Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima.
Yakima is about southeast of Mount Rainier in Washington. It is situated in the Yakima Valley, a productive agricultural region noted for apple, wine, and hop production. As of 2011, the Yakima Valley produces 77% of all hops grown in the United States. The name Yakima originates from the Yakama Nation Native American tribe, whose reservation is located south of the city.
History The Yakama people were the first known inhabitants of the Yakima Valley. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition came to the area and encountered abundant wildlife and rich soil, prompting the settlement of homesteaders. A Catholic Mission was established in Ahtanum, southwest of present-day Yakima, in 1847. The arrival of settlers and their conflicts with the natives resulted in the Yakima War. The U.S. Army established Fort Simcoe in 1856 near present-day White Swan as a response to the uprising. The Yakamas were defeated and forced to relocate to the Yakama Indian Reservation.
Yakima County was created in 1867. When bypassed by the Northern Pacific Railroad in December 1884, over 100 buildings were moved with rollers and horse teams to the nearby site of the depot. The new city was dubbed North Yakima and was officially incorporated and named the county seat on January 27, 1886. The name was changed to Yakima in 1918. Union Gap was the new name given to the original site of Yakima.
On May 18, 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens caused a large amount of volcanic ash to fall on the Yakima area. Visibility was reduced to near-zero conditions that afternoon, and the ash overloaded the city's wastewater treatment plant.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.84% is water. Yakima is 1,095 feet above mean sea level.
The city of Yakima is located in the Upper Valley of Yakima County. The county is geographically divided by Ahtanum Ridge and Rattlesnake Ridge into two regions: the Upper (northern) and Lower (southern) valleys. Yakima is located in the more urbanized Upper Valley, and is the central city of the Yakima Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima. Other nearby cities include Moxee, Tieton, Cowiche, Wiley City, Tampico, Gleed, and Naches in the Upper Valley, as well as Wapato, Toppenish, Zillah, Harrah, White Swan, Parker, Buena, Outlook, Granger, Mabton, Sunnyside, and Grandview in the Lower Valley.
Bodies of water The Yakima River runs through the city from its source at Lake Keechelus in the Cascade Range to the Columbia River at Richland. It is the primary irrigation source for the Yakima Valley and also used for both fishing and recreation. The Naches River, a tributary of the Yakima River, forms the northern border of the city.
The is a system of parks, paved pathways, and nature reserves along the Yakima and Naches rivers. The community project was formed in 1983 with work to reclaim a former city landfill into a park, which opened in 1990 as Sarg Hubbard Park.
Several small lakes flank the northern edge of the city, including Myron Lake, Lake Aspen, Bergland Lake (private) and Rotary Lake (also known as Freeway Lake). These lakes are popular with fishermen and swimmers during the summer.
Climate
Yakima has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with a Mediterranean precipitation pattern. Winters are cold, with December the coolest month, with a mean temperature of . Annual average snowfall is , with most occurring in December and January, when the snow depth averages . There are 18.9 days per year in which the high does not surpass freezing, and 1.6 mornings where the low is or lower. Springtime warming is very gradual, with the average last freeze of the season May 13. Summer days are hot, but the diurnal temperature variation is large, averaging in July, sometimes reaching as high as during that season; there are 40.2 afternoons of maxima reaching or greater annually and 5.7 afternoons of maxima. Autumn cooling is very rapid, with the average first freeze of the season occurring on September 30. Due to the city's location in a rain shadow, precipitation, at an average of annually, is low year-round, but especially during summer. Extreme temperatures have ranged from on February 1, 1950, to on June 29, 2021.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Yakima, Washington – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)42,92847,52342,21259.75%52.18%43.53%Black or African American alone (NH)1,3081,3111,1841.82%1.44%1.22%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1,1161,3111,3211.55%1.44%1.36%Asian alone (NH)7921,2861,3421.10%1.41%1.38%Pacific Islander alone (NH)48461260.07%0.05%0.13%Other race alone (NH)601254140.08%0.14%0.43%Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)1,3801,8783,3771.92%2.06%3.48%Hispanic or Latino (any race)24,21337,58746,99233.70%41.27%48.46%Total71,84591,06796,968100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 96,968 people, 35,379 households, and 22,858 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 37,192 housing units at an average density of .
The median age was 34.6 years. 27.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.0 males age 18 and over.
