Jobs, pay and daily life in Yakima, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Yakima is a city in Washington with 96,961 residents. The median household earns $62,815 a year and the median rent is $1,117 a month, which is 21.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Yakima, WA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 97,010 jobs.
How Yakima compares. Among the 80 largest places in Washington, Yakima is #11 by population, #3 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #3 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #75 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Yakima County, is #35 of 39 counties for average pay ($52,108).
Yakima has 96,961 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.2% of the population of Washington. It covers 28 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,452 people per square mile. The median age is 34.3, 10% younger than the state median (34.3 against 38.3).
The median gross rent is $1,117 a month (rent plus utilities), 37% below the state median ($1,117 against $1,760). Over a year that is 21.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $297,600, which is 4.7 times the median household income ($62,815). 53.9% of households own their home, 16% below the state average (53.9% against 63.8%).
The Yakima, WA metropolitan area has 97,010 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $47,810 a year, 6% below the national median ($47,810 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are transportation and material moving (10,950 jobs, median $43,640); office and administrative support (10,220 jobs, median $49,090); food preparation and serving related (8,140 jobs, median $37,370). The area is most specialised in farming, fishing, and forestry (23.3 times) and healthcare support (1.6 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($101,900) and educational instruction and library ($61,000). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Yakima County was 4.0%. 59.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Yakima County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 78.9% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 1.6% walk, 7.6% work from home. 6.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 64% below the state average (6.0% against 16.9%).
20.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 48% below the state share (20.8% against 39.6%). 16.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 8% above the state share (16.7% against 15.4%). The poverty rate is 16.6%, 68% above the state rate (16.6% against 9.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 69°F (20.8°C), and the coolest is Dec at 28°F (-2.0°C). About 513 mm (20 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (90 mm) and Jul the driest (6 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Ellensburg (28 miles, rent 20% higher); Wenatchee (59 miles, rent 12% higher); Richland (63 miles, rent 31% higher); Moses Lake (71 miles, rent 9% higher). Rent differences are against Yakima; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Washington (1,198) →State guide: WashingtonCountry guideYakima CountyWashington rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,198 federal postings open in Washington (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Washington →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,770 | 1.77 | $44,490 | $38,170 | $45,070 | +24% |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 4,550 | 27.48 | $39,070 | $35,080 | $42,470 | +10% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,280 | 1.37 | $35,830 | $34,650 | $44,240 | +15% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,680 | 1.10 | $36,640 | $34,820 | $48,320 | +3% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 2,150 | 2.42 | $47,380 | $36,420 | $60,840 | +29% |
| Cashiers | 2,110 | 1.09 | $36,010 | $34,650 | $43,980 | +10% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,020 | 1.14 | $40,460 | $35,960 | $64,170 | +8% |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | 2,020 | 5.78 | $36,080 | $34,710 | $46,260 | -1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,690 | 1.23 | $39,210 | $35,940 | $56,560 | +6% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,610 | 0.76 | $102,950 | $80,740 | $156,830 | +6% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,580 | 1.23 | $57,210 | $39,330 | $73,690 | -2% |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 1,400 | 2.91 | $44,330 | $36,840 | $64,280 | -5% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,390 | 0.76 | $39,710 | $34,720 | $50,950 | -1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,370 | 0.89 | $45,600 | $36,690 | $60,760 | +1% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,360 | 1.57 | $98,330 | $61,820 | $112,700 | +54% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,320 | 1.46 | $47,080 | $40,030 | $48,510 | +11% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,210 | 1.27 | $49,450 | $37,910 | $75,550 | -0% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,020 | 0.96 | $52,540 | $41,240 | $64,390 | +11% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,010 | 0.46 | $119,470 | $72,320 | $208,030 | +13% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,000 | 0.71 | $49,060 | $34,740 | $78,410 | +39% |
These figures are for the whole Yakima, WA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,810 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.0% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.3% |
| Retail trade | 13.0% |
| Manufacturing | 9.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 9.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.3% |
| Construction | 5.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 4.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.2% |
| Public administration | 4.1% |
| Other services | 2.6% |
| Information | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Yakima lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima County | 257,152 | $13,348 million | $51,908 | 116,547 | 6,385 | $52,108 | +0.4% | 4.0% | 129,429 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 29,206 | 29.9% | $40,035 | 30.96 |
| Health care and social assistance | 18,432 | 18.9% | $59,728 | 1.10 |
| Retail trade | 11,113 | 11.4% | $40,718 | 0.95 |
| Manufacturing | 7,852 | 8.0% | $60,651 | 0.82 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,056 | 7.2% | $25,798 | 0.67 |
| Wholesale trade | 4,316 | 4.4% | $74,231 | 0.94 |
| Construction | 3,965 | 4.1% | $58,460 | 0.65 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,552 | 3.6% | $56,938 | 0.72 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,173 | 2.2% | $43,397 | 0.32 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,090 | 2.1% | $68,244 | 0.26 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,913 | 2.0% | $43,404 | 0.55 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,304 | 1.3% | $84,842 | 0.28 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,238 | 1.3% | $30,375 | 0.63 |
| Educational services | 1,228 | 1.3% | $47,697 | 0.51 |
| Real estate and rental | 865 | 0.9% | $51,970 | 0.48 |
| Management of companies | 723 | 0.7% | $96,320 | 0.37 |
| Information | 494 | 0.5% | $55,585 | 0.23 |
| Utilities | 162 | 0.2% | $121,687 | 0.37 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 37 | 0.0% | $129,900 | 0.08 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 78.9% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 1.6% |
| Work from home | 7.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,815 |
| Income per person | $30,483 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,117 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.3% |
| Median home value | $297,600 |
| Homeowners | 53.9% |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 95.5 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $47,810 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 79.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 20.8% |
| Born abroad | 16.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 59.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.8 | 29 | 78 |
| Feb | 0.0 | 32 | 51 |
| Mar | 3.5 | 38 | 54 |
| Apr | 7.3 | 45 | 36 |
| May | 12.7 | 55 | 35 |
| Jun | 16.2 | 61 | 22 |
| Jul | 20.8 | 69 | 6 |
| Aug | 20.4 | 69 | 9 |
| Sep | 15.6 | 60 | 17 |
| Oct | 8.6 | 47 | 46 |
| Nov | 2.1 | 36 | 69 |
| Dec | -2.0 | 28 | 90 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellensburg | WA | 28 mi | 20,874 | $55,438 | $1,340 |
| Wenatchee | WA | 59 mi | 35,484 | $73,040 | $1,248 |
| Richland | WA | 63 mi | 62,753 | $95,813 | $1,468 |
| Moses Lake | WA | 71 mi | 26,083 | $74,752 | $1,216 |
| Kennewick | WA | 71 mi | 85,295 | $73,576 | $1,240 |
| Pasco | WA | 72 mi | 79,575 | $85,586 | $1,227 |
| The Dalles | OR | 74 mi | 15,917 | $62,614 | $993 |
| Hermiston | OR | 80 mi | 19,546 | $66,998 | $1,088 |
| Bonney Lake | WA | 87 mi | 22,090 | $136,845 | $2,256 |
| Graham | WA | 87 mi | 35,079 | $116,862 | $2,095 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
96,961 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,117 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.3% of the median household income.
$62,815 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.0% (BLS county, Yakima County (latest month 2026M09)).
Washington. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.