Living in Yakima, WA
Small city in Washington
Yakima is a small city in Washington, home to about 97,000 people, with 184,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Yakima a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Low natural disaster risk: 6 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Mild summers: highs around 85°F
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $376k and rents for $1,910 a month
- Low taxes: about $70 state income tax per resident, 0.83% property tax
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 184,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer graduates: 21% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Few top-rated hospitals: no 4–5★ hospital within 31 mi
- Few dog parks: 1 within 9 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Yakima ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Yakima: common questions
What is the cost of living in Yakima?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $376k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,910 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 96, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Yakima?
Washington collects about $70 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.83% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Yakima safe?
Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.2× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Yakima?
Yakima has cold winters: winter days average around 42°F and summer days around 85°F, with roughly 20″ of snow a year.
Does Yakima get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, earthquakes and cold waves: 6 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.65 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Yakima?
The nearest major airport is SEA, about 102 mi away.
How Yakima scores
Each bar compares Yakima with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Yakima
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Washington.
Is Yakima right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.