Yakima County, Washington
Located in Washington, Yakima County has a population of 257,152 residents and a median age of 33.3 years, making it the #280 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.5%. The median home value is $310,100, and the median household income is $70,656, which is 6% below the national median.
Demographics
Yakima County has a population of 257,152, making it the #280 most populous county in the US. The median age is 33.3 years, which is 14.4% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Yakima County is $70,656, ranking #1,149 out of 3,222 counties — 6.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.5% and unemployment stands at 7.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Yakima County is $310,100 (+10.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,109/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Yakima County, 19.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 43.2% below the national average, ranking #2,153 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Yakima County is 75.0 years. 25.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.6% of adults in Yakima County smoke , 42.0% are obese , and 18.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 32.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Yakima County is 11.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
21.1% of children in Yakima County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 26.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Yakima County is 65.3%. The mean commute time is 22.3 min, which is 19.2% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Yakima County voted Republican with a margin of 14.3%. The vote was 41.6% Dem / 55.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Yakima County, Washington
Yakima County, Washington has a total population of 257,152, making it the 280th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Yakima County is 33.3 years, which is 14.4% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Yakima County is $70,656, which ranks #1,149 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.3%.
The median home value in Yakima County is $310,100, 10.0% above the national median. Renters in Yakima County pay a median gross rent of $1,109 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Yakima County, 19.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 43.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.3 min.
Yakima County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 52.4% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (39.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
All data for Yakima County, Washington comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.