City comparison
Auburn, WA is about 90 miles (150 km) from Yakima, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Auburn, WA to Yakima, WA takes about 11 min, covering roughly 90 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Yakima has a population of 96,764, vs 85,623 in Auburn — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, Auburn covers about 30 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Yakima.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Auburn | Yakima | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,594/mo | $1,014/mo | 57.2% higher in Auburn |
| Median home value | $460,100 | $243,300 | 89.1% higher in Auburn |
| Median household income | $87,406 | $55,734 | 56.8% higher in Auburn |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 104.9 | 0.9% higher in Yakima |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 94.9 | 0.9% higher in Auburn |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 99.9 | 6.7% higher in Auburn |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 99.9 | 6.7% higher in Auburn |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Auburn, you'd need $72,308 in Yakima to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Yakima, WA is about 27.7% cheaper overall than Auburn, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 103% higher in Auburn than in Yakima. If you earn $80,000 in Auburn, you'd need about $57,846 in Yakima to keep the same standard of living.