City comparison
Tacoma, 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 Tacoma, 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.
Tacoma has a population of 219,234, vs 96,764 in Yakima — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Tacoma covers about 50 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 | Tacoma | Yakima | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,489/mo | $1,014/mo | 46.8% higher in Tacoma |
| Median home value | $415,300 | $243,300 | 70.7% higher in Tacoma |
| Median household income | $79,085 | $55,734 | 41.9% higher in Tacoma |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 104.9 | 1.8% higher in Yakima |
| Utilities index | 92.5 | 94.9 | 2.6% higher in Yakima |
| Transportation index | 108.1 | 99.9 | 8.1% higher in Tacoma |
| Healthcare index | 108.8 | 99.9 | 8.9% higher in Tacoma |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Tacoma, you'd need $72,443 in Yakima to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Yakima, WA is about 27.6% cheaper overall than Tacoma, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 102% higher in Tacoma than in Yakima. If you earn $80,000 in Tacoma, you'd need about $57,955 in Yakima to keep the same standard of living.