City comparison
Lacey, WA is about 100 miles (175 km) from Yakima, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 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 Lacey, 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 56,263 in Lacey — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Yakima covers about 28 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for Lacey.
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 | Lacey | Yakima | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,639/mo | $1,014/mo | 61.6% higher in Lacey |
| Median home value | $378,700 | $243,300 | 55.7% higher in Lacey |
| Median household income | $79,874 | $55,734 | 43.3% higher in Lacey |
| Groceries index | 104.9 | 104.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 94.7 | 94.9 | ≈ equal (Yakima slightly higher) |
| 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 Lacey, you'd need $82,551 in Yakima to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Yakima, WA is about 17.4% cheaper overall than Lacey, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 61% higher in Lacey than in Yakima. If you earn $80,000 in Lacey, you'd need about $66,041 in Yakima to keep the same standard of living.