City comparison
Kennewick, WA is about 70 miles (125 km) from Yakima, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 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 Kennewick, WA to Yakima, WA takes about 9 min, covering roughly 70 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 83,823 in Kennewick — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Kennewick covers about 29 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 | Kennewick | Yakima | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,113/mo | $1,014/mo | 9.8% higher in Kennewick |
| Median home value | $318,400 | $243,300 | 30.9% higher in Kennewick |
| Median household income | $70,429 | $55,734 | 26.4% higher in Kennewick |
| Groceries index | 104.9 | 104.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 96.4 | 94.9 | 1.6% higher in Kennewick |
| 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 Kennewick, you'd need $90,839 in Yakima to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Yakima, WA is about 9.2% cheaper overall than Kennewick, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% higher in Kennewick than in Yakima. If you earn $80,000 in Kennewick, you'd need about $72,671 in Yakima to keep the same standard of living.