City comparison
Lakewood, 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 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 Lakewood, WA to Yakima, WA takes about 12 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 63,142 in Lakewood — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Yakima covers about 28 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for Lakewood.
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 | Lakewood | Yakima | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,318/mo | $1,014/mo | 30.0% higher in Lakewood |
| Median home value | $406,500 | $243,300 | 67.1% higher in Lakewood |
| Median household income | $65,531 | $55,734 | 17.6% higher in Lakewood |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 104.9 | 0.9% higher in Yakima |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 94.9 | 0.9% higher in Lakewood |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 99.9 | 6.7% higher in Lakewood |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 99.9 | 6.7% higher in Lakewood |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lakewood, you'd need $72,799 in Yakima to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Yakima, WA is about 27.2% cheaper overall than Lakewood, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 101% higher in Lakewood than in Yakima. If you earn $80,000 in Lakewood, you'd need about $58,239 in Yakima to keep the same standard of living.