1% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.4% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.7% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.4% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 20.4% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.3% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.2% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.6% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimatesBy the numbers →
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers
Yakima has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
20″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–41°
Spring38–64°
Summer54–86°
Fall38–64°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Landmarks
41 places in Yakima on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Yakima
85 notable people were born in Yakima.
P
Phil MahreAmerican alpine skier · born 1957About Yakima
City in Washington, United States
Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima. Yakima is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Mount Rainier in Washington. It is situated in the Yakima Valley, a productive agricultural region noted for apple, wine, and hop production. As of 2011, the Yakima Valley produces 77% of all hops grown in the United States. The name Yakima originates from the Yakama Nation Native American tri…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1847
- Population
- 96,968
- Area
- 28 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,066 ft
- ZIP code
- 98901, 98902, 98903
- Area code
- 509
Yakima’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Yakima.
AhtanumUnion GapTerrace HeightsSummitviewSelahYakima
More about Yakima
Still missing for Yakima:archive photosupcoming events