Benton County vs Yakima County
A side-by-side comparison of Benton County and Yakima County: population, income, housing, and more.
Benton County and Yakima County are counties in Washington. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Yakima County has the higher population (256,605 vs 210,224 in Benton County). Benton County has the higher median household income ($87,316 vs $68,015 in Yakima County). Benton County has the higher median home value ($369,400 vs $281,100 in Yakima County).
Population, income & housing
| Benton County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 210,224 | 256,605 |
| Median age | 36.2 yrs | 33.2 yrs |
| Median household income | $87,316 | $68,015 |
| Median home value | $369,400 | $281,100 |
| Median gross rent | $1,256 | $1,068 |
| Housing units | 81,792 | 91,647 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.5% | 62.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.0% | 18.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 7.1% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Benton County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 197,518 → 210,224 (+6.4%) | 249,697 → 256,605 (+2.8%) |
| Median household income | $69,023 → $87,316 (+26.5%) | $51,637 → $68,015 (+31.7%) |
| Median home value | $235,800 → $369,400 (+56.7%) | $175,900 → $281,100 (+59.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $974 → $1,256 (+29.0%) | $825 → $1,068 (+29.5%) |
Benton County
197,518210,224
$69,023$87,316
$235,800$369,400
$974$1,256
Yakima County
249,697256,605
$51,637$68,015
$175,900$281,100
$825$1,068
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Benton County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.5% | 7.3% |
| 5 to 17 | 19.9% | 21.9% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 9.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.4% | 13.5% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 12.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 10.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.7% | 10.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.6% | 8.5% |
| 75 and over | 6.0% | 5.8% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Benton County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 65.7% | 40.1% |
| Black or African American | 1.5% | 0.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.4% | 2.5% |
| Asian | 2.9% | 1.1% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Some other race | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 3.8% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 24.8% | 51.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Benton County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 10.1% | 23.7% |
| High school graduate | 23.0% | 29.3% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.9% | 28.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 20.1% | 12.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 12.9% | 6.8% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Benton County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 75.0% | 78.9% |
| Carpooled | 10.3% | 12.1% |
| Public transit | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Worked from home | 11.6% | 6.4% |
| Other means | 0.7% | 0.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Benton County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 63.4% | 66.4% |
| 1-unit, attached | 3.4% | 3.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 7.2% | 7.7% |
| 5 to 19 units | 7.9% | 5.8% |
| 20 or more units | 9.0% | 4.8% |
| Mobile home & other | 9.1% | 11.8% |
Poverty & households
| Benton County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.1% | 15.4% |
| Average household size | 2.71 | 2.91 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 22 | 20 |
| Median year structure built | 1987 | 1976 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in Washington
- Most densely populated — counties in Washington
- Highest median household income — counties in Washington
- Highest median home value — counties in Washington
- Most affordable home values — counties in Washington
- Highest median gross rent — counties in Washington
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in Washington
- Oldest by median age — counties in Washington
- Youngest by median age — counties in Washington
- Most college-educated — counties in Washington
- Highest poverty rate — counties in Washington
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in Washington
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in Washington
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in Washington
- Longest commutes — counties in Washington
- Shortest commutes — counties in Washington
- Largest households — counties in Washington
- Newest housing — counties in Washington
- Oldest housing — counties in Washington
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in Washington
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in Washington