99.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.2% lived in rural areas.
Of the 35,379 households, 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.1% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 37,192 housing units, of which 4.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 50,234 51.8% Black or African American 1,405 1.4% American Indian and Alaska Native 2,453 2.5% Asian 1,418 1.5% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 171 0.2% Some other race 26,824 27.7% Two or more races 14,463 14.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 46,992 48.5%
2018–2022 American Community Survey
The 2018–2022 five-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $55,734 (with a margin of error of +/- $7,514) and the median family income $57,296 (+/- $3,722). Males had a median income of $31,188 (+/- $828) versus $26,018 (+/- $1,183) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $28,697 (+/- $1,619). Approximately, 14.7% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those ages 65 or over.
2010 census As of the 2010 census, there were 91,067 people with 33,074 households, and 21,411 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 34,829 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 67.1% (61,065) White, 1.7% (1,556) African American, 2.0% (1,838) Native American, 1.5% (1,347) Asian, 0.1% (83) Pacific Islander, 23.3% (21,216) from some other races and 4.4% (3,962) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.3% (37,587) of the population.La Ganga, Maria L. (September 25, 2014) "Yakima Valley Latinos Getting a Voice, With Court's Help" Los Angeles Times 19.1% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher.
There were 33,074 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.3% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.3.
People under the age of 18 accounted for 28.3% of the population, while 13.1% were 65 years or older. The median age was 33.9 years, and 50.7% of the population was female.
The median household income was $39,706. The per capita income was $20,771. 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line.
Economy Yakima's growth in the 20th century was fueled primarily by agriculture. The Yakima Valley produces many fruit crops, including apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and melons. Many vegetables are also produced, including peppers, corn and beans. Most of the nation's hops, a key ingredient in the production of beer, are also grown in the Yakima Valley. Many of the city's residents have come to the valley out of economic necessity and to participate in the picking, processing, marketing and support services for the agricultural economy.
Top employers According to the City's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:
# Employer Industry # of Employees Percentage 1 Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital Health Care 2,500 1.9% 2 Walmart(Yakima/Sunnyside/Grandview) Department store 1,700 1.3% 3 Yakima School District, No. 7 Education 1,594 1.2% 4 Zirkle Fruit Fruit processing 1,500 1.1% 5 Washington Fruit & Produce Fruit processing 1,500 1.1% 6 Yakama NationGovernment Operations Government 1,289 1.0% 7 Borton Fruit Fruit processing 1,212 0.9% 8 Astria Health(Yakima/Sunnyside/Toppenish) Health Care 1,200 0.9% 9 Yakama Nation Enterprises(Utility, C-Store, Credit Enterprise,Forest Products, Legends Casino) Enterprise 1,170 0.9% 10 Yakima County County Government 1,074 0.8%—Total employers—14,73911.1%
Downtown Yakima, long the retail hub of the region, has undergone many changes since the late 1990s. Three major department stores, and an entire shopping mall that is now closed, have been replaced by a Whirlpool Corporation facility (shut down in 2011), an Adaptis call center, and several hotels. The region's retail core has shifted to the town of Union Gap to a renovated shopping mall and other new retail businesses. The Downtown Futures Initiative promotes the downtown area as a center for events, services, entertainment, and small, personal shopping experiences. The DFI has provided for street-to-storefront remodeling along Yakima Avenue throughout the entire downtown core, and includes new pedestrian-friendly lighting, water fountains, planters, banner poles, new trees and hanging baskets, and paver-inlaid sidewalks.
Events held downtown include Yakima Downtown New Year's Eve, a Cinco de Mayo celebration, Yakima Live music festival, Yakima Summer Kickoff Party, Fresh Hop Ale Fest, a weekly Farmers' Market, and the Hot Shots 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.
Over ninety wineries are in the Yakima Valley.
The Yakima Training Center, between Yakima and Ellensburg, is a United States Army training center. It is used primarily for maneuver training and land warrior system testing, and has a live-fire area. Artillery units from the Canadian Armed Forces based in British Columbia, as well as the Japan Ground Self Defense Force, conduct annual training in Yakima. Japanese soldiers train there because it allows for large-scale live-fire maneuvers not available in Japan. Similarly, it is the closest impact area for the Canadian Gunners, the next closest being in Wainwright, Alberta.
Tourism