City comparison
Bellingham, WA is about 175 miles (275 km) from Yakima, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 45 min 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 Bellingham, WA to Yakima, WA takes about 21 min, covering roughly 175 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 91,353 in Bellingham — about the same size. By land area, Bellingham covers about 28 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 | Bellingham | Yakima | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,385/mo | $1,014/mo | 36.6% higher in Bellingham |
| Median home value | $528,600 | $243,300 | 117.3% higher in Bellingham |
| Median household income | $64,026 | $55,734 | 14.9% higher in Bellingham |
| Groceries index | 104.9 | 104.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 102.2 | 94.9 | 7.7% higher in Bellingham |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 99.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.9 | 99.9 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bellingham, you'd need $83,739 in Yakima to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Yakima, WA is about 16.3% cheaper overall than Bellingham, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 54% higher in Bellingham than in Yakima. If you earn $80,000 in Bellingham, you'd need about $66,991 in Yakima to keep the same standard of living.