City comparison
Richland, WA is about 60 miles (100 km) from Yakima, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 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 Richland, WA to Yakima, WA takes about 8 min, covering roughly 60 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 60,867 in Richland — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Richland covers about 42 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 | Richland | Yakima | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,321/mo | $1,014/mo | 30.3% higher in Richland |
| Median home value | $365,800 | $243,300 | 50.3% higher in Richland |
| Median household income | $89,283 | $55,734 | 60.2% higher in Richland |
| Groceries index | 104.9 | 104.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 96.4 | 94.9 | 1.6% higher in Richland |
| 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 Richland, you'd need $90,268 in Yakima to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Yakima, WA is about 9.7% cheaper overall than Richland, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 31% higher in Richland than in Yakima. If you earn $80,000 in Richland, you'd need about $72,214 in Yakima to keep the same standard of living.