Kennewick vs Yakima
Kennewick, Washington versus Yakima, Washington: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Kennewick and Yakima score about the same overall (51 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Kennewick | Yakima |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $70k | $56k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $47k |
| Home Value | $318k | $243k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.79% | 0.84% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 6.65% | 6.76% |
| Unemployment | 4.5% | 8.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 35°F | 32°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 8.9 in | 8.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.0 in | 20.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 252 days | 269 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 47°F |
| Comfortable Days | 53 days | 51 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 61.7 | 29.4 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 57.9 | 67.1 |
| Violent Crime | 1601/100k | 2087/100k |
| Property Crime | 4666/100k | 3143/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 83,823 | 96,764 |
| Median Age | 35.2 | 33.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.45 | 0.59 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | R+22 | Even |
| White (%) | 62.3% | 45.2% |
| Black (%) | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 29.3% | 47.1% |
| Asian (%) | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 18 min |
| Walkability | 13.7/20 | 8.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 125 mi | 102 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.3% | 84.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 35.19 | 26.56 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kennewick or Yakima more affordable?
- Yakima has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Kennewick's $49k and Yakima's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Kennewick versus $1k in Yakima.
- Is Kennewick or Yakima safer?
- Kennewick has the lower violent crime rate. Kennewick reports 1601/100k and Yakima reports 2087/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Kennewick or Yakima?
- The median home value is $318k in Kennewick and $243k in Yakima, so homes are more affordable in Yakima.