City comparison
Burien, WA is about 100 miles (175 km) from Yakima, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h 15 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 Burien, WA to Yakima, WA takes about 13 min, covering roughly 100 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 51,505 in Burien — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Yakima covers about 28 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Burien.
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 | Burien | Yakima | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,649/mo | $1,014/mo | 62.6% higher in Burien |
| Median home value | $566,500 | $243,300 | 132.8% higher in Burien |
| Median household income | $84,583 | $55,734 | 51.8% higher in Burien |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 104.9 | 0.9% higher in Yakima |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 94.9 | 0.9% higher in Burien |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 99.9 | 6.7% higher in Burien |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 99.9 | 6.7% higher in Burien |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Burien, you'd need $72,214 in Yakima to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Yakima, WA is about 27.8% cheaper overall than Burien, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 104% higher in Burien than in Yakima. If you earn $80,000 in Burien, you'd need about $57,771 in Yakima to keep the same standard of living.