Thurston County vs Yakima County
A side-by-side comparison of Thurston County and Yakima County: population, income, housing, and more.
Thurston 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.
Thurston County has the higher population (296,640 vs 256,605 in Yakima County). Thurston County has the higher median household income ($93,985 vs $68,015 in Yakima County). Thurston County has the higher median home value ($451,500 vs $281,100 in Yakima County).
Population, income & housing
| Thurston County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 296,640 | 256,605 |
| Median age | 39.8 yrs | 33.2 yrs |
| Median household income | $93,985 | $68,015 |
| Median home value | $451,500 | $281,100 |
| Median gross rent | $1,634 | $1,068 |
| Housing units | 123,333 | 91,647 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.8% | 62.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.2% | 18.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 7.1% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Thurston County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 279,711 → 296,640 (+6.1%) | 249,697 → 256,605 (+2.8%) |
| Median household income | $72,003 → $93,985 (+30.5%) | $51,637 → $68,015 (+31.7%) |
| Median home value | $287,900 → $451,500 (+56.8%) | $175,900 → $281,100 (+59.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,218 → $1,634 (+34.2%) | $825 → $1,068 (+29.5%) |
Thurston County
279,711296,640
$72,003$93,985
$287,900$451,500
$1,218$1,634
Yakima County
249,697256,605
$51,637$68,015
$175,900$281,100
$825$1,068
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Thurston County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.4% | 7.3% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.7% | 21.9% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.6% | 9.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.3% | 13.5% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.3% | 12.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 10.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.4% | 10.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.3% | 8.5% |
| 75 and over | 7.0% | 5.8% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Thurston County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 70.6% | 40.1% |
| Black or African American | 3.2% | 0.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| Asian | 5.7% | 1.1% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 1.0% | 0.4% |
| Some other race | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 7.7% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.3% | 51.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Thurston County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 5.5% | 23.7% |
| High school graduate | 22.1% | 29.3% |
| Some college or associate's | 35.2% | 28.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 23.0% | 12.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 14.2% | 6.8% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Thurston County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 69.2% | 78.9% |
| Carpooled | 8.2% | 12.1% |
| Public transit | 1.4% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| Bicycle | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Worked from home | 17.3% | 6.4% |
| Other means | 1.4% | 0.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Thurston County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 67.2% | 66.4% |
| 1-unit, attached | 4.3% | 3.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.9% | 7.7% |
| 5 to 19 units | 7.3% | 5.8% |
| 20 or more units | 6.7% | 4.8% |
| Mobile home & other | 8.6% | 11.8% |
Poverty & households
| Thurston County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.7% | 15.4% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 2.91 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 26 | 20 |
| Median year structure built | 1991 | 1976 |
Full profiles
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