Whatcom County vs Yakima County
A side-by-side comparison of Whatcom County and Yakima County: population, income, housing, and more.
Whatcom 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 228,432 in Whatcom County). Whatcom County has the higher median household income ($80,989 vs $68,015 in Yakima County). Whatcom County has the higher median home value ($536,100 vs $281,100 in Yakima County).
Population, income & housing
| Whatcom County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 228,432 | 256,605 |
| Median age | 38.2 yrs | 33.2 yrs |
| Median household income | $80,989 | $68,015 |
| Median home value | $536,100 | $281,100 |
| Median gross rent | $1,465 | $1,068 |
| Housing units | 101,928 | 91,647 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.5% | 62.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.1% | 18.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 7.1% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Whatcom County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 220,821 → 228,432 (+3.4%) | 249,697 → 256,605 (+2.8%) |
| Median household income | $62,984 → $80,989 (+28.6%) | $51,637 → $68,015 (+31.7%) |
| Median home value | $345,700 → $536,100 (+55.1%) | $175,900 → $281,100 (+59.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,060 → $1,465 (+38.2%) | $825 → $1,068 (+29.5%) |
Whatcom County
220,821228,432
$62,984$80,989
$345,700$536,100
$1,060$1,465
Yakima County
249,697256,605
$51,637$68,015
$175,900$281,100
$825$1,068
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Whatcom County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.7% | 7.3% |
| 5 to 17 | 14.1% | 21.9% |
| 18 to 24 | 13.1% | 9.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 13.5% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.7% | 12.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.2% | 10.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.8% | 10.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.4% | 8.5% |
| 75 and over | 7.1% | 5.8% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Whatcom County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 76.1% | 40.1% |
| Black or African American | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Asian | 4.2% | 1.1% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Some other race | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 6.1% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.4% | 51.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Whatcom County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.2% | 23.7% |
| High school graduate | 21.4% | 29.3% |
| Some college or associate's | 34.3% | 28.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 23.5% | 12.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 14.6% | 6.8% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Whatcom County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 70.2% | 78.9% |
| Carpooled | 8.1% | 12.1% |
| Public transit | 1.9% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 3.4% | 1.3% |
| Bicycle | 1.9% | 0.3% |
| Worked from home | 13.3% | 6.4% |
| Other means | 1.1% | 0.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Whatcom County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 63.3% | 66.4% |
| 1-unit, attached | 3.0% | 3.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 7.0% | 7.7% |
| 5 to 19 units | 10.0% | 5.8% |
| 20 or more units | 10.1% | 4.8% |
| Mobile home & other | 6.5% | 11.8% |
Poverty & households
| Whatcom County | Yakima County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.7% | 15.4% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 2.91 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 22 | 20 |
| Median year structure built | 1988 | 1976 |
Full profiles
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