Yakima, WA
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
4.13×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Washington
- 5.13×-1.00
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
24.2%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Washington
- 24.7%-0.5
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.81%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Washington
- 3.13%+0.68
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.16%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Washington
- 0.25%
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
normal
Permit pipeline
2.34
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Washington
- 4.97
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
7.1%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Washington
- 5.5%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+46.4%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+4.5%
Median home value
$281,100
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,047 | $12,564 | 18.5% |
| 2 BR | $1,374 | $16,488 | 24.2% |
| 3 BR | $1,911 | $22,932 | 33.7% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
7.1%
Median household income
$68,015
What's being built
Total TTM
599
+29.4% YoY
Single-family
550
2–4 unit
32
5+ unit
17
All 1 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima County | 256,143 | $281,100 | $68,015 | 599 | +29.4% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Yakima | 256,143 | $68,015 | 4.13× | 3.81% | +46.4% | 2.34 | 7.1% |
| Lynchburg, VA | 262,124 | $67,782 | — | — | +55.4% | — | 3.6% |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 261,426 | $70,525 | — | — | +50.0% | — | 4.2% |
| Amarillo, TX | 269,278 | $66,571 | — | — | +39.5% | — | 2.8% |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 237,830 | $66,106 | — | — | +56.2% | — | 3.8% |
| Binghamton, NY | 246,709 | $63,347 | — | — | +56.0% | — | 4.1% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-409
-0.16% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| King County, WA | 366 |
| Benton County, WA | 336 |
| Grant County, WA | 221 |
| Pierce County, WA | 157 |
| Kittitas County, WA | 137 |
| Spokane County, WA | 122 |
Who lives in Yakima
- Median age
- 33
- Bachelor's+
- 18.9%
- Owner-occupancy
- 62.4%
- Vacancy rate
- 5.4%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 41.2%
- Median household income
- $68,015
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.